Projects based on student interests and goals

For Julie Paulus, a UD alumna and instructional technology specialist at Cecil College, a selling point for the UD PCS Instructional Design Certificate was the freedom to choose her own subject matter for her course projects. The three courses that make up the certificate program allow learners to build, modify and improve their instructional designs over the series, getting personalized feedback from various course facilitators along the way. Paulus focused her certificate work on supporting Cecil College’s transition to a new learning management system.

“Everything I created in the process of obtaining my certificate is being used by our faculty now. The Instructional Design course facilitators provided extremely detailed feedback that was immediately useful to me in my work,” she said. “Although I’ve been a classroom teacher and have extensive experience with technology in the classroom, I still gained new understanding and skills.”

NEXT PROGRAM STARTS Feb. 3, 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed all educators to embrace online education. When her middle school halted online instruction, Paulus decided to pursue a career change to continue working in the field, as she enjoys the challenges this work brings. “My instructional design certificate has greatly benefited me in my new career path.”

The UD PCS Instructional Design Certificate program requires the completion of a three-course series that covers foundational knowledge for instructional designers, including learning theory principles, learner needs analysis and authoring tools. Learn more about the certificate at https://www.pcs.udel.edu/instructional-design.