I have deep experience in higher education. I was a tenure-track faculty-librarian for several years at Cal State Fullerton and then full-time faculty in their M.S. Instructional Design and Technology program for several more.
Now, I’m part-time faculty in University of San Diego’s M.S. Learning Design and Technology program, a doctoral candidate in education at Arizona State University, and I regularly work with colleges and universities to achieve their online teaching and learning goals as a freelance instructional designer and consultant.
I’ve published and presented my work in formal and informal channels. Here, you can see some of the work that I’ve done, including my doctoral research, conference presentations, journal articles, a book chapter, and more.
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Doctoral Research
Program: Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University
Dissertation Title:
“It’s Not Just a Technology, but a Team Member”:
Generative AI Use Among Students in CPED Doctor of Education Programs
Research Problem: As doctoral students increasingly integrate generative AI tools into their academic work, there’s a critical gap in understanding how they use these technologies ethically and effectively. This study addressed the urgent need for evidence-based guidance on AI literacy in doctoral education.
Research Approach: Using a sequential multiple-methods design combining surveys and focus groups, this study examined three key areas: decision-making patterns around AI tool usage, ethical considerations and academic integrity concerns, and critical evaluation strategies for AI-generated content.
Theoretical Foundation: The research was grounded in generative AI literacy and metaliteracy frameworks, emphasizing both technical understanding of AI systems and metacognitive awareness in information evaluation – essential skills for doctoral-level scholarship.
Practical Impact: Findings directly inform institutional AI policies and best practices for supporting doctoral students in responsible AI usage, contributing to the emerging scholarship on AI in higher education.
Research-to-Practice Connection: This work exemplifies my commitment to evidence-based solutions for contemporary challenges in graduate education, combining my expertise in instructional design, information literacy, and educational technology to address real-world problems facing institutions and learners.
Book Chapter
O’Neill, L. (2018). Pollak Library Spark Tutorials. In K. O’Brien & T. Jacobson (Eds.), Teaching with digital badges: Best practices for libraries. Rowman & Littlefield.
Project Overview: As the first-ever instructional design librarian at California State University, Fullerton, I spearheaded the creation of the Spark Tutorials: a comprehensive digital badge system addressing the challenge of scaling library instruction to 40,000+ students while meeting accreditation requirements for information literacy.
Strategic Design Process: Led a collaborative task force to develop ACRL Framework-aligned learning objectives, then systematically designed four interactive e-learning modules using backward design principles. Each tutorial required 100% completion to earn digital badges, creating accountability and tracking mechanisms.
Technical Innovation: Successfully advocated for and implemented Moodle’s first digital badge system on campus, developing tutorials in Articulate Storyline with SCORM packaging for seamless LMS integration. Created competency-based assessments that simulate authentic library research activities.
Institutional Impact: Achieved 882 student enrollments in the first year with minimal marketing, earning recognition from campus assessment office as crucial evidence for accreditation. The project attracted administrative support, leading to expanded library representation in Moodle through automated widgets in every course.
Scalable Success: The First Year Experience program adopted the tutorials as required assignments, standardizing foundational information literacy instruction across the campus. This freed librarians to focus on higher-level skills in face-to-face sessions.
Research-Informed Practice: Grounded the project in literature on digital badge effectiveness, prioritizing instructional design over gamification trends. Emphasized meaningful credential achievement rather than superficial engagement.
Key Achievement: Demonstrated how strategic instructional design, combined with emerging technologies, can solve institutional challenges while maintaining pedagogical integrity – exactly the kind of systematic, evidence-based approach that distinguishes expert-level instructional designers.
Journal Articles
O’Neill, J. L. (2017). Deploying a WordPress-based learning object repository to scale up instruction and effect a culture of sharing. Reference Services Review, 45(1), 131-140.
Strategic Problem-Solving: As Cal State Fullerton’s first Instructional Design Librarian, I identified a critical gap in the library’s digital infrastructure: outdated learning materials and no systematic way to share instructional resources among 15 librarians serving 40,000 students.
Innovative Technical Solution: Designed and implemented a WordPress-based learning object repository that transformed how the library scales instruction and promotes collaboration. Rather than expensive commercial platforms, I leveraged open-source WordPress with strategic plugins to create a cost-effective, customizable solution hosted on institutional servers.
Design Thinking Methodology: Applied systematic design thinking to solve multiple problems simultaneously: providing web hosting for librarians, scaling instruction to reach more students, supporting online learners, and fostering a culture of sharing through Open Educational Resources (OER) and Creative Commons licensing.
Implementation Excellence: Developed a comprehensive content management system featuring:
- Standardized metadata templates for consistent record-keeping
- Advanced search capabilities and intuitive categorization
- Integration with digital badge functionality for future expansion
- Mobile-responsive design with professional themes
Measurable Impact: Achieved 2,829+ site visits with 34 learning objects contributed by six librarians. The repository now serves as both a practical resource-sharing platform and a public showcase of the library’s instructional innovation, supporting new librarian onboarding and institutional visibility.
Cultural Change Leadership: Successfully promoted Open Educational Resources adoption among faculty while addressing common concerns about intellectual property, demonstrating how strategic technology implementation can drive broader organizational culture shifts.
Key Achievement: Created a sustainable, scalable model for academic libraries to enhance instruction programs without significant budget investment, exactly the kind of strategic technology leadership that demonstrates advanced instructional design expertise.
O’Neill, J. L. (2016). Weeding with ADDIE: Developing training for deselection at an academic library. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 56(2), 108-115.
Strategic Training Challenge: Tasked with supporting 15 librarians through Cal State Fullerton’s first comprehensive weeding project since 1957, involving 1.07 million volumes. Librarians faced the emotionally and technically difficult process of deselecting materials while managing stakeholder communications and learning unfamiliar software.
Systematic Instructional Design Approach: Applied the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) to create evidence-based training rather than ad-hoc support. This methodology ensured the training directly addressed real needs identified through literature review and user surveys.
Comprehensive Needs Analysis: Conducted surveys revealing librarians’ primary concerns: time management (major barrier), understanding workflow processes, mastering GreenGlass software, and communicating with faculty stakeholders. Despite confidence in general weeding principles, they needed practical, technical support.
Innovative Training Solution: Developed a LibGuide-based training platform featuring:
- Microlearning videos (under 2 minutes each) for specific Excel and GreenGlass tasks
- Step-by-step job aids and workflow documentation
- Communication templates for faculty outreach
- On-demand, asynchronous access fitting busy librarian schedules
Measurable Success: Achieved 649 LibGuide views over 14 months with strong user satisfaction (4.25/5 rating). Librarians specifically praised the “point of need” accessibility and ability to refresh skills during long project timelines. Custom videos received 9-17 views each, demonstrating targeted usage.
Process Excellence: Collaborated effectively with subject matter expert, incorporated formative feedback, and conducted summative evaluation. The training evolved based on user input, demonstrating responsive instructional design.
Key Achievement: Created a replicable model for supporting librarians through complex, emotionally challenging projects using systematic instructional design, filling a significant gap in library science literature while demonstrating advanced training development expertise.