Become an Instructional Designer with the NEW IDOL Academy

Embarking on a career in instructional design? Or is it time to up-skill and take your current career to the next level? Look no further than IDOL Academy's comprehensive 24-week curriculum, now with a new gamified learning platform! IDOL Academy is the first and only state-authorized vocational school for Instructional Design and Online Learning Development. This program equips you with the tools, techniques, and insider knowledge you need to excel in the industry. From skill development to certification to career coaching, IDOL Academy's newest program will help you stand out in your search for instructional design jobs.

The Proof is in the Data

The IDOL team has spent the past four years analyzing the success and feedback of academy students. Dr. Robin Sargent, IDOL Academy's Head of School, says:

The new platform definitely a reinvestment into the IDOL Academy. It was built based on where we are at four years of student data. We reimagined the whole thing and based on the data and feedback and success stories and how long it took people. What we saw what it is that they needed and what it was going to take to get more students over the line. And that's how we came to the Academy redesign.

IDOL might have started as a course, but it's not a course anymore. Think of IDOL Academy like a masters-level training program with where you get everything you need to become the best IDOL you can be.  

Ideal for Instructional Designers at All Levels

Whether you're a beginner or a working instructional designer looking to take your skills to the next level, the new IDOL Academy is your one-stop shop for every aspect of the corporate instructional design process. Those aspiring toward instructional design jobs will gain the talents necessary to build their first IDOL portfolio. Newly hired IDOLS have the chance to enance their abilities and take their careers to the next level. And seasoned instructional designers have the opportunity to update their skills, network with experts, and open doors to even bigger opportunities, all with the support of IDOL's advisors, mentors, evaluators and coaches!

Transitioning Teacher? IDOL is For You!

If you're a teacher considering a transition instructional designer, IDOL Academy is perfectly tailored to meet your needs. Our comprehensive program acknowledges the invaluable skills you've acquired as an educator and guides you on how to translate them into the corporate adult education setting. You'll learn how to leverage your existing abilities, such as curriculum development and lesson planning, while also acquiring new abilities relevant to the instructional design field.

With expert guidance and a supportive learning community behind you, transitioning from classroom teaching to instructional design will be a seamless journey.

Get Certified and Make Connections with IDOL Academy

IDOL coaches, alumni, industry partners - they all come together to teach you everything you need when it comes to building your career. With the new platform comes a certification program specifically designed for instructional designers who want to prove their knowledge in the field. And because networking is key for any career, IDOL Academy also offers its own alumni network and an online community of like-minded peers.

The new IDOL Academy will give you the necessary skills, certification, and connections to make your dreams a reality - all in one place. Ready to accelerate your instructional design career? Let's get started!

The Gamified Learning Experience at IDOL Academy

In IDOL's continuous pursuit of providing an engaging and enriching learning environment, we have introduced a gamified approach to our instructional design program at IDOL Academy. This innovative technique models the instructional design principals students will be learning. By transforming traditional learning processes into game-like scenarios, we make complex concepts more accessible and enjoyable to grasp.

As students progress, they earn points, badges, or levels, fostering a sense of achievement and motivating them to engage more proactively. This gamified approach not only enhances the absorption of knowledge but also encourages learners to apply their expertise in real-world scenarios, reinforcing their skills and improving retention. You'll experience the power of gamified learning at IDOL Academy and make your educational journey not just enlightening, but genuinely fun and engrossing.

Instructional Design From the Inside Out

One of the key upgrades to IDOL Academy is interactive content. You'll get to experience instructional design as a learner and gain inspiration for the learning solutions you'll build. With deliberate practice, you'll be actively doing rather than passively watching. Head over to IDOL Academy to check out this demo lesson and get hands-on experience with the type of lessons you'll find in your 24 week program.

Unlock Lessons as You Go

IDOL Academy is committed to making your learning experience as manageable and effective as possible. To that end, we've implemented a unique structure where lessons unlock on a weekly basis. This strategy ensures you get ample time to digest and practice each week's material before moving on to the next. It also helps to pace your learning and prevent information overload. This approach encourages deep, thorough learning and allows you to fully understand and apply each concept before progressing – ensuring an educational journey that's both efficient and engaging.

Access to e-Learning Authoring Tools...For Free!

With enrollment in IDOL Academy, you'll get free licenses to the latest interactive instructional tools to develop learning solutions, everything from job aids to instructor-led training. With the Lectora Asset Library, you'll be able to author incomparable e-Learning modules. Add VR to your lessons with access to CenarioVR. Genially Library will help you create interactive presentations and guides. With Vyond, you'll get the chance to build your own 2D animations to engage your learners. And IDOL Academy lets you create a Canva Pro account on Canva Campus, which includes built in IDOL templates that you can customize to fit your instructional needs. All of these assets are valued at over $7,000 a year, but they are yours for free with enrollment to IDOL Academy.

Master Instructional Technology Skills

IDOL Academy equips students with the proficiency to use cutting-edge instructional technology tools. We provide comprehensive training on prominent software including Articulate Storyline, Vyond, Genially, Canva, and Camtasia. Our lessons are designed to take you from a novice to an adept user, enabling you to create engaging and interactive learning materials.

With Articulate Storyline, you'll learn to build custom eLearning courses. Vyond will unlock your ability to create animated videos that grab and hold learner attention. Genially will empower you to develop interactive presentations and infographics, while Canva will enhance your graphic design skills. We also include Camtasia training, where you'll learn video production and editing. Our aim is to ensure you exit our academy as a proficient user of these tools, capable of leveraging them to create immersive and effective instructional content.

Build your IDOL Portfolio

A well-crafted portfolio in demonstrates your capabilities as an instructional designer, sets you apart from the competition, and makes you a top choice for potential employers. As part of our comprehensive curriculum, we offer guided portfolio development to ensure that you have a strong, diverse collection of learning solutions that showcase your skills. You'll have the opportunity to work on real-world projects that will equip you with practical experience and tangible outcomes.

These projects will not only enhance your instructional design talents but also provide you with substantial materials to include in your portfolio. Furthermore, our experienced coaches will offer constructive feedback and insights to help you develop, refine and perfect your portfolio so you're ready to impress potential employers with your technologically enhanced instructional materials.

Designed for Flexibility

The new IDOL Academy focuses on flexibility to cater to the diverse needs and schedules of our students. Recognizing that every learner has different availability and learning pace, our curriculum is structured around bite-sized lessons and manageable weekly assignments.

Students to learn at their own pace, taking in information in small, digestible chunks. Whether you're fitting lessons around your full-time job, family commitments, or other obligations, this flexibility ensures you can maintain balance in your life while pursuing your instructional design education. IDOL's goal is to make your learning journey as seamless and stress-free as possible, and this flexibility is key to achieving that.

Instructional Design Internship

Every IDOL Academy student will gain real world practice with an internship client. In week six, students submit their internship agreement. In week 13, you'll submit your course blueprint and and instructional design document. You'll work closely with your client to go through a full needs analysis, build the course design, and develop your learning solution so that by week 24, your internship will be complete. This experience not only helps you progress through the academy but also provides you with valuable assets for your instructional design portfolio.

IDOL Talent

Once you graduate from IDOL Academy, you'll have access to 1:1 career coaching with academy coaches as well as IDOL Talent, IDOL's premiere staffing agency that connects academy graduates with companies looking to hire instructional design freelancers for paid projects. You can build your resume and jumpstart your career with this amazing resource, available only to academy graduates.

Enroll Now

If you're ready to jumpstart your career as an instructional designer, enhance your recently acquired instructional design talents, or take your veteran skills to a whole new level, IDOL Academy' demonstrated track record proves it is a great place to change the trajectory of your career. Enrollment for the new IDOL Academy is open!