The Leeward Lamakū: Course Starter Professional Learning Community (PLC) has now supported three successful cohorts (“crews”) of instructors in transitioning to and enhancing their courses in the new Lamakū learning management system (LMS). Across two cohorts in Fall 2024 and one in Summer 2025, the PLC has helped instructors build confidence, develop at least two course modules, and strengthen their teaching with consistent instructional design support and coaching.
Access the Fall 2024 and Summer 2025 flyers:
Who Participated?
- Fall 2024 Crew 1 (Sept 2 – Oct 13): 25 participants, 4 survey respondents (16% response rate)
- Fall 2024 Crew 2 (Oct 21 – Dec 1): 19 participants, 5 survey respondents (26% response rate)
- Summer 2025 (May 27 – July 6): 8 participants, 6 survey respondents (75% response rate)
This data shows that while Fall 2024 saw larger enrollment overall (44 participants across two crews), Summer 2025 had a smaller, more engaged cohort, reflected in the notably higher survey response rate. Additionally, those who successfully met the earning criteria received a digital badge.
The Core Thread: 1:1 Instructional Designer Coaching
From the start, the most valued element of the PLC has been the individualized 1:1 coaching meetings with instructional designers (IDs). In both Fall 2024 and Summer 2025, participants unanimously rated these sessions as the most effective component of their learning experience (5/5 effectiveness). This consistent, high-touch support has been the anchor of the PLC, ensuring instructors feel guided, equipped, and confident as they develop their courses.
What We Learned in Fall 2024
The two Fall 2024 crews (Sept–Oct and Oct–Dec) focused primarily on helping instructors transition courses from Laulima to Lamakū. Participants were required to attend three synchronous Zoom sessions, complete asynchronous modules, and provide peer feedback on each other’s work via the Discussions tool in the PLC’s Lamakū course site.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, where 100% strongly agreed the PLC provided essential skills and a valuable experience. However, we also found notable areas for growth: while 1:1 meetings and synchronous sessions were highly rated, peer collaboration was rated lower (3.78/5), suggesting the need for improvement in how instructors engaged with one another.
Iterations for Summer 2025
Based on Fall feedback and evolving needs, the Summer 2025 PLC introduced three major changes:
- Alignment with the UH Quality Online Standards: Instead of focusing only on course migration, the Summer cohort emphasized creating “ready for delivery” modules aligned with the UH Quality Online Standards. To earn the Leeward Lamakū: Course Starter PLC badge, participants were required to meet at least 80% of the 36 indicators on the UH Quality Online Standards Checklist.
- Shift to an Optional Community Session: Unlike Fall 2024, where synchronous Zoom sessions were required every other week, Summer 2025 offered a more flexible structure. The only required live element outside of the 1:1 coaching sessions was a single Zoom session dedicated to peer feedback, where two options were provided in week 5. The optional Community Session in week 3 allowed instructors more autonomy and acknowledged the busy schedules of faculty while still fostering a sense of community.
- Peer Feedback in Zoom Instead of Discussions Tool: Rather than relying on the Lamakū Discussions Tool to manage and facilitate the peer feedback process, the Summer 2025 PLC peer feedback occurred in real time during a Zoom session. This adjustment responded directly to Fall feedback on collaboration, ensuring that instructors could give and receive richer, more immediate feedback on their course designs. With this approach, instructors shared their screen and highlighted their course design, whereas in the Discussion Tool, instructors had to rely on their peers to add them to their course site and post to the Discussion Topic on time.
Results and Reflections
The Summer 2025 PLC again confirmed the value of 1:1 ID coaching, while showing stronger ratings for peer support and asynchronous resources compared to Fall 2024 (both 4.33/5, up from 3.78 and 4.33 respectively). Nearly 90% of participants earned the PLC badge, highlighting the effectiveness of integrating professional recognition into the process.
While some participants noted the pace and volume of content as a challenge, they consistently praised the organization, expertise, and individualized support that characterized the PLC.
For more information, you can access the following infographics (Fall 2024; Summer 2025):
