Why I Choose to Work at Academic Innovation

I choose to work at the Center for Academic Innovation because I can share my passion for design, innovation, and education with teams of designers and higher education professionals.

Current Roles/Previous Experience

As a Learning Experience Designer (LXD) in the Center for Academic Innovation, Ahmed uses his design expertise to design learner-centered learning experiences for diverse audiences of global learners. Central to this work is a commitment to employ rigorous design methods to create designs that value both diversity and inclusiveness. His designs are inspired by design precedents from different design disciplines, such as architecture and human-computer interaction, and informed by general design theories, learning theories, and instructional design theories. Ahmed’s research interests include design practice, designers’ design knowledge, design theory, and design pedagogy. He studies design practice in situ to inform design education, theory, and practice.

Ahmed is an experienced designer, an educator, and a scholar. His work experience spans over a decade in higher education, government, corporate and non-profit settings. He is a recent graduate of Indiana University (IU) Bloomington with a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology. Before coming to IU Bloomington, Ahmed worked for Fort Hays State University at the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technologies as an Instructional Designer. Prior to working for Fort Hays State, Ahmed obtained his Masters’ in Educational Technology from Grand Valley State University, Michigan, and a BA in English Language, Literature, and Civilization from the University of Sfax. He is a native of Sfax, Tunisia, and a long-time Scout Leader/Ham-Radio operator.

Ask Me to Learn About

• Design Methods
• Design Practice
• Instructional Systems Technology & Design
• Design Tools
• Design Theory
• Design Failure
• Cooking & Baking

Selected Publications

Dissertation

Lachheb, A. (2020). Design Failure in Instructional Design Practice: Practitioners’ Perspective (Order No. 28091021). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2445576286).

Journal Publications (Peer-Reviewed)

Lachheb, A., Abramenka-Lachheb, V. & Huber, L. (2021) Challenges and Opportunities in Adhering to UDL Principles to Design Online Courses. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 10(1).

Abramenka-Lachheb, V., Lachheb, A., de Siqueira, A. C. & Huber, L. (2021) Instructional Designers as “First Responders”: Helping Faculty Teach in the Coronavirus Crisis. Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology. 10(1).

Tomita, K., Alangari, H., Zhu, M., Ergulec, F., Lachheb, A., & Boling, E. (2021) Challenges
Implementing Qualitative Research Methods in a Study of Design Practice.
Tech Trends. 65 (1)

Lachheb, A., & Boling, E. (2018) Design tools in practice: instructional designers report which tools they use and why. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 1(21).

Boling, E., Alangari, H., Hajdu, I. M., Guo, M., Gyabak, K., Khlaif, Z., Kizilboga, R., Tomita, K., Alsaif, M., Lachheb, A., (2017). Core judgments of instructional designers in practice.
Performance Improvement Quarterly, 30(3).

Book Chapters (Peer-Reviewed)

Leung, J., Lachheb, A., Abramenka-Lachheb, V. & Zhou, G. (2021) Managing Instructional Design Projects in Higher Education. A Practitioner’s Guide to Instructional Design in Higher Education.

Philips, T., Lachheb, A., Sankaranarayanan, R. & Abramenka-Lachheb, V. (2021) Learning Analytics as a Tool for Improvement and Reflection on Instructional Design Practices. A Practitioner’s Guide to Instructional Design in Higher Education.

Lachheb, A. & Boling (2020) The Role of Design Judgment and Reflection in Instructional Design. Instructional Design: An Introduction and Student Guide.

Abramenka-Lachheb, V., Lachheb, A., & Ozogul, G. (2020) Teaching Design to Public Health Majors: A Design Case of an Interdisciplinary Course. In Intersections Across Disciplines (pp. 265-279). Springer, Cham.