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Organizational Performance & Workplace Learning
Educating the 21st century workforce for instructional design, e-learning development, and performance improvement
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For any questions or concerns about completing or registering for your OPWL online courses, contact Jo Ann Fenner.
Earn an online Master’s degree in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL) and online certificates in instructional design, e-learning, and performance improvement.
Online Education Since 1989
We, Boise State University’s OPWL department, started our online master’s degree program in 1989 – a year in advance of the debut of the World Wide Web! For over 30 years, we have been offering practitioner-oriented online courses to training and development professionals seeking to:
- develop their instructional design skills,
- transform their instructional design projects into performance-based training and development, and
- expand their instructional design toolkit to include other essential skills such as:
- needs assessment,
- evaluation,
- e-learning design and development, and
- performance improvement practices.
Begin or Advance Your Career in Instructional Design, E-Learning, or Performance Improvement
Our online master’s and certificate programs offer courses that help new professionals develop foundational skills so they can break into the field. In addition to coursework, we provide you with:
- internships to gain workplace experiences working as a virtual member of an instructional design team, and
- a 1-credit coaching class in which you are partnered one-on-one with a veteran of the field and certified coach. While partnered with a career coach, you will update your resume, align your cover letter to jobs you are targeting, and practice your job interview skills.
Our curriculum is also well-suited for the seasoned training and development professional seeking to move into a senior management or instructional design and performance improvement leadership role. Experienced instructional designers and performance improvement professionals come to our courses to:
- update existing skills with new theories and emerging practices, and
- often partner with faculty on conference presentations or article publications, as well as participate on faculty research via our virtual research labs.
Earn the OPWL Online Master’s Degree and Specialized Certificates
In addition to the Master of Science (MS) degree in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning, we offer three graduate certificates in:
- Workplace Instructional Design (WIDe),
- Workplace E-Learning Design and Development (WELPS), and
- Workplace Performance Improvement (WPI).
The online graduate certificate programs can be earned in conjunction with the master’s degree and have been valuable credentials for instructional designers, training and development, and performance improvement professionals, wanting to:
- focus on coursework that addresses the theoretical underpinnings of day-to-day instructional design processes,
- learn best practices in instructional design, e-learning design and development, and performance improvement, and
- research, apply, and evaluate the latest tools, technology, and innovations that are driving the way business is done and will be done in the future!
Learn from Real-World Projects
In the OPWL online courses, you don’t just learn from books; you learn from real-world projects:
- You complete needs assessment, instructional design, and evaluation projects for real clients.
- You create storyboards and develop your storyboards into e-learning modules using e-learning software such as Articulate Storyline, Captivate, and Camtasia.
- You design and apply performance improvement and change management strategies to the workplace.
- You develop survey and interview instruments, analyze data, and create visuals to enhance your data storytelling.
- For those seeking a deeper dive into instructional design, you can take our advanced instructional design course that covers design thinking, personas, empathy maps, prototyping and agile practices.
Join Our Community of Practice in Instructional Design and Performance Improvement!
In becoming a student of the OPWL program, you are joining a community of practice of instructional design, training and development, and performance improvement professionals from across the USA, each province of Canada, and from various points overseas. You will be connecting with people whose passion you share – keeping up with the rapid changes in technology and the changing dynamics it causes in the workplace.
Join the world’s best instructional design, training and development, and performance improvement community of practice by applying to the online master’s degree in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning TODAY!
OPWL Testimonials
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Roberta Dombrowski
Class of 2019
“I was hired for my position because of my expertise in digital learning and focus on solving problems, both of these things we’re strengthened during my time in the OPWL program.”
“I was hired for my position because of my expertise in digital learning and focus on solving problems, both of these things we’re strengthened during my time in the OPWL program.”
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Rusty Hitt
Class of 2019
“The program and the professors were outstanding. I learned more applicable, real-world skills in the OPWL program than I did in my first master’s program which was a traditional on-campus experience. I walked away with the confidence to work in any of the human performance industries.”
“The program and the professors were outstanding. I learned more applicable, real-world skills in the OPWL program than I did in my first master’s program which was a traditional on-campus experience. I walked away with the confidence to work in any of the human performance industries.”
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Autumn Scisciani
Class of 2018
Autumn has moved from industry outsider to a 6-figure national training management position in less than 4 years. She says “it’s all because of the knowledge and skills gained at Boise State. It has changed our lives and I’m so grateful!!”
Autumn has moved from industry outsider to a 6-figure national training management position in less than 4 years. She says “it’s all because of the knowledge and skills gained at Boise State. It has changed our lives and I’m so grateful!!”