Free Online Instructional Design Courses and Certifications 2024

Instructional Design is the systematic process of designing, developing, and delivering instructional materials and experiences that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills. It involves analyzing learning needs, designing instructional strategies, developing instructional materials, and evaluating the effectiveness of the instruction. Are you now more and more interested in learning Instructional Design? Save this list of online courses prepared by AZ Class for you! We will regularly update free courses and certificates~

Instructional Design Courses

What Are the Best Instructional Design Certifications?

Instructional design is the process of designing, developing and delivering effective learning experiences for various audiences and contexts. An instructional design certification is a credential that demonstrates your knowledge and skills in applying instructional design principles, theories, models and tools to create engaging and impactful learning solutions.



There are many online courses and training programs that offer instructional design certifications, but not all of them are equally reputable or relevant. If you want to learn how to become an instructional designer or advance your career in this field, you may want to consider some of the following options:



Professional Certificate in Instructional Design : This is a professional certificate offered by Emeritus in collaboration with Columbia University that consists of three courses and a capstone project. You will learn how to conduct a needs analysis, design a learning solution, develop instructional materials, implement and evaluate your solution, and use various tools and technologies for online learning. You can enroll for a one-time fee and earn a certificate that is recognized by Emeritus and Columbia University.


Become an Instructional Designer : This is a learning path offered by LinkedIn Learning that consists of 12 courses and covers the essential skills and knowledge for instructional design. You will learn how to define your learning goals, design your curriculum, create engaging content, use different authoring tools, assess your learners, and more. You can enroll for free with a one-month trial or pay a monthly or annual fee for a LinkedIn Learning subscription and earn a certificate that is shareable on LinkedIn.


Online Course Creation: Intro to Instructional Design : This is an online course offered by Skillshare that teaches you how to create online courses using instructional design principles. You will learn how to identify your target audience, define your learning objectives, structure your course content, choose the best delivery methods, and create assessments. You can enroll for free with a 7-day trial or pay a monthly or annual fee for a Skillshare subscription and earn a certificate of completion.


e-Learning Ecologies : This is an online course offered by Coursera that explores the concept of e-learning ecologies, which are innovative learning environments that leverage technology, media, pedagogy and design. You will learn how to apply the seven affordances of e-learning ecologies to create learner-centered, inquiry-based and collaborative learning experiences. You can enroll for free and pay a fee to earn a certificate that is shareable on LinkedIn.


Instructional Design Foundations : This is an online course offered by Coursera that introduces the foundations of instructional design, including the ADDIE model, Bloom's taxonomy, Gagne's nine events of instruction, Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation, and more. You will learn how to apply these frameworks and concepts to design effective learning solutions for different contexts and audiences. You can enroll for free and pay a fee to earn a certificate that is shareable on LinkedIn.



These are just some of the best instructional design certifications available. You can also check out other options such as Udemy – Instructional Design Pro, CXL – Instructional Design certification, edX – Professional Certificate in Instructional Design, Udemy – Instructional Design for E-Learning, or Zippia – Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT). Whatever certification you choose, make sure it suits your learning style, budget and goals.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Q1: What are the 3 major components of instructional design?

When designing a learning experience, instructional designers must consider three main components to ensure the effectiveness of the learning: learning objectives, learning activities, and assessments.

Q2: What is instructional design examples?

Instructional design involves the design, development, and delivery of learning products and experiences. These learning products encompass online courses, instructional manuals, video tutorials, learning simulations, and more.

Q3: What is the difference between teaching and instructional design?

Teachers have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their students and tailor lessons according to their individual needs. In contrast, instructional designers develop learning opportunities that cater to a specific audience or demographic of students. They may not have personal knowledge of the learners.

Q4: What Instructional Design courses can I find on AZ Class?

On this page, we have collected free or certified 76 Instructional Design online courses from various platforms. The list currently only displays up to 50 items. If you have other needs, please contact us.

Q5: Can I learn Instructional Design for free?

Yes, If you don’t know Instructional Design, we recommend that you try free online courses, some of which offer certification (please refer to the latest list on the webpage as the standard). Wish you a good online learning experience!

ADVERTISEMENT