Peck Academy

Instructional Design Curriculum

The full curriculum: what you'll do in each course, how long it takes, and what you'll walk away with. Our curriculum is designed with input from our advisory committee of working L&D professionals.

Courses
7Courses
Standards
11Standards
Competencies
45Competencies
Certificate
1Certificate
Program Shape

How the Curriculum Prepares You

The curriculum is designed as a progression, not a checklist. You'll move through three phases: building your foundation, creating your portfolio, then launching your career. Each phase builds on the skills from the one before. We recommend completing the courses in order so nothing feels out of reach.

Phase 1

Build Your Foundation

Master instructional design theory and begin developing your technical skills. You'll learn to conduct needs analysis, create learning objectives, and get hands-on practice with industry-standard tools like Articulate Storyline 360.

Phase 2

Create Your Portfolio

Apply everything you've learned to develop a compelling flagship project and build a professional portfolio website that showcases your talents. Your dedicated instructional design mentor will provide personalized feedback every step of the way.

Phase 3

Launch Your Career

Optimize your resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview skills specifically for instructional design roles. You'll learn how to position your experience effectively and confidently navigate the job market.

Course by Course

What You'll Do in Each Course

01

Instructional Design Project Lab

Time
17 weeks
Instructional Design Project Lab course cover
What you'll do
  • Run a real needs assessment and write it up: the background, the goals, and why the project matters
  • Gather and dig into data to find the actual root causes behind performance gaps
  • Recommend the right solution, whether that's training or something else entirely
  • Scope the project so everyone's clear on the objectives and deliverables
  • Build a design document that lays out your instructional strategy, evaluation plan, and design decisions
  • Create a storyboard mapping out the content, visuals, and interactions of your solution
You finish with

A complete analysis-to-evaluation system for one realistic client scenario: a needs assessment report, a design document with evaluation plan, and an eLearning storyboard.

02

Storyline Project Lab

Time
15 weeks
Storyline Project Lab course cover
What you'll do
  • Build custom menus, tab interactions, drag-and-drop activities, and assessments
  • Design a software simulation that mirrors a real-world task
  • Develop an interactive video
  • Create a gamified quiz that puts AI tools to work
  • Finish with a scenario-based eLearning project as your final build
You finish with

Nine published Storyline projects, each one building on the last to create a strong set of eLearning development skills.

03

Designing Scenario-based eLearning

Time
12 weeks
Designing Scenario-based eLearning course cover
What you'll do
  • Define the project: who your learners are, the performance problem, what's at stake, and how you'll solve it
  • Create an action map: a clear business goal, the behaviors that get you there, and the actions that matter most
  • Write a full storyboard covering your content plus visual and programming notes
  • Design visual mockups that follow core design principles across varied slide layouts
  • Build your flagship project: a story-driven module featuring an AI-powered simulation
You finish with

A flagship scenario-based module, the centerpiece of your portfolio.

04

Building Your Stand-out Portfolio

Time
2 weeks
Building Your Stand-out Portfolio course cover
What you'll do
  • Build a live portfolio website that shows off your instructional design projects and skills
  • Apply design principles so it looks polished and is easy to navigate
  • Present clear evidence of what you can do, giving hiring managers and clients confidence in your work
You finish with

A live portfolio website presenting your projects as evidence of what you can do.

05

The Ultimate ID Resume

Time
2 weeks
The Ultimate ID Resume course cover
What you'll do
  • Write a professional instructional design resume that showcases your skills, experience, and achievements
  • Tailor it to specific job descriptions so it speaks directly to each role
  • Frame your experience in instructional design terms that connect the dots for hiring managers
You finish with

A professional ID resume, plus a method for tailoring it to each posting.

06

Getting Leads on LinkedIn

Time
4 weeks
Getting Leads on LinkedIn course cover
What you'll do
  • Build and optimize a LinkedIn profile that highlights your instructional design skills
  • Grow your network strategically within the instructional design community
  • Post content that gets you noticed and keeps you visible to the right people
  • Turn your profile into a steady source of connections and opportunities
You finish with

An optimized LinkedIn profile and a routine that keeps you visible to the right people.

07

Acing the ID Interview

Time
2 weeks
Acing the ID Interview course cover
What you'll do
  • Put together an interview prep guide so you can speak confidently about your skills, experience, and approach
  • Use the STAR method to answer questions clearly and concisely
  • Write an interview thesis statement that sums up your strengths and ties them to what the company needs
  • Research companies thoroughly so your answers land and your interest shows
You finish with

An interview prep guide and the confidence to take on your interview.

Take the Catalog With You

The full catalog, with every course detailed, sent to your inbox to read later or share with someone else.

Get the Course Catalog
Sample Lesson

Go Inside a Real Project

This is the kickoff lesson for the final project in our Storyline Project Lab: the gamified, AI-powered quiz you'll build yourself. In just a few minutes, Devlin walks through the project, the detailed storyboard that guides you, and the dozen-plus AI tools you'll use to generate text, visuals, audio, and more. It's a real, unedited lesson from inside the program.

A preview of the AI Gamified Quiz storyboard
Explore It Yourself

The Project and the Storyboard Behind It

Play through the finished, published project to see exactly what you'll be able to build. Then open the storyboard that guides the build, with detailed programming notes, visual references, and every asset included. Here's a four-page preview.

Ready to Dive In?

You've seen the whole curriculum. The next step is to apply. As you make your way through the courses, you'll have the support of your dedicated Instructional Design Mentor, three live workshops every week, and, of course, your peers.

Apply Now

If you don't land an instructional design role within six months of graduating, you may be eligible for 100% of your tuition back. Terms apply—learn more in the FAQ.

The Framework

Standards and Competencies

Peck Academy is built around our own framework of 11 standards and 45 competencies, reviewed annually by an advisory committee of working instructional design professionals.

Ready to Get Started?

You've seen the courses, the deliverables, and the full standards framework behind them. The next step is to apply.

Apply Now