Abstract: This dissertation in practice investigated and addressed the issue of low faculty engagement with instructional design support (IDS) office support services at a regional comprehensive university in the United States. The Performance Improvement/Human Performance Technology (PI/HPT) model used in this study is a practitioner-based performance improvement framework that divides the study and solving of a problem into five phases: (a) performance analysis revealing the performance gaps and the problem's root cause, (b) intervention selection aligning to the organization's needs and root cause, (c) intervention design and development, (d) change management to promote the intervention's success, and (e) a full-scope evaluation (Van Tiem et al., 2012). In alignment with this framework, four research questions (RQs) led this study. RQ1 asked, "What are the performance gaps within the faculty's underutilization of IDS office services?" RQ2 asked, "What are the causes of these service utilization performance gaps?" RQ3 asked, "What interventions can the IDS office implement to mitigate the found causes and improve service use?" RQ4 asked, "How will the chosen interventions impact the faculty's use of IDS office services?" The IDS office's purpose was to support faculty in designing high-quality educational experiences aligned with the college's strategic plan. However, college leadership was concerned that faculty utilized the IDS office primarily for Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) technical support, which did not align with the office's mission or the college's strategic plan. This concern, along with the problem's urgency, feasibility, actionability, and alignment with the institution's student-centered strategic plan, met Perry et al.'s (2020) problem of practice criteria. In the initial performance analysis phase, I used document data, questionnaires, and interviews to collect data related to the organizational and environmental analyses, which informed the ideal and actual states, performance gaps, and root causes (Babbie, 2021; Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Van Tiem et al., 2012). The performance analysis revealed that faculty viewed the IDS office as a source of troubleshooting help. Identified performance gaps highlighted a lack of professional development opportunities, considered critical for communication. I used Gilbert's (1982) Behavior Engineering Model (BEM) to examine the environmental and behavioral factors contributing to the problem. I determined that the two root causes of the faculty's underutilization of IDS office services were miscommunications about the IDS office's purpose and services and the faculty's lack of time to learn about and use various services. From there, I used the Performance Systems Engineering Approach (PSEA), which involves examining the requirements related to the problem and the organization's culture, to select an intervention (Svenson, 2006). To mitigate the underutilization of IDS office services resulting from communication and time barriers, I introduced an intervention called the Comprehensive Communication Network. This intervention was a three-pronged communication approach that included scheduled written updates, program-level needs-based support sessions, and regular in-person communications with department faculty and chairs to formalize communication between faculty and the IDS office. The purpose of the Comprehensive Communication Network was to transform the current communication network from a linear pattern in which information flowed from the IDS office through leadership and department chairs to the faculty, to one in which the IDS office maintained direct two-way communication between all groups (Van Tiem et al., 2012). Piloted components included a monthly e-newsletter as part of the scheduled written updates and two program-level needs-based support sessions. The IDS office implemented these two components during the Summer 2023 semester. During this time, the institution announced a reorganization that resulted in the dissolution of the college. This decision was unrelated to this study or its results, but did create limitations, including time and scope constraints that reduced opportunities for the office to implement all components of the plan and create opportunities for lasting change. I evaluated the success of these interventions using the full-scope evaluation model within the PI/HPT framework and a logic model (Fitzpatrick et al., 2011; Van Tiem et al., 2012). During the formative evaluation, I used an expert review to verify that the input and activities of both piloted components adhered to the Comprehensive Communication Network's goals and faculty's information preferences. After implementation, I completed the summative evaluation, measuring the outputs and immediate outcomes related to faculty's satisfaction, understanding of the purpose of the IDS office, and use of services. Finally, I presented a long-term confirmative evaluation plan, which proposed measuring long-term outcomes by reviewing IDS office support records and surveying faculty once each semester. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
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