Turning Subject Matter Expertise Into A Learner-Centered Resource
As an Instructional Designer, much of my work takes place behind the scenes, collaborating with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to transform in-depth content knowledge into meaningful, learner-centered experiences. In eLearning design, the biggest challenge isn't the content itself. It's ensuring that students stay engaged, guided, and reflective throughout the course. Assessment plays a key role in this. But too often, rubrics and feedback feel static or disconnected. That's where the integration of an AI-powered assessment tool changed everything, not just for students, but for how I work with faculty and SMEs during course development.
When designing a new online course, I start by sitting down with the SME to unpack the core outcomes: "What should students be able to do, create, or think by the end of this module?" The AI tool helps us quickly translate these outcomes into meaningful rubric categories, moving beyond academic jargon and into learner-centered language. We use the tool to:
- Draft clear, behavior-based criteria.
- Offer multiple versions of descriptions (novice to mastery)
- Align rubric items to specific formative assessments.
This process saves SMEs time and gives them a clearer vision of how their expertise will land with students and how we'll measure success at every stage.
Feedback That Scales—and Stays Human
One of the most powerful features is AI-assisted feedback. Once a rubric is embedded in the LMS, the tool:
- Generates custom, formative feedback aligned with rubric performance.
- Mimics the SME's tone (supportive, direct, or coaching)
- Allows students to ask clarifying questions or request elaboration.
Instead of giving feedback in a rush at the end of the grading cycle, SMEs can focus on clarifying content while the AI handles the first pass of feedback, creating space for deeper reflection and revision.
Formative Feedback Across The Learning Journey
In eLearning, the risk is that students only get feedback when it's too late to apply it. We solve that by embedding formative touchpoints throughout the course:
- Low-stakes writing or design tasks
- AI-generated self-check reflections
- Rubric-based milestone reviews
Students use the AI as a thinking partner to draft responses, reflect on progress, or evaluate their own work before submission. This gradually builds self-awareness and connects their daily effort to long-term outcomes.
Analytics That Empower SMEs To Teach Smarter
Many SMEs want to know what's working, but don't have time to dig through forums or grades. With our AI tool's analytics dashboard, we provide:
- Real-time visuals of student progress by rubric criteria.
- Patterns in misconceptions or skipped steps.
- Student sentiment analysis based on reflections and feedback.
This helps us adjust the course mid-cycle and provide targeted support where it's needed most, especially in asynchronous formats where students might otherwise fall through the cracks.
AI As A Design Partner, Not A Shortcut
What I've learned from working with dozens of SMEs is this: AI doesn't replace their expertise, it helps translate it into the online space with more clarity, consistency, and care. By using the tool early in the eLearning design process, we:
- Reduce SME workload around grading and rewriting.
- Make rubrics more understandable and flexible.
- Keep the focus on thinking, process, and meaningful growth.
It's not automation for the sake of speed; it's augmentation in service of better teaching, better feedback, and better learning. eLearning design is a team effort. The SME brings the brilliance. The designer brings the structure. And with the right AI tool, we gain a third partner, one that makes the learning process more personal, transparent, and responsive for every student.
The best AI-powered assessment tools aren't just efficient, they're empathetic. They don't just grade work, they support growth. And when integrated with intention, they help all of us, students, SMEs, and designers, move from performance to purpose. Working with Subject Matter Experts, I use AI tools to transform rubrics into interactive, student-centered feedback experiences. Gradually integrated, AI becomes a supportive companion, guiding reflection, boosting engagement, and making learning feel more personal.
This process is never rushed. It involves close collaboration with faculty, instructional teams, and academic leadership to build trust, align goals, and introduce AI in thoughtful, manageable steps. When adopted this way, AI doesn't disrupt; it empowers everyone involved to focus more deeply on teaching, learning, and meaningful growth.
