a closeup of a laptop on a wooden surface featuring the TCRM T&D project on the screen

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.


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