Module 1: Understanding AI in Instructional Design

The Split You Already Know

You've felt it. The gap between the work that uses your expertise and the work that just consumes your time.

Drafting learning objectives. Writing scenarios. Creating assessment items. Formatting. Reformatting. Fixing inconsistencies. All necessary. None of it the reason you became an instructional designer.

The strategic work—deciding what learning experience to build, how to sequence concepts, what will land with this audience—that's maybe 30% of your time. The other 70% is execution.

🚀 AI Flips That Ratio

Not perfectly. Not without your oversight. But well enough to fundamentally change what your workday looks like.

You're not a creator anymore. You're a director.

You stop creating everything. You start directing creation—then ensuring it's pedagogically sound.

What You'll Learn

📚 Module Overview

This module gives you the foundation for everything that follows:

The AI revolution in learning - How AI changes instructional design work
What AI can (and can't) do - Realistic expectations, no hype
Your AI toolkit - Which tools to use and when
Quality and ethics - Maintaining standards with AI in your workflow

By module's end: a clear map of where AI belongs in your work. And where it doesn't.

Module Topics

1.1

The AI Revolution in Learning

Understanding the fundamental shift from manual creation to AI-augmented direction.

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1.2

What AI Can (and Can't) Do

Realistic capabilities and limitations. Know when to use AI and when to stay hands-on.

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1.3

Your AI Toolkit

Claude, ChatGPT, DALL-E, and more. Which tools for which tasks.

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1.4

Quality and Ethics

Maintaining instructional integrity, avoiding bias, and staying compliant.

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What AI Can't Touch

🎯 The Expertise AI Won't Replace

Strategic decisions — AI can't determine what learning experience will work for your audience
Quality judgment — AI doesn't know your organization's standards or brand voice
Stakeholder navigation — AI won't negotiate with SMEs or present to executives
Context — AI doesn't understand your organizational culture or constraints
Ethics — AI won't catch bias, accessibility gaps, or compliance issues unless you tell it to look

A table saw doesn't replace a carpenter. It multiplies what a skilled carpenter can build. AI does the same for instructional design expertise.

Ready to Get Started?

Begin with the fundamentals: understanding how AI changes your work.

Start Module 1 →