Don't take our word for it

Anna Lebedinets

Master (Linguistics) 

Thanks to Dr. Luke, this has been one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had. It’s rare to find a course that integrates theory and practice, along with the cognitive and affective domains, so seamlessly. As a learner, I felt how much a highly professional teaching style can completely transform the experience. Instead of feeling like I “had” to complete assignments, I found myself genuinely wanting to do them.

The thoughtful, detailed feedback and timely responses were invaluable, and I appreciated how everything was aimed at truly helping me grow.

The course content was highly relevant, especially as it made me realize the importance of project management alongside pedagogy and andragogy. This shift in perspective even led me to start working as a manager in distance learning to gain experience in this area. The real-world examples provided throughout the course gave me a clearer understanding of what being an instructional designer truly entails.

Even with my background as an academic, I discovered new insights in instructional design that I hadn’t encountered before. 

Overall, the course was incredibly well-structured, with engaging tasks and a perfect balance of depth and time. It really showed me how much better online learning can be.

Waleed Alani

E-Learning Developer and Instructional Designer

The knowledge I gained from this course has been transformative for my career. The insights into adult learning principles and practical application have significantly refined my instructional design strategies, allowing me to create more engaging and impactful training programs. The course has provided me with a deeper understanding of how to effectively address the needs of adult learners, resulting in more meaningful and successful educational experiences.

Furthermore, the introduction to advanced approaches and methods involving ChatGPT and AI has been particularly influential. These cutting-edge tools and techniques are now an integral part of my content design and delivery processes. By incorporating AI-driven strategies, I’ve been able to enhance interactivity and personalization in my training materials, leading to improved learner engagement and outcomes. Overall, the course has not only expanded my skill set but also equipped me with innovative solutions that are already making a noticeable difference in my work.

Yudith

Curriculum Designer

I really enjoyed how this course pushed me to rethink my approach to teaching adult learners. The hands-on project was a highlight, making the theory come alive and showing me how to apply what I learned in practical ways. This course has been a great starting off point for the next steps in my career. I now feel more confident in creating learning experiences that are both engaging and responsive to adult learners’ needs. Luke is a great instructor. He's extremely responsive and kind. Also a plus that his video/sound quality is always great on Zoom and in all the content.   

Dr. Nicole L'Etoile

Learning and Development Specialist 

Dr. Hobson's seamlessly weaves together core strategies like backwards planning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and principles of adult learning to create courses that are engaging and collaborative. His deep understanding of adult learning theories has guided us in crafting learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, and responsive to the unique needs of adult learners. 

Gina Johnson

Instructional Designer

IDI was the best professional development choice I have ever made. In 7 weeks, I was able to build an online course step-by-step using Backward Design and I am much more confident in my skill set. Dr. Luke Hobson creates engaging, relevant, and meaningful learning experiences each week. I loved the coaching calls that enabled me to meet my classmates and learn from them. I incorporated scenario-based learning into my course, and I cannot wait to create more designs using the knowledge and skills I have obtained through IDI in UDL, Andragogy, and Backward Design. Thank you, Dr. Hobson! 

Isamari Cruz

Instructional Designer

I recently had the opportunity to take an instructional design course by Dr. Luke Hobson. I was quickly impressed by how rewarding and valuable the experience was. The course covered various topics, from developing learning objectives to creating assessments and designing a short course. The peer review process was incorporated into several assignments throughout the course, allowing us to provide and receive feedback on our work.  

The peer review process was incredibly beneficial. It helped me to identify areas where I could improve my work, receive commendation for my abilities and final product, and learn from the feedback of others. My reviewers were thoughtful and constructive, and they provided me with specific suggestions for how to improve my work. That's thanks to the guidance and well-structured process by Dr. Luke Hobson. In addition to the academic benefits, I also found the peer review process to be a valuable networking experience. I was able to connect with other instructional designers from around the world and learn about their work.  

Overall, I highly recommend this course by Dr. Hobson and the Instructional Design Institute. It is a well-designed and informative course that provides students with the opportunity to learn from Dr. Luke and from each other, as well as to develop or improve their instructional design skills. 

Abdulrahman Elhadad 

L&D Specialist

Before starting that course, I was concerned if it was really going to help me develop my ID skills as expected. Frankly, I thought of refunding many times during the first week. Now, I would say thank God I did not do that. Dr. Luke's level of excitement lasts along the journey, and the way he encourages me to carry on and achieve my goal by providing learning resources, answering my questions, creating a safe environment, and ensuring that I am fully engaged with my fellow learners was magnificent. Also, the assignment helped me to visualize what the success I am going to achieve would look like. I highly recommend this course!

Elizabeth Chavez

Educator

I have truly enjoyed learning from Luke in IDI. This course has helped me get a better understanding of important strategies and design methods that I was not familiar with. I loved getting hands-on opportunities to put those methods to use and receiving insightful feedback from Luke and my peers.

Jacob Santos

Instructional Designer

The Instructional Design Institute led by Dr. Luke Hobson is an excellent learning experience for anyone seeking to improve their skills in instructional design especially within the higher education field. There is a clear passion for the materials and desire to learn together and build engaging and impactful online learning for future generations of learners. I took Dr. Luke's course as a transitioning teacher who was unsure of how they fit into the instructional design world and this course not only gave me the confidence I needed, but also showed me that I am more prepared than I thought I was thanks to what I had learned in the classroom. If you are someone with education background or even nothing at all, this is an excellent first step into the instructional design world that allows you to practice but also provides a community that feels connected in a shared goal. I cannot recommend this course enough and I look forward to utilizing these skills in the future. 

Nhung

Academic Director and Founder

Instructional Design Fundamental Course was an exceptional learning journey. The course title itself aptly describes the depth of knowledge one can gain from it. I found myself significantly more confident in discussing the essential aspects of instructional design. Through Luke's guidance, I delved into topics such as adult learning theories, backward design, and universal design for learning, gaining invaluable insights along the way.

What I love the most about this course is its hands-on approach. Not only did I acquire theoretical knowledge, but I also had the opportunity to apply it practically by creating my own online course. The design of the course itself reflects the principles it teaches. It's evident that he practices what he preaches, making the learning experience all the more enriching. So, huge shoutout to Luke for putting together such an awesome course. 

Victor

Transitioning Teacher

I recently completed the instructional design course with Dr. Hobson, and it was truly enlightening. The real-world scenarios provided valuable insights that I wouldn't have discovered on my own. The course flowed seamlessly, keeping me engaged and on track. As a teacher transitioning into instructional design, I found the course instrumental in understanding how to apply my current skills in this new field. Dr. Hobson's expertise and examples were incredibly helpful, and the final project felt like a real-world collaboration with subject matter experts and companies. Highly recommended!

Eelaf Othman

Learning & Development Specialist

This course has significantly contributed to my professional development as a Learning and Development Specialist. It has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of instructional design theories, models, and methodologies. It has also equipped me with practical skills in designing effective learning objectives and creating engaging learning materials. I'm very grateful to have these newly acquired skills as they will undoubtedly help me when it comes to designing my own courses. 

Sarah Beers

Design Professional

Instructional Design Institute’s dynamic format and engaging content guides students through the steps of developing an online course using a comprehensive syllabus that supports learning the skill-set needed for the design process. The procedure we followed made sense because we were learning about the efficacy of good design while simultaneously implementing the theories and skills we were learning. Exploring Backwards Design gave me a clear framework within which to outline my course. In learning about Design for Universal Learning, I sought out ways to present my learning content and artifacts that would have flexible accessibility, and in so doing learned some more software tools. The learning content of IDI was always available to review and refer back to as a framework when I hit a road block in the design process.

The weekly social zoom workshops helped to keep the process grounded with a human interaction component so that I did not feel as if I was working in isolation. In addition to instructor review, the added feature of cooperative learning peer review and feedback strengthened my course by adding yet another perspective and set of ideas for improvement.

Joseph Diaz

Sales Enablement Coordinator

Even after completing a masters degree in instructional psychology and technology, I still found a lot of value in taking Dr. Luke Hobson's Instructional Design Fundamentals course. Luke not only reinforced principles I learned in my university studies, but he also helped me better apply the basics to my everyday work. Rather than just talking about backwards design, UDL, and course creation, I gained a better understanding of how I personally apply these principles to my own design process. I highly recommend IDI to any instructional designer who wants to refine their skills and surround themselves with other brilliant instructional designers.

Stephanie Kratz

Distinguished Professor of English

IDI was a fabulous learning experience about instructional design as it applies to higher education. I appreciated the approach of applying design concepts to the creation of our own course. Luke walked with us, step-by-step, through course design. It was helpful to intentionally pair the Backwards Design process and andragogy principles to my own work. All of the material was available in multiple formats so I had choices about how to engage with it, and I appreciated the learning options. I will recommend this course to my colleagues.

Holly

Elementary Teacher

I enjoyed IDI and, as I transition out of the elementary classroom, I found it to be a good introduction into Instructional Design. I appreciated Luke's specific and encouraging feedback along the way, interacting with other peers in the course, and getting hands-on experience with creating a course. 

Ryan Tsui

Program Manager

IDI offers vital practical frameworks that expedite your comprehension of LD. By aiding in creating effective LOs and designing pedagogies and educational activities, IDI succinctly establishes the connections between them. 

Ana Yoder

Training Program Manager 

I loved the Instructional Design Institute because it provided training in both theory and it's application, in a very easy to understand way. It demonstrated how to best use a variety of content types to enrich the learning experience. I felt I was learning something new with every session and interaction, and developed many ideas on how to expand my current approach to learning design.

Dr. Shihua Brazil

Director of Teaching and Learning

Luke is the best instructional designer ever. He validated my feelings and offered critical feedback to help me thrive as a new instructional designer. After working with Luke, you will have a better understanding of the instructional design world but, also become a better communicator

Noah Mitchell

Senior Learning Experience Designer

This is the second course of Luke's that I have taken and I am not disappointed. There are tons of course out there, but I was struggling to find something that would take me out of my comfort zone (development) and really help me think about things from more of a "true" instructional design perspective. Because I'd taken Luke's Collaborating with SMEs course previously, when I saw the new IDI course, I had a lot of confidence in Luke's ability to help me start my improvement in that area. Many of the readings and activities in this course were far different than the type of stuff I've traditionally created in my role. I'm leaving with a profound sense of inspiration, and intend to challenge myself to identify ways to incorporate these often overlooked activities/interactions in my own work.  

Here were my biggest takeaways, though. I am blessed to have had amazing, organic discussions with truly smart and driven peers. Having so many people with different ideas and perspectives was immensely enlightening, and I'm grateful for their contribution to my growth! My other biggest takeaway was a complete restructuring of my learning philosophy. I now feel more confident in my ability to look at the things I'm creating, or the things my colleagues have created, with a more critical eye and through the lens of backwards design. This model, while not the only one, really rang true to me, and I have already started to incorporate it in my work. Not only will it help me personally create better learning experiences, but also to provide better feedback to my team to ensure everything we create supports our learning outcomes.  

Thank you for a truly insightful and amazing experience, Luke! 🙏

Jeri Tarvin

Data Coach & Instructional Designer

At the beginning of last summer, I was struggling with my next career move. I wanted to move away from a new position I had just started, and I wanted more independence to create. I talked with a few of my colleagues and friends about instructional design. One of them recommended taking this course. At the time, I had to wait several months for the course to begin. In the meantime, I did quite a bit of daily research over my summer break. I felt like I learned a lot, but it just seemed like knowledge, not direction. Once this course started, I was reminded of why I began the search. I wanted more creativity and some freedom in that creativity. This course helped me make some important decisions in the "Next Step" of my career. 

Syeda

Course Strategist

There are very few people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting who are genuinely passionate about the work they do while supporting their peers progression simultaneously - Luke is that exception.  He will always have a fan in me.

Ghina

Instructional Designer

The 7-week immersive IDI experience is worth every minute. The live webinars were an added bling to the course. I wish I could attend all the sessions live. The feedback from Dr. Luke and all the cohort members was very precise and thoughtful. You could actually make yourself work even in a creative block!

Dragos

Trainer and Data Analyst

I've come into the course with some limited experience into the field, looking to find a framework to apply for a course I've been struggling to complete for a long time now. Not only have I learned to apply a robust framework for designing learning experiences, but Luke's course paved the way for me to learn, apply, and become a better designer for perhaps years to come! All the learning materials selected are perfectly relevant and, as a result, super helpful. Admittedly, it's a lot to apply it all at once, but you don't have to. Once you learn the framework, you can go through the materials later on as you go about your career. I love that! 

Dr. Elizabeth Mathew

Adjunct Instructor

The Instructional Design Institute was an experience like no other I have ever experienced! With a strong background in teaching and curriculum development, I wanted to learn more about instructional design at this institute. Little did I know what I was heading into. The wealth of knowledge and experience that Dr. Luke Hobson has is amazing! The seven-week course was a refreshing and an enjoyable experience. Dr. Hobson was not only dependable in answering our queries, but also dedicated to creating a comfortable environment for us to learn and collaborate on instructional design ideas with our classmates.

Each week we were subconsciously preparing for our 'Final Course Project,’ that would take our creativity and originality to the next level. Most importantly, the feedback provided by Dr. Hobson and my peers has given me the confidence to create meaningful and effective learning designs. The last week of the institute left me feeling that I could design anything that an experienced instructional designer could. It has motivated me to continue my learning journey and pursue my goals with passion and perseverance.

Gloria Carrasco

Instructional Technologist

The Instructional Design Institute was one of the best courses I have taken. If you are interested in learning more about instructional design or looking to update or improve your instructional design skills, this is the course. The enthusiasm and knowledge that Luke brings makes this course a lot of fun. I have never had so much fun nerding out!

Aileen

Manager of Instructional Design

The experience was truly wonderful, especially Luke's ability to break down concepts like needs analysis and course mapping, complemented by practical examples to illustrate these critical processes. From our initial engagement, he fostered a welcoming space that encouraged active participation and the exchange of insights and experiences.

Louis Esposito

Special Education Teacher

Luke's Instructional Designer Course was exactly what I was looking for as I embarked on a new education journey. His classes are always interactive and make you think. There was not a lot of pressure yet everything also felt so important at the same time. 

Gus Martinez

Higher Education Professional

I really enjoyed the course, it allowed me to gain a greater perspective regarding Instructional Design. The material was relevant, accessible, and meaningful. It was great to have been able to design a course. It has provided me with confidence in ID and I look forward to future opportunities. Loved collaborating with others during the course.

Emily Blosser

Assistant Professor of Sociology

I took Luke Hobson's Instructional Design Institute class and really enjoyed it. Luke is an enthusiastic instructor who really goes the extra mile to answer questions and communicate his knowledge about instructional design. He offered a lot of good advice about how to make learning engaging for learners. I will absolutely use what I learned here when designing my own classes. 

Angela Plank

Instructional Designer

I highly appreciated Dr. Hobson's Instructional Design Fundamentals course for its variety of content delivery methods, including text, audio, video, and podcasts, which catered well to different learning preferences. The weekly workshops provided excellent opportunities to engage with the material and connect with classmates in meaningful ways.

The course's intensive seven-week format was packed with practical insights and applicable skills, enhancing my ability to tackle instructional design challenges effectively. Dr. Hobson's expertise was evident as he adeptly guided us through complex concepts and their real-world applications, making each lesson directly relevant to our professional growth.

As we reached the end of the course, I found myself wishing it were longer because of how much I had learned and grown in such a short time. This experience has significantly enriched my approach to instructional design, and I am eager to apply these new skills in my future projects.

Risa

Senior Academic Adviser 

As someone who learns best by doing, I was particularly impressed by how the course allowed me to actively apply the concepts and theories to build out my first online course.  Luke designs this course in a way that allows you to be both the learner and the designer.  Working alongside peers in different fields also helped me gain valuable perspectives and tools to add into my course-building.  All in all, it was well worth the seven week investment. I look forward to seeing where this newly added skill takes me in my multipod journey.  

Kati Barnett

Curriculum Developer

Dr. Hobson is an outstanding instructor who exemplifies the principles he teaches in his IDI course. The course is rich with opportunities to not only learn about instructional design and its principles but also to apply them directly. As a curriculum developer, I found Dr. Hobson’s insights invaluable for understanding how to collaborate effectively with instructional designers. He provided practical skills and processes that will be essential in my work on developing curricula and professional development programs. Additionally, his course significantly expanded my knowledge of the field and its possibilities.

Josie Brewster

Instructional Designer for a K-12 Virtual Charter School 

I highly recommend all educational professionals take this IDI course. It will help you develop critical skills in instructional strategies, UDL, assessments, learning objectives, and more. The format of this specific course fosters collaboration with colleagues around the world, direct application of concepts, and interesting lessons. Furthermore, Dr. Hobson provides an amazing learning experience that is tailored to our induvial context, while providing a foundation for instructional design. This course will give you the unique opportunity to progress your instructional designer skills while developing your own course.