Learning Design: My Personal Definition

Learning Design has many definitions. What is mine?

Learning Design, for me, is an evolving process of creating lessons, and activities, and using modern tools that make it accessible for everyone, anywhere, around the world. Evolving means that learning design should never remain stagnant and as designers, one must always keep up with the latest trends in digital education and revise their practices as often as needed. This along with modern. In her essay, In Search of the Secret Handshakes of ID, Ellen Wagner mentions the use of various software such as PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, and Garage Band, to name a few (2011). By the time I start my own career, I’m aware that even those tools may become outdated and more will come to eclipse them so I need to keep up. It’s a continuous learning process that never stops. Skeptics of learning design involve individuals who are not caught up with the times and are used to a more traditional approach and don’t believe that online learning can fully replace classrooms and hands-on learning. There is some truth to what they are saying because there are children who would probably benefit more from that. Despite this, one simply can’t deny the benefits of digital education. Accessibility is a mantra among learning designers; it focuses on two things, making sure that these courses support students’ disabilities and other needs and my greatest goal, making sure that students can access it from around the world. 

Jo Loudon’s interview with John Stepper and his “Working Out Loud” philosophy validated my definition of learning design and my desire to make a bigger impact. Stepper believes in making the word “visible” and contributing to and deepening relationships (2016) by networking and talking about the concept through various platforms. With digital education becoming more popular, I felt motivated to nurture my skills and make an impact. I doubt I can accomplish this in the 12 weeks he implemented it, but the more I go through my studies, the more I will feel ready to attempt it.  

Technology has always played a central role in education by making learning materials much more accessible to students, even outside the classroom. It also made learning more personalized and centered on specific needs without the wastage of papers and solid materials. Educators have relied on technology to present lessons through PowerPoint slides, grading to generate report cards, and track data of their student’s progress that’s used to adjust previous lessons or proceed to the next. At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, technology became the unsung hero for schools around the world during its swift transition from closures to remote learning. Educators taught lessons through sites like Zoom and Google meet, and had to revise their lessons using tools such as Pear Deck or Nearpod, which allowed students to manipulate the lessons from home. That’s where Learning Design also began to shine, even though they have been around for more than a century, their work was more important than ever before. Even as the pandemic subsided and the world returned to normal, people also began to see the positive impact of remote work and education. Online Academies continue to expand for students who benefit from at-home learning, universities seek out learning designers to use tools to make their courses accessible to online students, and existing designs are continually improved to keep up with the times. In short, digital education is not going anywhere, and learning design plays a central role in its expansion. 

This image is a symbolic representation of my definition of learning design and my main aspiration to make a global impact with my creations that benefit learners who strive for education that is interactive and accessible, all at their fingertips. 

References:

Image: R, G. (2023, January 29). Learning online education. VectorStock.                                                         https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/learning-online-education-vector-                                    20917024

Soriano, A. (n.d.). TimelineJS Embed. TimelineJS Embed. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from                            https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?                                     source=1VYU5MXs4WUKOrFxLyB4MLMjdHbdeHVgD7ShcOBzhmMw

Stepper, J., & Loudon, J. (2016). Working Out Loud. Training and Development, I(I), 7-8.                                 https://asu.instructure.com/courses/141023/pages/m2-overview-and-learning-materials?                        module_item_id=9820593

Wagner, E. (2011). Essay: In search of the secret handshakes of ID. The Journal of Applied                         Instructional  Design, 1(1), 33-37.