What are the best instructional design courses on Coursera?

Top courses include Instructional Design Foundations and Applications from the University of Illinois and An Introduction to Learning Experience Design (LXD) from the University of Michigan as well. These programs cover learning theory, course planning, digital pedagogy, and technology tools for designing engaging learning experiences.

Can I learn instructional design for free on Coursera?

Yes. Many instructional design courses offer a free audit option. You can access video lectures and readings at no cost. If you want to complete assessments or earn a certificate, you’ll need to upgrade or apply for financial aid.

What will I learn in an instructional design course?

You’ll learn how to design learning objectives, structure courses, select appropriate media and tools, and evaluate learning outcomes. Many courses also include frameworks like ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Do I need a teaching background to start learning instructional design?

Not necessarily. While experience in education or training can be helpful, many courses are beginner-friendly and provide a strong foundation for anyone interested in creating effective learning experiences.

Can Coursera’s instructional design courses help me build a career?

Yes. Instructional design is a growing field across education , corporate training , government , and nonprofits . Coursera courses can help you build job-ready skills, create a portfolio of work, and earn certificates that demonstrate your ability to design engaging and effective learning materials.

Top Instructional Design Courses - Learn Instructional Design Online

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

L'Art des Structures 2 : treillis, poutres, dalles et cadres

Skills you'll gain: Structural Engineering, Structural Analysis, Construction, Engineering Analysis, Building Design, Architectural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Design Process, Mechanics, Engineering Calculations

Status: Free Trial

Board Infinity

Build a Webpage with HTML and CSS

Skills you'll gain: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Responsive Web Design, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), Web Design, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Web Development, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, UI Components, Typography

Coursera Project Network

AI Content Creation with DALL-E: Visual SEO Strategy

Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Generative AI, Blogs, Search Engine Optimization, Content Strategy, Web Content, Content Creation, Keyword Research, ChatGPT, Web Analytics and SEO

Status: Free Trial

University of Colorado Boulder

Managing the New Product Development Process

Skills you'll gain: New Product Development, Product Development, Design Thinking, Engineering Management, Product Management, Market Research, Prototyping, Conceptual Design, Innovation, Product Requirements, Target Market, Mockups, Wireframing, Leadership and Management, Leadership, Creativity, Customer Insights

Status: Free Trial

The State University of New York

Digital Information Literacy

Skills you'll gain: Digital Design, Infographics, Content Creation, Web Content, Information Management, Digital Communications, Peer Review, Data Ethics

Status: Free

Coursera Project Network

Создаем дизайны для социальных сетей с помощью Canva

Skills you'll gain: Canva (Software), Content Creation, Visual Design, Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Design Elements And Principles

Status: Free Trial

Fundação Instituto de Administração

System Dynamics

Skills you'll gain: Systems Thinking, Simulations, Process Flow Diagrams, Systems Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, Growth Strategies, Software Visualization, Market Dynamics, Business Modeling, Decision Making

Status: Free Trial

Google Cloud

Gemini for Google Cloud Learning Path

Skills you'll gain: Google Cloud Platform, Kubernetes, Generative AI, Big Data, Software Development Life Cycle, Cloud Development, Cloud Computing, DevOps, Cloud Security, Development Testing, Application Deployment, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI Agents, Application Lifecycle Management, Application Development, Network Planning And Design, Data Analysis, Software Development Tools, Cloud Applications, Vulnerability Assessments

Coursera Project Network

Create Your UI/UX Portfolio with GitHub

Skills you'll gain: User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, HTML and CSS, GitHub, Microsoft Visual Studio, Application Deployment, Web Design and Development, Integrated Development Environments

Peking University

Nursing Research: Principles and Methods(护理研究：基本原理与方法)

Skills you'll gain: Nursing, Science and Research, Clinical Research, Nursing Practices, Scientific Methods, Healthcare Ethics, Biostatistics, Data Analysis Software

Coursera Project Network

Style Tables with CSS

Skills you'll gain: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTML and CSS, Responsive Web Design, Web Design

Status: Free Trial

Johns Hopkins University

Advanced Malware and Network Anomaly Detection

Skills you'll gain: Anomaly Detection, Intrusion Detection and Prevention, Malware Protection, Continuous Monitoring, Threat Detection, Network Analysis, Cybersecurity, System Design and Implementation, Network Security, Machine Learning Software, Machine Learning Methods, Performance Testing, Machine Learning Algorithms, Machine Learning, Supervised Learning, Microsoft Windows

Instructional Design Courses

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