Learning Design Principles Course

Overview

Learn the fundamentals to design effective and engaging learning that is student-centred and impactful. 

Note that this course was formerly called instructional Design Basics – we have updated the title to match our other Learning Design courses. If you’re new to instructional design, this course is designed for you to gain the fundamental skills you need. If you already have experience as a teacher, or corporate trainer, we’d recommend starting with Learning Design and Development. Hungry for more? Extend your skills by learning how to use AI tools to support effective instructional design. 

As demand for learning has grown, so too has the need for quality instructional design. This course unpacks learning design principles and introduces the best models and frameworks used to design and develop effective learning, including the ADDIE model.

Through project-based assessments, you’ll identify your learners’ needs and learning contexts where they will apply their new skills. In addition, you will design the instructional strategy that will help you develop a prototype course and create an evaluation plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the course design.

This course is ideal for

• Aspiring learning and instructional designers
• Existing teachers, trainers, human resource or L&D professionals who are not familiar with online learning
• Media or graphic designers who want to apply their skills to learning design
• Anyone trying to understand their learners better

Course outline

Our courses are flexible, enabling you to plan your study around your other commitments. You can choose to study when it suits you during the learning period (3 February – 6 April, with a one-week study break from 3 – 9 March), followed by a 2-week review period for marking and feedback (7 – 20 April).

We recommend completing around 12 hours of study a week during the learning period (excluding the study break) – you can view the course overview here for more details on assessment timings. 

Module 1: Introduction to instructional design (ID)
Foundations of the instructional design process and how people learn. Understand the role of instructional designers and who they work with.

Module 2: Analysis
Understand the needs and goals of your learners and the content you create for them – In what context will they be learning and applying their new knowledge?

Module 3: Design
Design an effective instructional strategy. Create a framework for constructive learning that includes measurable objectives and aligned assessments.

Module 4: Development
Make sure the instructional materials you're designing are accessible, usable, and inclusive. Create content your audience can relate to. It should be easy to access and engaging to interact with so you maximise value for your learners.

Module 5: Implementation
Key points every instructional designer should consider before and during the implementation phase.

Module 6: Evaluation
Do formative and summative evaluations to check whether your instructional content is effective and examine how to collect meaningful feedback.

Assessments

• Course proposal and analysis = 25%
• Course design = 30%
• Prototype development = 25%
• Evaluation plan = 20%

Upon successful completion of the course you will be issued a digital badge to recognise your learning achievements. This can take up to 2 months to be delivered after the marking and feedback period.