What Is T&D at UCSB?
At UCSB, Learning & Development means equipping our staff and faculty with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to perform at their best—consistently. We support unit goals, not just campus compliance. Our L&D team helps ensure that change initiatives, process rollouts, and skill-building efforts stick.
What Do Instructional Designers (IDs) Do at UCSB?
We are the bridge between content and competence. At UCSB, that means:
- Turning a dense, policy-heavy manual into a branching scenarios where staff practice making judgment calls before mistakes happen;
- Translating a new system’s procedures into a self-paced module that lets users learn when it's convenient—then revisit key decision points later;
- Helping departments prep for audits by making sure people don’t just know the rules—they can apply them;
- We design training that works, not just training that exists.
We don’t just ask what content exists—we ask what change you want to see in people’s performance.
Context: A department implements a new process for equipment purchasing. A SME creates a detailed training guide and holds a one-time Zoom session.
Outcome:
- Learners are overwhelmed by procedural complexity
- Key steps are skipped or misinterpreted
- The team spends hours fielding repeat questions and correcting errors
With Instructional Design Support:
- We break the process into a job aid for everyday reference, a short “first-time user” video, and a quiz for retention
- We identify the top 3 decision pitfalls and build them into interactive practice
- Follow-up is automated with scheduled nudges or microlearning as updates roll out
Outcome: Less time training, fewer errors, and better adoption
Context: A new online form system is rolled out to streamline internal requests. A webpage is posted with instructions.
Outcome:
- Form usage is inconsistent
- Fields are misunderstood or skipped
- Staff revert to old processes, delaying implementation
With Instructional Design Support:
- We interview stakeholders to understand usage patterns
- We develop a launch campaign with a 3-minute “how-to” screencast, a guided sandbox environment, and an FAQ
- Managers get talking points for staff meetings to reinforce expectations
Outcome: Smooth rollout, consistent use, measurable time savings
How T&D Helps UCSB Units Succeed
Without T&D Involvement
- One-time info dumps
- Reactive support tickets
- Training as a checkbox
- Updates mean a total overhaul
With T&D Partnership
- Layered learning, spaced over time
- Proactive learner support
- Training as a change strategy
- Version tracking makes changes targeted and saves on maintenance investment
When to Bring Us In
- You're launching a system or workflow change
- You want to improve onboarding for new staff
- You're responding to audit findings or risk assessments
Bottom Line:
Our job is to make your job easier—by building training that’s targeted, usable, and built to last. We’re not just making courses—we’re making capacity.
Resources
Contact Us
- Alx Sanchez, Training Lead
- Moncerratt Peralta, Instructional Developer
- Stephanie Corwin, Instructional Designer