It's not just a course, it's a community! IDOL Academy is a fantastic place to learn and grow your skills as an instructional designer. I started the course as a teacher and soon after landed my first job as an instructional designer! The support from Dr. Robin Sargent, the mentors, and the rest of the community is unmatched! This course differs from others like it in that it you work at your own pace, and you have lifetime access! It has every topic you could need, taught by a plethora of fantastic experts, from optimizing your Linkedin profile and resume to creating a portfolio, working as a freelancer, and everything in between.

Some questions were confusing Some questions were confusing; especially the options given for ADDIE. I think that the options need to be clearly expressed concerning the tasks done during each of the phases. This would make it more meaningful. It would also be helpful if the answers to the questions were explained once the responses are submitted.

I finally completed my MVP portfolio I finally completed my MVP portfolio. The hardest part was devoting the much needed time to create all the detailed assets and graphics. I got stuck on the simple things at first (ie: font/color pallet/ overall design) and the fear of doing something totally new. I had a really long pause between when i actually enrolled to the completion of my first badge (LIFE). But I am glad that I am being resilient and not giving up!

IDOL is an incredible academy to learn… IDOL is an incredible academy to learn instructional design skills. There is absolutely no way I could have accomplished as much as I have the past 7 weeks on my own. The community is the best part about the course. The feedback and support from fellow cohort members as well as the guidance and leadership from coaches and mentors makes the course worth every penny. The reason why I would not rate the academy a 5/5 is because I do believe the course could be improved in several ways. Some of the lessons are include too much information that is not broken down enough for beginners. It is also difficult to locate materials at times. The course has undergone changes recently that have made it better, but the videos do not always reflect those changes. For example, it is not uncommon for the instructions or videos to refer to course materials that are no longer available or in use in the academy. This makes meeting expectations difficult. Overall, I would highly recommend this course.

This is what I needed This is what I needed, the way I need it. Organized but not rigid; friendly and empathetic, while all about realistic business results. Some of the training is very formal and demanding, and some is social and fun...in two weeks, I've moved past the "overwhelming" phase and am able to make judgments about what to learn next.