Program Overview

Introduction to the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology Program

The Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT) Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is designed to equip students with the expertise needed to flourish at the frontiers of education. This program focuses on creating innovations in education technology, leveraging the science of learning, and developing powerful pedagogies to improve learning outcomes.

Program Overview

In the LDIT Program, students tackle promising and challenging frontiers of education, leveraging the science of learning, applying innovations in education technology, and developing powerful pedagogies. The program offers a diverse, inclusive, and high-energy environment, where students learn from leading HGSE faculty and top industry practitioners, as well as their fellow cohort members.

Curriculum Information

The LDIT Program is designed to help students gain the knowledge and practice the skills essential to designing and implementing learning experiences. A minimum of 42 credits are required to graduate with an Ed.M. degree from HGSE. The main elements of this academic year curriculum are:

• The Foundation courses — How People Learn, Evidence, Equity and Opportunity, and Leading Change — in which students gain core skills central to the profession of education.
  • This program commences with How People Learn, an immersive online course that runs June–July and requires a time commitment of 12–15 hours per week.
  • Students take a minimum of two additional Foundations courses in person:
    • Equity and Opportunity: Offered as Identity in Context in August or as an approved elective during the academic year
    • Evidence: Offered in August and January Terms
    • Leading Change: Offered during the Fall semester

To fulfill the program requirement, students must take a minimum of 12 credits specific to LDIT, including:

• The LDIT Program Core Experience (4 credits in the fall semester), where students explore how to design learning across a wide variety of settings, from classrooms to conferences and online networks, in architecture, media, and emerging technologies.
• LDIT-related course work (8 credits), where students may choose from more than 30 courses taught by LDIT faculty members. Topics include deeper learning, innovation by design, learning through arts, entrepreneurship in education, learning analytics, universal design, creativity and curiosity, and many more.
• The remaining credits are taken via elective coursework , which includes the opportunity to specialize in a Concentration and to cross-register for complementary courses in other Harvard schools and at MIT.

Program Faculty

Students work closely with faculty associated with their area of study, but can also work with and take courses with faculty throughout HGSE and Harvard. The faculty directory provides a full list of HGSE faculty.

Faculty Co-Chairs

• Karen Brennan: Timothy E. Wirth Professor of Practice in Learning Technologies, Faculty Affiliate, Computer Science, Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Faculty Co-Chair, Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT) Program
• Matthew L. Miller: Senior Lecturer on Education, Faculty Co-Chair, Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT) Program

Faculty

• Jose Blackorby
• Joseph Blatt
• Elizabeth Bonawitz
• David Dockterman
• Catherine Elgin
• Tina Grotzer
• Elizabeth S. Hartmann
• Michael B. Horn
• Angela Jackson
• Raquel Lynne Jimenez
• Amin Marei
• Susan Johnson McCabe
• Jal Mehta
• Nicole Mills
• Louisa Penfold
• Christine A. Reich
• Fernando Reimers
• Louisa Druss Rosenheck
• Bertrand Schneider
• Eric Soto-Shed
• Jen Thum
• Daniel Wilson
• William Wisser
• Ying Xu

Career Pathways

The LDIT Program prepares students for a variety of career pathways, including:

• Instructional designer
• Learning technologist
• Learning media producer
• Curriculum designer
• Product manager
• Digital-learning designer
• User-experience designer
• Museum educator
• Project manager
• Learning-assessment developer
• Professional and workplace learning manager

Cohort & Community

Through LDIT, students join a remarkable cohort of passionate educators and creative thinkers who represent diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experience levels. Guest speakers, alumni networking, student-organized initiatives, and social events all contribute to the creation of a cohesive and supportive peer group. The LDIT community is also part of the larger HGSE family, preparing students for the opportunity to change the world through their impact on excellence and equity in education.

Program Highlights

The Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology experience and its community are making an impact on the field, as seen in various examples and stories from Ed. Magazine, such as using AI to target tricky language in math problems and building games for learning in India.

Degrees & Programs

The Harvard Graduate School of Education offers various degrees and programs, including:

• Master’s in Education (Ed.M.)
  • Residential Master's in Education
    • Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship
    • Education Policy and Analysis
    • Human Development and Education
    • Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology
    • Teaching and Teacher Leadership
      • Teaching Licensure Strand
      • Teaching & Leading Non-Licensure Strand
      • Harvard Fellowship for Teaching
  • Online Master's in Education
    • PreK-12 and Higher Education
    • International Education Policy and Management
• Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.)