Join Tim Slade for a live, eight-week instructional design certificate program where you'll learn how to solve real-world performance problems, make informed design decisions, and use AI to design and develop effective training solutions.
Instructional Design Is Changing
AI is changing instructional design. And not just how we develop eLearning courses.
It's changing how we analyze information, explore solutions, collaborate with stakeholders, and turn ideas into finished training experiences. Tasks that once required specialized software and weeks of development can increasingly be accomplished with AI in a fraction of the time.
And that changes where instructional designers provide value. As AI makes it easier to create training content, knowing how to solve performance problems, make informed instructional design decisions, and determine what training should actually accomplish becomes even more important.
But knowing how to design effective training isn't enough. You also need to know how to use AI to bring those designs to life. That's why this program focuses on both.
You'll learn how instructional design actually works in the real world while developing practical experience using AI throughout the entire instructional design process.
A Different Way to Learn Instructional Design
This isn't a program where you spend seven weeks learning instructional design and one week experimenting with AI. AI is integrated into how you learn, practice, design, and develop throughout all eight weeks.
Practice real-world instructional design conversations with AI-powered stakeholders and subject matter experts.
Ask questions, gather information, challenge assumptions, and navigate the kinds of situations instructional designers encounter on the job.
Learn how to use AI as a collaborative partner when analyzing performance problems, exploring learning solutions, developing objectives, and documenting instructional design decisions.
You'll discover how to use AI to support your thinking without letting it make the decisions for you.
Use AI-native development tools to turn your instructional design decisions into actual training deliverables.
Create job aids, interactive eLearning, and instructor-led training materials while learning how to evaluate and refine AI-generated work.
It's not about better prompts.
The goal is to become a better instructional designer who knows how to work with AI.
Real-World Case Study
Our support team’s customer service scores keep falling. Leadership wants training by next quarter.
Before we talk training — what’s changed on the team recently?
Learn by Doing
Learning instructional design concepts is one thing. Knowing how to apply them when you're dealing with an actual performance problem is something entirely different.
That's why this program is built around a realistic, eight-week instructional design case study. You'll step into the role of an instructional designer working with Webistia, a fictional company facing real-world business and performance challenges.
But here's the difference: you won't simply be handed a completed needs analysis or a list of training requirements. You'll have to figure things out.
Using AI-powered virtual stakeholders and subject matter experts, you'll practice the conversations instructional designers have every day. You'll ask questions, gather information, identify performance gaps, and determine what's really causing the problem.
From there, you'll make recommendations, design a learning solution, and use AI to develop the training deliverables needed to support it.
It's an opportunity to experience the instructional design process from beginning to end, with the freedom to explore ideas, make decisions, and learn from the experience.
“This program helped me move beyond simply creating content and start thinking much more intentionally about process, structure, and problem-solving. One of the biggest shifts for me was realizing that instructional design doesn’t always have perfectly clear answers, and learning how to navigate that ambiguity with confidence.
Working through the case study in real time alongside the weekly lessons helped me actively apply what I was learning instead of just consuming information passively. I also appreciated that there weren’t always ‘right’ answers, which made the experience feel much more reflective of real-world instructional design work. I walked away with stronger frameworks, better questions to ask stakeholders, and a much clearer process for building effective learning solutions.”
Real Skills. Real Deliverables.
By the end of the program, you'll have more than a certificate. You'll have practical experience working through a complete instructional design project, along with tangible examples of your ability to analyze performance problems, design learning solutions, and develop training with AI.
1Analyze & Design
Investigate a performance problem, identify its underlying causes, and make recommendations based on the information you've gathered.
Connect the business goal to the on-the-job behaviors that drive it, and identify where practice, support, and information will have the greatest impact.
Develop a comprehensive plan for your learning solution, including objectives, instructional strategies, delivery methods, implementation considerations, and evaluation plans.
2Develop & Build with AI
Create a practical resource designed to help employees perform tasks and make better decisions on the job.
Use AI-native development tools to build an interactive, performance-focused eLearning experience.
Develop a facilitator guide and presentation deck designed to support an engaging instructor-led learning experience.
These deliverables can become part of your professional instructional design portfolio, helping you demonstrate not just what you've learned, but how you approach and solve instructional design problems.
Your Eight-Week Learning Journey
The program is divided into two connected phases. During the first four weeks, you'll focus on analyzing performance problems and designing effective learning solutions. During the final four weeks, you'll use AI-native development tools to turn those designs into real training assets.
Throughout both phases, you'll use AI to support your learning, practice, and development.
Explore what instructional designers actually do, why training doesn't always solve performance problems, and how to approach instructional design through a performance-focused lens.
Learn how adults learn and how to apply learning theory to make better instructional design decisions.
Investigate a realistic performance problem by working with AI-powered stakeholders and SMEs to gather information and identify potential causes.
Turn your needs analysis findings into a comprehensive instructional design plan.
Learn how to translate your instructional design plan into a development strategy using AI-native tools.
Begin developing your training solutions by exploring design concepts and creating initial prototypes.
Turn your initial concepts into functional training deliverables and refine them through iterative development.
Complete your training deliverables and prepare to showcase your instructional design work.
“This was the first time instructional design stopped feeling theoretical and started feeling like real-world practice. Before the program, I had researched a lot on my own and completed other training programs, but talking through the process week by week and comparing my approach to other people’s thinking was what really made things click.
The program helped me feel significantly more confident in my role and gave me a much clearer understanding of the full instructional design process, from identifying performance problems to thinking intentionally about evaluation. I also appreciated hearing different perspectives from people working across different types of instructional design roles and organizations. It felt far more collaborative and grounded in real practice than anything else I’ve experienced before.”
Who Should Enroll?
Whether you're just getting started or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this program is designed to help you practice instructional design in a realistic environment.
Build a strong foundation in performance-based instructional design while learning how AI is changing the way instructional designers work.
Develop practical instructional design skills, experience, and portfolio-ready work to help demonstrate your capabilities to prospective employers.
Strengthen your instructional design capabilities, explore AI-native development workflows, and learn how to create effective training solutions more efficiently.
More Than Another Online Course
Most instructional design courses can teach you theories, models, and processes. But knowing those things doesn't necessarily mean you know what to do when a stakeholder asks for training that won't solve their problem. This program focuses on helping you bridge that gap.
Participate in live discussions, small-group activities, and hands-on exercises where you'll practice making instructional design decisions alongside other participants.
Learn from Tim Slade, who brings nearly two decades of instructional design and learning development experience to the program. Explore the decisions, challenges, and constraints that shape instructional design in actual organizations.
Rather than focusing on how to use a specific authoring tool, you'll develop transferable instructional design skills and explore AI-native workflows for building training solutions.
Receive a printed copy of The Instructional Design Handbook and lifetime access to the AI eLearning Dev Lab self-paced course, giving you additional guidance and resources to support your work long after the program ends.
What Past Participants Are Saying
Hear from participants who’ve completed the program and put what they learned to work.
“What stood out most about this program was how much it emphasized thinking critically about performance problems and design decisions instead of simply focusing on deliverables. In my day-to-day work, I often feel more like an order taker than a strategic instructional designer, so it was incredibly valuable to work through a realistic case study where I could experiment, reflect, and rethink my decisions through different instructional design lenses.
The feedback and collaboration from both Tim and my peers helped me build confidence in my own thinking and design process. I also found the integration of AI especially eye-opening because it showed how these tools can support rapid prototyping and idea generation without replacing the judgment and intentionality behind strong instructional design.”
I was constantly wondering if I had giant gaps in my knowledge. I don’t feel that way anymore. I now have a real frame of the entirety of the job and confidence applying theory and models thoughtfully instead of haphazardly. Seeing a project from start to finish was worth every bit of the work.
The case study process gave me a clearer picture of what the full ADDIE model can look like in practice. I saw so much value in design documents and project plans that I’ve already started implementing them with my team on current projects.
Before the program, the behind-the-scenes work of planning felt out of reach. I didn’t even know needs analysis was part of instructional design. Now I feel equipped to tackle it. Working alongside peers already doing ID work felt like having several mentors!
Earn Your Certificate
Upon successful completion of the program, you'll earn an Instructional Design Certificate recognizing your participation and applied work.
The program has also been reviewed and approved by ATD, making it eligible for credit toward APTD and CPTD certification requirements.
Everything You Need to Get Started
Your enrollment includes the instruction, resources, and hands-on practice needed to develop real-world instructional design skills.
View Upcoming Dates & Enroll →Plus Two Bonuses
Choose the session that works best for your schedule. Both options include the same eight-week curriculum, live instruction, hands-on practice, and program resources.
Spring 2027 · Daytime Sessions
DaytimeWednesdays · 11 AM – 2 PM ET
Eight live sessions, February 10 through March 31, 2027.
Spring 2027 · Evening Sessions
EveningWednesdays · 7 PM – 10 PM ET
Eight live sessions, February 10 through March 31, 2027.
“One of the biggest takeaways for me was finally being able to connect theory to the work I was already doing intuitively. I’ve spent years teaching, coaching, and facilitating, but this program gave me the language, frameworks, and confidence to think through the full arc of an instructional design project much more intentionally.
Working through an end-to-end design process, from needs analysis all the way through evaluation, helped me build confidence in areas where I previously felt less experienced. What made this especially valuable was how practical and applicable everything felt. I’m already using what I learned directly in my work, including building AI-supported workflows grounded in instructional design theory and principles.”
Recordings are available within 24 hours, and live attendance isn't required to earn your certificate.
Additional session dates coming soon.
Interested in enrolling your team or arranging a private workshop? Contact tim@eLearningAcademy.io for details.
Meet Your Instructor
Creator of The eLearning Designer's Academy
With nearly two decades of experience in instructional design and learning development, I've worked with organizations to solve performance problems and create effective training solutions.
And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that instructional design rarely works the way textbooks make it seem. Real projects are messy. Stakeholders don't always know what they need. Information is incomplete. And sometimes training isn't the answer.
That's why I created this program. I want to help you develop the practical skills and professional judgment needed to navigate those challenges, while also learning how to use AI to design and develop training solutions.
— Tim
FAQ
Still have a question? Email Tim at tim@eLearningAcademy.io.
