However, many in-house teams struggle with limited resources, tight deadlines, and rapidly evolving technologies. Outsourcing instructional design services can be a strategic solution for supplementing internal capabilities, ensuring instructional goals are met efficiently. As Babb Education’s Director of eLearning, I can provide insights into the roles, benefits, and challenges of integrating an outsourced instructional design team. Additionally, I’ll share strategies for effective collaboration and best practices to ensure seamless operations and successful course launches.
The Role of In-House and Outsourced Instructional Design Teams
To understand how these teams can work together, it’s essential to first clarify their distinct roles:
In-House Instructional Design Team
The client’s internal instructional design team plays a crucial role in maintaining institutional consistency and fostering relationships with faculty. Their key responsibilities typically include:
- aligning course design with institutional mission, vision, and accreditation standards.
- supporting ongoing course maintenance and improvements.
- ensuring compliance with accessibility and quality assurance standards.
- managing learning management system (LMS) integrations and instructional technology adoption.
Outsourced Instructional Design Team
Babb Education’s instructional designers, provide the flexibility and expertise to augment an institution’s in-house capabilities, assisting with:
- large-scale course development for new programs.
- designing and creating course templates.
- specialized instructional design needs (e.g., simulations, adaptive learning, immersive technology, multimedia learning activities).
- temporary staffing gaps due to workload spikes or staff turnover.
- rapid course conversions (e.g., moving face-to-face courses online).
- collaborating with subject matter experts to develop or revise course content.
- loading courses into a learning management system.
- migrating courses from one learning management system to another.
By strategically leveraging both teams, colleges and universities can increase efficiency without sacrificing quality or internal expertise.
Benefits of Using In-House and Outsourced ID Teams Together
When managed effectively, a partnership between in-house and outsourced instructional design (ID) teams offers numerous advantages. One of the key benefits is scalability without long-term commitments. Schools can increase their course development capacity when demand rises without the financial strain of hiring full-time staff. Additionally, outsourcing provides access to specialized expertise that may not be available internally. External ID professionals often bring niche skills in areas such as virtual reality (VR) learning, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven adaptive learning, and multimedia production, enhancing the quality of course offerings.
Another advantage is faster turnaround times. Out-sourced teams can expedite course development, making them particularly valuable for large-scale initiatives like launching new online degree programs or redesigning multiple courses simultaneously. This collaboration also fosters knowledge transfer, as in-house designers gain exposure to new instructional design methodologies and industry best practices through their work with external experts.
Finally, leveraging outsourced support can help reduce burnout among internal teams. Instructional design is a demanding and high stake field, and supplementing internal staff with additional resources can alleviate workload pressures, improve morale, and contribute to a healthier work environment. By strategically combining in-house and outsourced ID teams, institutions can maximize efficiency, enhance course quality, and support their staff more effectively.
Challenges and How to Overcome Them
While integrating an outsourced ID team can bring significant benefits, colleges and universities may encounter challenges in collaboration. Here’s how to address them:
Maintaining Consistency in Course Quality
Challenge: Outsourced teams may not be familiar with institutional policies, branding, or quality standards, leading to inconsistencies in course design.
Solutions:
- Share your instructional design style guide covering branding, accessibility, assessment practices, and faculty expectations.
- develop templates for course design to ensure uniformity or work with the outsourced team to develop templates.
- Assign internal instructional designers as quality assurance reviewers for outsourced courses.
Faculty Buy-In and Communication Gaps
Challenge: Faculty may feel uncomfortable working with external designers, preferring the familiarity of in-house teams.
Solutions:
- Clearly communicate why outsourcing is being used and how it benefits faculty.
- Establish a faculty liaison who acts as a bridge between faculty and the outsourced team.
- Schedule frequent check-ins between faculty, internal designers, and external teams.
Security and Data Privacy Concerns
Challenge: Working with third-party vendors requires sharing sensitive data, which can pose security risks.
Solutions:
- Ensure all vendors comply with relevant data protection laws.
- Use secure platforms for collaboration and file sharing.
- Require non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), if necessary, for all outsourced instructional designers.
Managing Workflows and Expectations
Challenge: Differences in work culture, time zones, and expectations can cause delays and miscommunication.
Solutions:
- Develop a clear project management plan outlining deliverables, deadlines, and responsibilities.
- Use collaboration tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday.com to track project progress.
- Hold weekly or biweekly status meetings to ensure alignment.
Best Practices for Integrating an Outsourced Instructional Design Team
To ensure a seamless collaboration between in-house and outsourced instructional design teams, institutions should follow several best practices. First, it is essential to define roles and responsibilities early. Clearly outlining which tasks will be managed by the in-house team and which will be assigned to outsourced designers helps prevent confusion and ensures efficient workflow. A well-structured division of labor allows both teams to leverage their strengths effectively.
Establishing a clear onboarding process is another critical step. Outsourced designers should be familiar with institutional guidelines, which can be facilitated through orientation sessions on the university’s instructional design philosophy, access to a shared knowledge base with templates and best practices, and a designated point of contact within the internal team for quick clarifications. This structured onboarding process helps maintain consistency and quality in course development.
Before fully integrating an outsourced team, implementing a pilot project can be beneficial. Starting with a small-scale initiative allows institutions to identify potential roadblocks, refine collaboration strategies, and ensure that workflows align smoothly. This approach minimizes risks and sets the stage for a more effective long-term partnership.
Fostering a collaborative culture is also crucial to successful integration. Encouraging open communication between teams can be achieved through joint Slack channels or Teams groups, cross-team workshops for sharing expertise, and recognizing and celebrating contributions from both in-house and outsourced designers. These efforts help build trust, improve teamwork, and create a more cohesive working environment.
Finally, institutions should continuously evaluate and adjust their approach. Regular assessments of the outsourced ID collaboration, incorporating feedback from faculty, students, and instructional designers, provide valuable insights for refining workflows and optimizing processes. By staying adaptable and responsive, schools can ensure a productive and effective partnership between their internal and external instructional design teams.
A Powerful Asset
An outsourced instructional design team can be a powerful asset for colleges and universities when used strategically alongside in-house teams. By leveraging the strengths of both groups—internal consistency from the in-house team, and scalability with specialized expertise from the outsourced team—institutions can enhance course quality, speed up development, and support faculty more effectively.
In my experience, the key to success lies in clear communication, structured workflows, and a culture of collaboration. By adopting best practices such as well-defined roles, standardized processes, and continuous evaluation, colleges and universities can ensure a seamless partnership benefiting both instructional designers, and most importantly students!
Contact Babb Education today to learn more about how we can partner with you!
