Do you have what it takes to persuade subject-matter experts to adopt best practices for online learning? Test your instructional design consultancy skills on AI subject matter experts and dinner mystery theater-style scenarios and explore how tools like ChatGPT and Character.AI can help you improve essential consultancy skills.

Do you remember the first instructional design consultation you had that “went off the rails?” All instructional designers have one or more of these stories. Even experienced instructional designers can sometimes be taken aback by their subject-matter experts. This session addresses the critical need for instructional designers to develop and maintain strong consultancy and collaboration skills. Traditionally, ID programs emphasize technical skills and theoretical knowledge, often unable to address the practical, interpersonal competencies essential for real-world consulting and client relationships. While it can be challenging for these types of experiential learning opportunities to be built in the classroom, it is equally challenging for instructional designers to gain this critical experience before stepping into consultation-heavy roles. This session explores how AI tools such as ChatGPT and Character.AI can bridge this gap by providing dynamic, realistic experiences that prepare instructional designers for the complexities of client interactions. The session will use AI chatbots and models trained specifically on real-world, common online learning challenges and a range of subject-matter expert responses. To emphasize that these types of exercises don’t need AI to work, the session will also pull it out of AI and engage in a similar scenario using real-life human beings. Plan for Interactivity: -Part 1 of the session will challenge participants to a gamified hands-on interaction with AI chatbots in Character.AI and trained ChatGPT models* in table groups. Instructions will be provided for those participants who do not want to participate in groups to participate individually. The goal of each interaction will be to persuade the virtual SME to a specific instructional best practice. Note: Staff from presenter’s institution will be present at tables with computers to ensure equal access to ChatGPT models. *Backup plan in case AI systems are down - switch Part 1 with Part 2 to see if the issue resolves. If it doesn’t, Part 2 will be run twice. All materials to run the workshop at their own institutions or individually will be provided for later use. -Part 2 of the session will be in a dinner mystery theater style with one participant playing the SME and the other group participants working to persuade them to a best practice learning goal. Groups will receive instruction packets to roleplay the personas and goals for the interaction. -Part 3 of the session will go over critical communication strategies, coaching techniques, and values-based consulting approaches. It will also introduce a framework for reflective practice to continue the skills and opportunities introduced in the workshop into their jobs. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the session, attendees will -Explore how AI tools like ChatGPT and Character.AI can enhance consultancy skills. -Engage with AI subject-matter experts around common online learning challenges. -Role-play SME and ID consultations and conversations. -Reflect on scenarios to assess where to focus in consultancy skill development. Takeaways: Participants will leave with access to all models, AI characters, scenarios, and personas to recreate the experience at their own institutions.