Artificial intelligence (AI) can summarize a chapter, generate a lesson plan, or build a presentation in seconds. But as AI becomes part of many people's everyday work, one question is taking the center stage in education: How do we help people actually learn?
For Dr. William Monroe, Professor of Professional Practice at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center and adjunct instructor in LSU's College of Human Sciences and Education, that's the question that drives every course he teaches, on campus and online.
From educational technology and multimedia design to AI literacy, Monroe helps students move beyond simply using technology in their teaching practice. Instead, he teaches how to create meaningful learning experiences grounded in research, evidence, and understanding.
From Language Teacher to Educational Technology
Monroe's own career reflects the interdisciplinary mindset he encourages in his students.
"I majored in Spanish as an undergraduate and then went on to teach in middle school for several years before returning for a Master's degree in Library and Information Science and then a Ph.D. in Educational Technology."
His background in language education continues to shape his teaching philosophy today. "Working with a wide range of students trying to learn another language—and my own experience learning a language—emphasized the importance of two things for me: the importance of clear communication and creating an atmosphere in which making mistakes, early and often, was crucial to learning."
That mindset has become even more valuable as more learning takes place online and technology reshapes education and workforce training.
Teaching AI Literacy Instead of AI Dependence
Artificial intelligence is changing classrooms, corporate training, and instructional design. Rather than treating AI as something to avoid or something to rely on completely, Monroe encourages students to think critically about how these tools influence learning. He's also doing this work himself.
"I've been developing an AI literacy thread in my course based upon Anna Mills's Peer & AI Review + Reflection Project (PAIRR). I'm curious about how AI tools influence the work of learning designers and teachers, especially those who are early in their professional lives."
By examining both the opportunities and limitations of AI, students develop the judgment needed to design learning experiences that remain effective as technology continues to evolve.
Why Good Learning Design Starts With People, Not Technology
One of Monroe's favorite courses to teach is Multimedia Design and Development (ELRC 7505). The course is built around the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, developed by researchers Richard Mayer, Ruth Clark, and their colleagues.
Learning about this research and using the design principles that those scholars developed gives students a chance to choose their own projects, rationalize their designs based upon the evidence we have, and learn new multimedia design tools. I love sharing the course with students who are discovering this research for the first time."
Monroe believes many people rely on instinct when creating presentations, videos, or online training. In his course, students learn to compare those instincts with decades of research on how multimedia affects learning.
"It's hard for me to imagine a person today who lacks an intuitive sense of how their attention is shaped by the multimedia they interact with daily," he says. "And yet, I think that our intuitions can be assisted by looking at how this shaping works to the benefit and detriment of our learners."
Effective multimedia-centered instructional design is strengthened by an understanding of how multimedia influences attention, memory, and learning. By learning to ground design decisions in evidence instead of assumptions, instructors can create multimedia that supports learning, not just capture attention.
"The technologies that entertain and distract us can also be useful as we try to learn. I hope that the multimedia design principles give my students a chance to test their assumptions."
On Designing Learning for Every Audience
Students and graduates of the online master's in educational technology might work in education, business, healthcare, government, nonprofit organizations, and military settings. This variety is useful, as Monroe encourages students to think beyond a single classroom or workplace.
"The material in the course I teach emphasizes the importance of understanding the prior knowledge of the learners they are designing for and teaching."
And since many students already understand the audiences they serve, Monroe asks them to go one step further.
"I ask my students to make this [understanding of their audience] as explicit and clear as possible in their designs, and I hope that this will give them the tools and habits of mind to reach a wide range of learners."
That learner-centered approach prepares graduates to design instructional experiences that adapt to diverse industries, organizations, and professional environments.
Courses That Fit Working Professionals
Many students balance demanding careers with family and personal responsibilities. Monroe believes online learning should recognize those realities.
"Most of my students come to our courses with significant prior professional experience and have busy lives with significant family and related responsibilities," he said. That's why his assignments are intentionally flexible.
I try to design my assignments so that students have corresponding freedom to choose assignment topics that will have professional and intellectual relevance for them while being feasible given their other responsibilities."
Rather than completing purely theoretical exercises, students often develop projects they can immediately apply in their own organizations.
Preparing Students for What's Next
Whether graduates pursue careers in instructional design, educational technology, corporate training, learning experience design, or organizational development, Dr. Monroe wants them to graduate with practical skills and lasting curiosity.
"I hope that students leave the program with projects that they can use immediately in their work, with intellectual tools that they can continue to deploy, and with a curiosity about how people learn."
Become a More Influential Educator with LSU Online
Technology transforms how people learn, communicate, and develop new skills across nearly every industry. LSU's online Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Educational Technology prepares professionals to participate in that transformation by combining learning science, instructional design, multimedia development, emerging technologies, and hands-on projects.
Whether your goal is to improve learning in K-12 education, higher education, healthcare, corporate training, government, or nonprofit organizations, you'll gain the knowledge and practical experience to design engaging, research-based learning experiences that make a measurable impact.
Explore the online MA in Educational Technology from LSU and apply today.
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