Coding the Curriculum: A Critique of "How AI Makes its Mark on Instructional Design”

This paper presents a critical examination of Lay Kee Ch'ng's study, "How AI Makes Its Mark on Instructional Design," which claims to demonstrate successful AI integration within the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model for online course design. While Ch'ng's study suggests positive outcomes, this critique investigates the conceptual and methodological rigor, focusing on aspects such as return on investment and resource availability across institutions. The methodology employs a meta-analysis approach that combines systematic literature review, detailed deconstruction of Ch'ng's findings, synthesis of quantitative data, and qualitative analysis of artificial intelligence (AI) integration patterns across ADDIE phases. The investigation scrutinizes AI applications in each ADDIE phase, questioning its effectiveness in optimizing instructional development and enriching learning experiences. The critique explores Ch'ng's claim that "AI has revolutionized the creative field" while examining AI's potential to reduce teacher administrative loads, considering both the democratization of creativity and the maintenance of human-centered learning principles. This work contributes to pedagogical theory by advocating for nuanced AI integration in instructional design models, informing future empirical research through identified promising applications and necessary cautions. The results offer valuable insights for educators, instructional designers, and policymakers navigating AI integration in higher education, balancing technological advancement with pedagogical integrity.