OVERVIEW
Earn Your Learning Design and Technology Certificate Online
Build instructional design skills that help you design engaging learning experiences, use technology with purpose, and evaluate outcomes through WGU’s Learning Design and Technology Certificate. Whether you work in education, corporate training, or another learning-focused setting, this certificate program helps you create effective, accessible learning experiences.
In this certificate, you will:
- Build foundational skills in instructional design, learning experience design, and design thinking while analyzing learner needs and defining learning objectives.
- Apply design thinking to develop e-learning solutions through ideation, storyboarding, mockups, and usability testing.
- Use assessment strategies, feedback, and learning analytics to support learning goals and address barriers to fairness and accessibility.
- Evaluate learning technologies, emerging trends, and analytics capabilities to support learning goals, learner differences, and responsible technology use.
- Earn stackable credits that may be applied toward WGU’s M.Ed. in Education Technology and Instructional Design.
Cost
$2,000
Payment plan option. 4 months of access*
Courses
4 online courses
12 total credits
Time to Complete
4 months
No set class times
*If the certificate is not completed within four months, your enrollment will automatically transition to a $399 monthly subscription until completion or cancellation. You can cancel at any time.
COURSES
Learning Design and Technology Courses
The Learning Design and Technology Certificate includes four competency-based courses designed to help you build practical skills in learning design, assessment, analytics, and learning technology.
As you move through the certificate, you’ll demonstrate your mastery through applied tasks and one final exam. Coursework is designed to help you connect instructional design, design thinking, assessment, and technology to real-world learning challenges.
The 4 courses in this program are:
Explore the foundations of instructional design, learning experience design, and design thinking. In this course, you’ll examine how learning theories and instructional frameworks can inform design decisions while learning to better understand your target learners.
You’ll practice analyzing learners and their needs to identify unique characteristics, performance gaps, instructional problems, and learning goals. You’ll also use empathetic, learner-centered strategies to help create meaningful learning experiences that reflect who your learners are and what they need.
Build on the skills from Learning Experience Design Foundations I as you move through the later stages of the design thinking process. In this course, you’ll use ideation techniques and learning theories to develop solutions to instructional problems, then create storyboards and low-fidelity mockups for e-learning experiences.
You’ll apply visual design and usability principles and learn how to plan usability tests that evaluate and improve instructional solutions. By the end of the course, you’ll have practiced the full design thinking process from ideation through testing.
Learn how to design and evaluate assessments that align with learning goals and support accessible, equitable learning. In this course, you’ll explore assessment strategies, feedback practices, and ways to reduce barriers to fairness and accessibility.
You’ll explore how you can use learning analytics to understand learner progress, inform decisions, and improve learning experiences. By the end of the course, you’ll be better prepared to evaluate assessment alignment, provide effective feedback, and use learning data to support instructional decisions.
In this course, you’ll build your knowledge of emerging learning technologies, evaluate tools based on learning goals and individual learner differences, and explore how technologies integrate with learning management systems. You’ll also examine safety, legal, and ethical issues related to technology use and explore how learning analytics can help optimize learning. By the end of the course, you’ll be better prepared to evaluate and use learning technologies responsibly and effectively across various educational or professional settings.
CAREER OUTCOMES
Designed for Career Growth
Build practical learning design and technology skills you can apply in classrooms, workplace training, and digital learning environments.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
- Analyze learner needs, performance gaps, and instructional goals.
- Apply instructional design and learning experience design methods.
- Use design thinking to ideate, prototype, and test learning solutions.
- Evaluate learning technologies for engagement, accessibility, and learning outcomes.
- Design assessments and feedback strategies aligned to learning goals.
- Use learner data and learning analytics to inform decisions and improve learning experiences.
Roles that can benefit:
- Instructional designer
- Learning experience designer
- Training and development specialist
- Curriculum developer
- Educational technology specialist
- Learning and development professional
- Professional development coordinator
- Corporate trainer
- Learning consultant
COST
Four online courses. One flat cost.
For $2,000, you’ll receive access to the courses in WGU’s Learning Design and Technology Certificate for four months, including:
- Program access
- E-textbooks
- Learning resources
Although financial aid isn't available, we do offer a payment plan.
Most learners finish within four months. If you need more time, your enrollment will automatically transition to a $399 monthly subscription until you earn your certificate. You can cancel at any time.
$2,000
Payment Plan Option
$500 per month for four months
HOW IT WORKS
What to Expect from This Certificate
Program Details
- This certificate is designed for educators and learning-focused professionals who want to build skills in instructional design, learning design, and learning technology.
- Credits earned from this certificate may apply toward WGU’s M.Ed. in Education Technology and Instructional Design, subject to eligibility and program requirements.
- This certificate is designed to be completed within a four-month term with regular participation and consistent progress.
Technology Requirements
- You must use a personal computer and a personal internet connection.
- An external webcam with a built-in microphone is required for a proctored exam.
- Tablets and smartphones may be used to access some course content but cannot be used for proctored assessments.
- Supported desktop operating systems include Windows 10 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Why Choose a WGU Certificate?
WGU certificates are focused, non-degree programs designed to help you build specialized, career-relevant skills in months. With year-round enrollment, you can start when you’re ready and progress through your certificate as quickly as you master the material. Learn more about WGU certificates.
Job-Ready Skills
Our certificate programs are developed with employer input to reflect real workforce needs.
Never Alone
Access mentors and career services to help guide you from start to finish.
University-Backed
Earn a credential from an accredited university with more than 29 years of experience providing quality higher education.
Value Now, Value Later
Credits earned in a WGU certificate can be applied toward certain WGU degree programs.
Request More Information
Fill out this form to learn more about WGU’s Learning Design and Technology Certificate. We’ll send you additional program information by email.
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