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

Find the Best Instructional Design Course for Your Goals

Status: Free Trial
University of Virginia
Design Thinking for Innovation
Skills you'll gain: Design Thinking, Creative Problem-Solving, Ideation, Innovation, Creativity, Strategic Thinking, Market Opportunities, Human Centered Design, Storytelling, User Research, Business Modeling, Collaboration
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Georgia Institute of Technology
Introduction to User Experience Design
Skills you'll gain: User Experience Design, Prototyping, User Centered Design, Usability, Requirements Analysis, UI/UX Research, Interaction Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Usability Testing, User Research
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
8.9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
California Institute of the Arts
Fundamentals of Graphic Design
Skills you'll gain: Typography, Design Elements And Principles, Graphic Design, Visual Design, Design Software, Logo Design, Digital Design, Color Theory, Photo Editing, Adobe Creative Cloud, Creativity
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Data Engineering Foundations
Skills you'll gain: Web Scraping, Database Design, SQL, MySQL, Data Transformation, Data Store, Extract, Transform, Load, IBM DB2, Relational Databases, Data Architecture, Jupyter, Data Pipelines, Big Data, Data Warehousing, Data Governance, Data Manipulation, Stored Procedure, Databases, Automation, Python Programming
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
56K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Graphic Design
Skills you'll gain: Graphic Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Design, Visual Design, Typography, Adobe InDesign, Design Reviews, Adobe Photoshop, Design Elements And Principles, Peer Review, Color Theory, Editing, Creativity
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.3K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
California Institute of the Arts
The Language of Design: Form and Meaning
Skills you'll gain: Design Reviews, Design, Graphic Design, Design Elements And Principles, Visual Design, Peer Review, Typography, Creative Design
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
887 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of California San Diego
Human-Centered Design: an Introduction
Skills you'll gain: Interaction Design, Usability, Human Centered Design, Mockups, Storyboarding, User Experience Design, Design Thinking, Prototyping, User Research, Creativity, Interviewing Skills
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
2.8K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Coursera Instructor Network
UX Design: Research, Prototyping, Accessible Interactions
Skills you'll gain: User Research, User Interface (UI) Design, Prototyping, Usability, Figma (Design Software), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, User Experience Design, User Centered Design, Mockups, Usability Testing, Persona (User Experience)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
24 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Google
Build Dynamic User Interfaces (UI) for Websites
Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Web Design, Design Reviews, Usability Testing, Wireframing, User Research, User Centered Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Mockups, Prototyping, Figma (Design Software)
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
California Institute of the Arts
Visual Elements of User Interface Design
Skills you'll gain: User Interface (UI) Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Web Design, Design Elements And Principles, Human Computer Interaction, Responsive Web Design, Typography, UI Components, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, User Experience Design
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.3K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Minnesota
Introduction to UI Design
Skills you'll gain: User Interface (UI) Design, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Usability, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience Design, Design, Design Thinking, UI/UX Research, Design Strategies, Human Centered Design, Design Research, User Centered Design
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.4K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Coursera Instructor Network
User Interface Design: Principles, Prototyping, Practices
Skills you'll gain: Prototyping, User Interface (UI) Design, Usability, User Research, Interactive Design, UI Components, User Centered Design, Mockups, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Design Thinking, Design Elements And Principles, Typography, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
33 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks