Learning Design vs Instructional Design: There is a BIG difference

Main ideas and lessons

• “Learning Design” vs. “Instructional Design” is more than terminology—it signals a different mindset about what learning should feel like.
• The term “instructional” can imply a one-way, expert-to-learner approach:
  • It evokes the idea of someone telling another person or group how to do something.
  • It frames learners as passive recipients.
• The term “learning” implies an interactive, reciprocal experience:
  • It suggests learning is a process/journey, not just information delivery.
  • It invites engagement and “aha moments.”

Why this matters more in digital/blended learning

• Early educational technology adoption often copied older classroom/training models.
• For example: early online learning often became “chalk-and-talk” in digital form:
  • recorded lectures or workshops
  • documents uploaded to a LMS
  • minimal learner engagement
• In corporate or compliance-heavy contexts, e-learning was used to automate delivery and reduce cost (including self-grading quizzes in LMS systems).
• As technology and educator practices advanced, the goal shifted toward crafting engaging learning experiences that help learners progress toward their ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development).

The speaker’s goal with language choice

• The speaker says she uses “learning design” frequently to help audiences internalize what the role is really about.
• She frames learning design as an evolution of instructional design.
• She notes she may still use both terms to help audiences grow, acknowledging that many people are familiar with “instructional design.”

Methodology / practical guidance mentioned (implicit “how to think”)

• Reframe digital course creation away from delivery-only models (e.g., “filmed lectures,” “upload documents”) toward:
  • designing experiences that engage learners
  • supporting learners to reach their ZPD
  • enabling a learning dynamic that feels reciprocal, not passive
• Use terminology as a tool for shaping expectations:
  • Choose language that reflects the learning experience you’re trying to create (learning as process vs. instruction as transmission).

Speakers / sources featured

• Bianca Raby — speaker; former school teacher; expert learning designer; CEO of Oppida; author of Online Learning So You Want to be a Learning Designer (mentioned).