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Instructional design · Digital learning · Learning analyticscontact@mohamad-ali.com

About · Mohamad Ali bin Baba, Ph.D.

Experience across borders. A commitment to better learning.

Instructional Design Leader · Educator · Researcher · Consultant

I bring together more than two decades of experience in higher education, curriculum development, faculty development, and digital learning across Malaysia and the United States.

My work connects pedagogical principles, purposeful technology, and learning evidence to help institutions address real educational challenges.

Higher educationProfessional learningEvidence-informed design
Professional portrait of Mohamad Ali bin Baba
Malaysia & United StatesCross-institutional higher education experience
20+ online and hybrid coursesCourse design and development experience*
Ph.D. · 2025Curriculum & Instruction, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

My professional approach

A bridge between research and practice.

Effective instructional design is a disciplined process of making decisions about what learners need to achieve, how they will learn, and what evidence will demonstrate their progress.

I began my professional career in Malaysian technical and vocational education, where I taught and worked with instructional media, curriculum, and faculty development. Those experiences helped shape my understanding of the relationship between technology and teaching.

At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, I worked alongside faculty and academic leaders to design online, hybrid, and competency-based learning experiences. My responsibilities included course architecture, outcomes alignment, assessment design, learning management system implementation, and faculty consultation.

My doctoral research extended that work into learning analytics and educational data mining. It explored how learner interactions recorded in an LMS relate to satisfaction and academic performance—and how educators can use such evidence responsibly to inform course design.

Today, I approach learning challenges as both a designer and an educator: begin with outcomes, understand the learner's context, design meaningful interactions, and evaluate what the evidence actually supports.

Three commitments

How I approach learning design.

These principles have shaped my work across institutions, technologies, and learning environments.

01

Pedagogy before technology

Instructional decisions begin with learning outcomes, learner needs, and meaningful assessment—not with the newest digital tool.

02

Collaboration with faculty

Effective course design builds on subject-matter expertise through structured consultation, practical templates, and iterative development.

03

Evidence for improvement

Course analytics and learner feedback can inform better decisions when interpreted alongside context, educational theory, and professional judgment.

Professional journey

Experience that connects education, design, and leadership.

Experience across higher education, professional development, instructional design, and educational leadership.

01
Leadership development · Instructional design

Alpha Genesis Group

Lead Instructional Designer, Producer & Curriculum Specialist

Jan 2023 – Present

Learner analysis, leadership workshop design, instructional materials, and production of virtual workshops through Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

02
Higher education · Digital learning

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Instructional Designer

Sep 2017 – Dec 2022

Designed online, hybrid, and competency-based learning experiences. Collaborated with faculty on outcomes alignment, assessment, multimedia, Brightspace, and institutional reporting.

03
Curriculum development · Program architecture

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Curriculum Developer

Aug 2016 – Aug 2017

Helped develop STEM leadership curriculum, program-level outcomes, syllabi, and assessment materials, working with faculty and academic leadership.

04
Instructional design · Learning technology

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Instructional Designer · College of Applied Engineering and Technology

Jan 2012 – May 2016

Supported online and hybrid course development, faculty consultation, and migration of learning experiences from Blackboard to D2L Brightspace.

05
Professional development · Workforce education

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)

Head of Professional Development · Continuing Education Center

Jan 2008 – Dec 2010

Led continuing-education initiatives, including the Industrial Skills Enhancement Program (INSEP), supporting professional and technical reskilling for more than 300 STEM graduates.

06
Academic teaching · Teacher preparation

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)

Lecturer · Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education

Aug 2007 – Dec 2010

Taught Educational Technology, Educational Psychology, and Microteaching; supported teacher preparation, curriculum development, and student supervision.

07
Instructional technology · Multimedia leadership

Politeknik Premier Ibrahim Sultan

Head of Department · Centre for Instructional Development and Multimedia

Jan 2006 – Jul 2007

Led multimedia production and instructional technology projects, faculty training, audiovisual development, and institutional events.

08
Teaching · Design and visual communication

Politeknik Premier Ibrahim Sultan

Instructor · Department of Design and Visual Communications

Jan 1999 – Jul 2007

Taught graphic design, multimedia development, and authoring tools, and contributed to design and multimedia curriculum development.

Education

Academic preparation.

Formal study in curriculum, instructional design, education, and human development informs the breadth of my professional practice.

Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction
Learning Systems Design & Technology · Southern Illinois University Carbondale
2025
M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
2019
Master of Education
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
1999
B.S. in Human Ecology
The Ohio State University
1997

Professional expertise

Connecting strategy with implementation.

A multidisciplinary background supporting academic leadership, instructional design, educational consulting, and learning research.

Explore selected work ↗
✓ Curriculum & Program Design
✓ Online & Hybrid Learning
✓ Learning Outcomes Assessment
✓ D2L Brightspace / LMS
✓ Faculty Development
✓ Learning Analytics
✓ Research & Evaluation
✓ Professional Learning Design

Professional development

Additional training and recognition.

Selected professional development and recognition supporting my work in learning design and academic leadership.

Instructional Design: Needs AnalysiseLearning Essentials: Instructional DesignProject Management EssentialsEthics TrainingAECT Convention Paper ReviewerData-Driven Learning DesignInstructional Design: Working with Subject-Matter ExpertsCybersecurity TrainingConsent & RespectMicrosoft Planner

Two ways to collaborate

The right profile for your purpose.

Academic recruitment teams and institutional consulting partners often need different evidence. These complementary profiles foreground the experience most relevant to each audience.

For universities and academic committees

Academic & University Leadership Profile

Emphasizes educational qualifications, teaching, instructional design, outcomes assessment, faculty partnership, and research.

  • Academic and institutional experience
  • Instructional leadership and program development
  • Research and educational technology expertise
Request academic CV by email ↗
For clients and organisational partners

Instructional Design & Consulting Profile

Highlights advisory services, learning solutions, project experience, design process, and potential deliverables for partners.

  • Curriculum and digital learning services
  • Evaluation and learning analytics support
  • Faculty and leadership development
Request consulting profile by email ↗

Doctoral research

From LMS traces to instructional insight.

My doctoral study investigated engagement patterns across nine asynchronous graduate engineering management courses, relating learner interactions to course satisfaction and competency.

The work drew on Moore's interaction framework and the Community of Inquiry, and applied clustering and machine-learning methods to different levels of analysis.

Read the research overview ↗
Learner–ContentLearning resources
Learner–LearnerPeer exchange
Learner–InstructorGuidance & feedback

Professional testimonials

What colleagues say.

Three endorsements from faculty and academic leaders, reflecting collaboration in course design, instructional technology, and assessment.

He knows the area and has fine people skills.

Portrait of Peter J. Fadde, Ph.D.
Peter J. Fadde, Ph.D.Professor · Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFaculty consultation

His dependability and willingness to take initiative played an integral role…

Portrait of Bruce DeRuntz, Ph.D.
Bruce DeRuntz, Ph.D.Professor & Director of Leadership Development · SIULearning outcomes assessment and online programmes

He was a pleasure to work with…

Portrait of Shannon McDonald
Shannon McDonaldAssociate Professor · Southern Illinois UniversityDesigning a new online course