LDT Program Features

Core Skills Aligned with Industry Standards


Our program is grounded in a comprehensive set of core competencies that serve as the foundation for effective instructional design. These competencies support your development across various roles in the field—whether you are designing curriculum, managing projects, developing media, or analyzing performance. As you progress through the program, you will engage with these standards to build the knowledge and skills essential for success in instructional design and related fields.

We have adopted and aligned our curriculum with nationally and internationally recognized frameworks that reflect the evolving demands of the profession. The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI) is used across all concentrations. The IBSTPI Instructional Designer competencies provide a comprehensive framework covering the wide-ranging roles of instructional designers. These include practitioner, researcher, evaluator, writer, consultant, media and technology developer, and project manager. The competencies emphasize systematic design, ethical practice, and performance improvement. In addition to these core competencies, each concentration within the program aligns with its own specialized set of standards to ensure relevance and rigor in specific areas of practice.

LDT Program Advisory Board

The LDT Program has an advisory board comprised of instructional technology leaders from K-12, higher education, and industry.

  • Dr. Shanna Coles – Director of Strategy Development & Learner Solutions, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Dr. Don Kirkey – President & Principal Consultant, Trinity Creek Group
  • Dr. Rachel McBroom — Chief Operations Officer, North Carolina Virtual Public School
  • Dr. Corey McNeill – Section Chief for School Connectivity at NCDPI
  • Mr. Dave Sansavera — Sr. Director of Field Talent Acquisition at Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
  • Ms. Nicole Nichols — Senior Vice President of Learning and Development, LPL Financial
  • Dr. Heather Ramsey – Personalized Digital Learning Specialist, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
  • Mr. Brandon Wilson – Assistant Principal, Cabarrus County Schools
  • Dr. Holly Burkett – Principal Coach, Consultant, Speaker & Author

Internships

We place students for their internships with schools and industries to work on real-world projects. If you would like to host and LDT student intern please fill out this form.

The LDT program strives to map all its courses to professional standards, such as ISTE for the School Specialist Concentration, ISPI for the training and development Concentration, and OLC for the online teaching and learning Concentration.

ISTE STANDARDS FOR TECHNOLOGY COACHES

ISTE Logo

Click to read the entire list of ISTE competencies

  • Standard 1: (Change Agent) Coaches inspire educators and leaders to use technology to create equitable and ongoing access to meaningful learning.
  • Standard 2: (Connected Learner) Coaches model the Student and Educator standards, and identify ways to improve their coaching practice.
  • Standard 3: (Collaborator) Coaches establish productive relationships with educators to improve instructional practice and learning outcomes.
  • Standard 4: (Learning Designer) Coaches model and support educators to design learning experiences and environments that meet the needs and interests of all students.
  • Standard 5: (Professional Learning Facilitator) Coaches plan, provide and evaluate the impact of professional learning for educators and leaders on the use of technology to advance teaching and learning.
  • Standard 6: [Data-Driven Decision-Maker] Coaches model and support the use of qualitative and quantitative data to inform their own instruction and professional learning.
  • Standard 7: [Digital Citizen Advocate] Coaches model digital citizenship and support educators and students in recognizing the responsibilities and opportunities inherent in living in a digital world.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT (ISPI)

Click to read the entire list of ISPI standards.

  • Standard 1: Focus on Results or Outcomes
  • Standard 2: Take a Systemic View
  • Standard 3: Add Value
  • Standard 4: Work in Partnership with Clients and Stakeholders
  • Standard 5: Determine Need or Opportunity
  • Standard 6: Determine Cause
  • Standard 7: Design Solutions including Implementation and Evaluation
  • Standard 8: Ensure Solutions’ Conformity and Feasibility
  • Standard 9: Implement Solutions
  • Standard 10: Evaluate Results and Impact

Online Learning Consortium

Click to read the entire list of OLC standards.

  • Standard 1: Essential Design
  • Standard 2: Advanced Design
  • Standard 3: Course Delivery