PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
Certified Learning-Driven Educator (CLDE)
Shaping minds, Building character, Driving the future.
A 90-hour, 18-week, practice-led professional certification for educators who want to transform learning in their own setting by combining learning science, responsible AI, character education, futures thinking and educational excellence.
Delivered by Stirling Centre for Strategic Learning and Innovation | Accredited by Lisbon Business and Government School
90
LEARNING HOURS
18
WEEKS
6
MODULES
1
LIVE CAPSTONE
What is CLDE
Certified Learning-Driven Educator (CLDE) is a practice-led professional certification for educators who want to move beyond content delivery and create learning that is meaningful, ethical, future-ready and measurable.
CLDE applies the Learning-Driven Organisation (LDO) Model, developed by Professor Alaa Garad and Professor Jeff Gold, to classrooms, programmes, teaching teams and education institutions. It is shaped by the LAIFE Model: Learning and Foresight are the wings, AI is the engine, Excellence is the sustained altitude, and Character is the compass that gives direction and purpose.
Participants do not simply study educational transformation. They design, implement and evaluate it in their own setting, supported by faculty, peers and structured Practice Circles.
Who is a Certified Learning-Driven Educator
A Certified Learning-Driven Educator is a professional who understands how people learn, uses AI with human judgement, makes values visible in practice, prepares learners for uncertain futures and leads improvement that lasts.
CLDE brings five complementary roles into one professional identity:
Learning Architect
Designs learning environments and experiences around how people learn, not simply what must be taught.
AI-Augmented Educator
Uses AI purposefully, ethically and safely to personalise learning, improve feedback and widen inclusion.
Character Builder
Embeds values and character in curriculum, culture, behaviour, relationships and leadership.
Futures Navigator
Uses foresight to prepare learners, curricula and institutions for emerging needs and uncertain futures.
Excellence Leader
Leads educational innovation, measures impact and sustains quality at scale.
One professional identity
The five roles work together in everyday educational practice and in the final capstone.
Why choose CLDE
| Practice first Six applied module artefacts build towards an implemented capstone in the participant’s own setting. |
| Character at the core Values become practical choices in curriculum, behaviour, relationships, culture and leadership. |
| International perspective Guest masterclasses connect participants with current research and practice across education systems. |
| Human-centred AI AI extends professional capability while ethics, evidence, safeguarding and human judgement remain visible. |
| Foresight for education Participants use structured foresight to anticipate change and connect learning with future skills and employability. |
| Evidence of change Graduates leave with a portfolio, implemented capstone and Impact Brief, not simply a record of attendance. |
Who should join
CLDE is designed for education professionals who want to improve learning and lead meaningful change, including:
- School teachers, headteachers and school leaders
- University lecturers, academic leaders and professional services staff
- Instructional designers and digital learning specialists
- TVET and vocational educators
- Training, learning and development professionals
- Education quality officers, policymakers and consultants
- Professionals responsible for curriculum, assessment, employability or educational innovation
Programme outcomes
By completing CLDE, participants will be able to:
- Diagnose whether a classroom, programme or institution is genuinely learning-driven
- Apply learning science to improve curriculum, teaching, assessment and feedback
- Use AI for design, personalisation and feedback while protecting integrity, privacy and learner wellbeing
- Embed character and values across curriculum, behaviour, culture and leadership
- Design inclusive learning experiences and ecosystems that connect learners with peers, families, employers and communities
- Use horizon scanning, scenarios and backcasting to prepare for future educational and workforce needs
- Lead change, measure impact and sustain educational excellence
- Design, implement and defend a real learning transformation in their own setting
What you will learn
The programme comprises six two-week modules. Each module includes two live workshops, guided self-learning, an international perspective and one applied task that contributes to the capstone.
Foundations of Learning-Driven Education
From teaching to learning transformation
Apply the LDO Model and essential learning science to diagnose current practice and identify the gap between teaching inputs and actual learning.
Applied output: Learning Gap Map and diagnostic narrative
AI-Augmented Teaching and Learning
Human plus AI amplified learning
Use AI for lesson design, differentiation, feedback and assessment while applying safeguards for privacy, bias, integrity and learner wellbeing.
Applied output: AI-assisted lesson and adaptive learning journey
Character-Centred Education
Education beyond knowledge
Make values visible and lived through curriculum, behaviour, relationships, culture and leadership, including practical responses to character in the age of AI.
Applied output: Character Moments Pack and values-based policy extract
Designing Learning Experiences and Ecosystems
Learning by design
Create inclusive learning experiences that align outcomes, activity, assessment and feedback, and learn through a peer lesson-study cycle.
Applied output: Learning Experience Blueprint and lesson-study reflection
Educational Foresight
Teaching for futures we cannot yet see
Use horizon scanning, driver mapping, scenarios and backcasting to prepare learners, curricula and institutions for changing skills and workforce needs.
Applied output: Education futures scenario brief and backcast
Learning Leadership and Excellence
Leading measuring and sustaining change
Lead learning-driven change, engage stakeholders, apply excellence frameworks and build a practical evidence plan for impact and scale.
Applied output: Change Roadmap and Impact Measurement Plan
The 18-week learning journey
Weeks 1 to 2
Foundations of Learning-Driven Education
Weeks 3 to 4
AI-Augmented Teaching and Learning | Capstone Concept Note
Weeks 5 to 6
Character-Centred Education
Weeks 7 to 8
Designing Learning Experiences and Ecosystems | Capstone Proposal
Weeks 9 to 10
Educational Foresight Capstone implementation begins
Weeks 11 to 12
Learning Leadership and Excellence
Weeks 13 to 16
Capstone implementation and supervision clinics
Weeks 17 to 18
Portfolio and report submission | Panel defence and graduation
How the 90 hours work
|
30 live hours Twelve interactive workshops of 2.5 hours, with practice labs, peer review and specialist perspectives. |
30 guided hours Micro-lectures, curated reading, AI-coached practice, reflection and knowledge checks. |
|
30 capstone hours Design, implementation, evidence gathering, four supervision clinics, report writing and panel defence. |
Practice Circles Small peer groups of five or six provide structured review, coaching and accountability throughout. |
How you will be assessed
Assessment is competency-based and grounded in practice. Every assessed component asks participants to show what they did in a real setting, how they judged the quality of AI support and what they learned from the process.
| Component | Weight | Evidence |
| Six module practice tasks | 20% | Applied working artefacts |
| Reflective learning portfolio | 20% | Reflection, evidence, meta-skills profile and AI-use log |
| Capstone report | 40% | Implementation and impact evidence |
| Panel defence | 20% | 15-minute presentation and 10 minutes of questions |
What you will create
- A learning diagnosis and gap map
- An AI-assisted lesson or assessment
- A character-centred intervention
- A Learning Experience Blueprint
- A futures scenario and backcast
- A Change Roadmap and Impact Measurement Plan
- A capstone report and one-page Impact Brief
Flexible delivery one consistent standard
CLDE is designed and led from Scotland. The core learning outcomes, assessment and certification standards remain consistent across every edition.
|
Global online cohort Live online delivery with two time-zone pods for individual educators and small teams anywhere in the world. |
In-country hybrid edition Partner-hosted workshops with local case studies, language support and a local co-facilitator. |
|
Private institutional cohort A dedicated cohort for a university, school network, ministry, academy or professional body, with tailored cases and capstone themes. |
Optional Scotland residency Capstone clinics, education visits and an in-person panel defence for participating cohorts. |
The capstone Learning Transformation in Action
The capstone turns learning into visible impact. Each participant identifies a real educational challenge and designs, implements and evaluates a learning-driven, AI-enabled and character-centred response, informed by foresight and measured against excellence criteria.
Participants may choose from five defined capstone tracks, with another route considered where it meets the programme criteria:
|
Course redesign Redesign a course or module using the Learning Experience Blueprint and AI-assisted feedback. |
Character in the institution Embed character education across a school, department or programme. |
|
AI-supported learning system Implement an AI-supported practice or system with safeguards and an evaluation plan. |
Institutional change Use an LDO diagnosis to deliver a Change Roadmap for a department, school or training unit. |
|
Foresight-informed renewal Use scenarios and backcasting to renew a curriculum or skills pathway. |
Alternative route Agree another evidence-based project that meets the programme’s capstone criteria. |
The final submission includes an evidence-based report, a one-page Impact Brief for the participant’s institution and a live panel defence.
What you will receive
- A graded professional certificate issued by Stirling Centre and accredited by Lisbon Business and Government School
- A verifiable digital credential
- A competency transcript across the five CLDE roles and twelve meta-skills
- A portfolio of applied professional work
- The CLDE post-nominal and access to the CLDE alumni network
- A route towards advanced Stirling Centre programmes and future progression pathways, subject to the arrangements in force at the time
Entry requirements
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
- At least two years of experience in teaching, training, instructional design, education leadership, quality or policy
- Access to a classroom, programme, institution or policy setting in which to complete the capstone
- Working professional English, approximately CEFR B2, or participation in an approved bilingual edition
- A laptop, reliable internet access and willingness to use AI tools within the programme’s ethical and safeguarding guidelines
Recognition of prior learning may be considered case by case. Cohort dates, fees and group rates are available on request.
Programme leadership and international perspectives
CLDE is led by Professor Alaa Garad, President and Founder of Stirling Centre, co-developer of the Learning-Driven Organisation Model and author of The Learning-Driven Business and Shaping Organisational Learning.
The programme is delivered by Stirling Centre academics and associates with practice-based experience in education, quality, organisational learning, AI, foresight and change. Each cohort also includes specialist guest masterclasses linked directly to the six modules.
Developer note: Publish named guest faculty only after written confirmation and image permission for the specific cohort.
Frequently asked questions
What is CLDE?
CLDE is an 18-week, 90-hour professional certification that helps educators design learning-driven, character-centred and AI-enabled practice and implement a real transformation in their own setting.
How is the programme delivered?
CLDE is available as a global online cohort, an in-country hybrid edition, a private institutional cohort and, where arranged, an edition with an optional Scotland residency.
How is CLDE assessed?
Assessment includes six applied tasks, a reflective portfolio, an implemented capstone report and a live panel defence.
Can my institution commission CLDE?
Yes. Private institutional and in-country hybrid cohorts can be tailored through contextual case studies, bilingual support and agreed capstone themes while retaining the same assessment standard.
Who is CLDE for?
It is designed for teachers, school and university leaders, lecturers, instructional designers, TVET educators, learning professionals, quality officers, policymakers and education consultants.
How much time should I allow?
The programme includes 30 live hours, 30 hours of guided self-learning and 30 capstone hours across 18 weeks.
Do I need advanced AI experience?
No. The programme develops practical AI literacy from an educator’s perspective, with strong emphasis on ethics, safeguarding, evidence and human judgement.
When is the next cohort and what does it cost?
Cohort dates, fees and group rates are available on request. Contact the Stirling Centre team to discuss the most suitable route.
For educators who shape human potential
Whether you are joining as an individual educator or exploring a dedicated cohort for your institution, we would be pleased to discuss how CLDE can support your goals.
jude@stirlingcentre.org.uk
Telephone
+447400952147