Course Overview

Course Description

This course examines advanced topics in instructional design, including needs assessment, learner characteristics, alignment of learning objectives, instructional strategies, and formative and summative assessments. Students engage with generative AI tools as professional design partners to support instructional ideation, scenario development, and activity design, while learning to critically evaluate AI-generated outputs using evidence from learning science. Students will explore critical theories of learning and motivation and the ethical responsibility of instructional designers to analyze and dispel common myths and misapplication of these concepts, including those that may be introduced or amplified by AI systems. The course emphasizes the application of sound design principles to plan, design, evaluate, and refine inclusive learning experiences that are grounded in research and responsive to real-world contexts.

Prerequisites: LDT 500A & LDT 500B

Student Comments

The weekly assignments built on one another, coalescing into an effective practice-run for ID jobs.
-Spring 2022 Student

I thought the selection of required reading was incredibly effective at deepening my expertise in the various aspects of Learning Theory that were introduced in LDT500A.
-Spring 2022 Student

The Design Blueprint assignment gave me the opportunity to work with a real organization on a real problem, which was quite helpful in seeing how these principles apply practically.
-Spring 2022 Student

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the technical requirements for this program?

You must own or have unrestricted access to a computer for this program. Courses will utilize a variety of technologies and multimedia. To complete course activities and to access course content, please verify that you have the following technologies and plug-ins available:

Computer: 16 GB, 1.5 GHz Speed I7 + 500 GB external memory (preferably SSD hard disk drive) PC suggested
- Mac users will need to (1) download a PC emulation software such as VMWare Fusion in order to access the required program software and (2) have access to Windows 10 or newer
Browser Plug-ins: Windows Media Player, QuickTime and Adobe Reader
Recommended Browsers: Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome (You will want to have 2 browsers for software testing and viewing)

What is the weekly time commitment of the MS-LDT program?

Built with working professionals in mind, this asynchronous online program can easily fit into your week. On average, coursework will require between 10-20 hours per week on reading, researching and completing class assignments. While coursework will vary per professor and course, students will generally have one main assignment due on a weekly or biweekly basis and will be expected to participate in classroom discussion boards. Professors are always willing to proactively discuss any scheduling challenges that may arise during your time in the program.

Who is teaching in this program?

Our instructors are subject matter experts. They are instructional design practitioners and online instructors who are fully aware of the needs of adult learners and online students. Learn more on our MSLDT faculty page.

What is the difference between the Group Discussions and the Discussion Board Forum?

Group Discussions are typically graded assignments posted to a discussion board embedded in each module. They require an original post and a response to peers by the end of the week. Discussion Forum is an open discussion on a variety of topics related to the course. The Discussion Board feature in Canvas is used as the platform for these online conversations.

Would a potential employer value a Master of Science over a Master of Education in LD/ID?

A potential employer is not likely to value one degree over the other because they are more interested in demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities more so than whether your degree is in LD or ID. Employers requiring or preferring that applicants have a master’s degree will be explicit about the skills they are seeking and typically will not distinguish between types of degrees such as MS, MA or MEd degrees.

What is the difference between instructional design and learning design?

Instructional design involves creating learning experiences and materials to affect change in knowledge, skills, or attitude. Learning design utilizes approaches from instructional design, user-experience design, and design thinking to create these learning experiences.

Why was “Learning Design” chosen to use in the title of this degree instead of “Instructional Design?”

Learning Design was chosen for the degree title to reflect a shift in the industry that is more inclusive of adaptations to the systematic design of instruction that is found in traditional ID. Learning Design combines instructional design and design thinking to promote a more human-centered and creative thinking approach to designing learning solutions.

What is the tuition for the MS-LDT degree program?

Tuition for the MSLDT program is $735 per unit. With a total of 30 units, the full cost of tuition for the program is $22,050.

Tuition amounts shown on this website, or in other university publications or web pages, represent tuition and fees as currently approved. However, the University of San Diego reserves the right to increase or modify tuition and fees without prior notice and to make such modifications applicable to students enrolled at USD at that time as well as to incoming students. In addition, all tuition amounts and fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors. Please note that the displayed tuition covers only the cost of courses, and additional expenses such as books and other fees are not included.

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