AES LRNT524 Assignment 2B Infographic

Andrea Evans Smith (she/her) - January 14, 2024 LRNT 524 - Royal Roads University MALAT Program

Design Principles which guide my learning design

Reflections of an evolving Instructional Designer in Corporate Learning

As we reach the end of LRNT524 (Innovation, Design, and Learning Environments) I've been challenged to reflect the design principles which guide my learning practice. Here are the design principles I've found most relevant to me and my particular view of adult learning as an instructional designer and adult learning enthusiast working in Corporate Learning.

Accessible Design

Diverse & Inclusive

Tech-Enabled

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Open to Failure

Practical Application

Collaborative

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What do you think?

Is there anything different you think I should consider in my assessment above? How do your personal Design Principles differ from mine? Please comment below so we can keep learning from each other.

References (click here)

Infographic template and images attributed to Genially (app.genial.ly free license)

References

Design Thinking Bootleg. (2018). Stanford d.School Bootleg. https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/design-thinking-bootleg Dolasinski, M. J., & Reynolds, J. (2020). Microlearning: A New Learning Model. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 44(3), 551-561. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348020901579 Goldman, S., Carroll, M. P., Kabayadondo, Z., Cavagnaro, L. B., Royalty, A. W., Roth, B., Roth, B., Kwek, S. H., & Kim, J. (2012). Assessing d.learning: Capturing the Journey of Becoming a Design Thinker. In H. Plattner, C. Meinel, & L. Leifer (Eds.), Design Thinking Research: Measuring Performance in Context (pp. 13–33). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31991-4_2 Heaster-Ekholm, K. L. (2020). Popular Instructional Design Models: Their Theoretical Roots and Cultural Considerations. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology, 16(3), 50–65. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1275582 Svihla, V. (2018). Design Thinking and Agile Design. Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology, 295–309. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/design_thinking_and_agile_design Takacs, D. S., Zhang, J., Lee, H., Truong, L., & Smulders, D. (2022). A Comprehensive Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning. Justice Institute of British Columbia. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/jibcudl/

Accessible Design

UDL benefits all learners!

​Accessibility can benefit everyone, not just learners with disabilities, neurodiversity, or learning differences. I want my designs to employ Universal Design for Learning standards by planning proactively, enabling access, providing flexibility in learning choices, and providing clear instructions (Takacs et al., 2022, p. 37). Designing with UDL standards in mind from the beginning of any learning project just makes the most sense to me.

Diverse & Inclusive

Reflecting our diverse society

As we learned from Heaster-Ekholm (2020), digital learning has the ability to meet the needs of diverse audiences when those designing the learning experiences carefully consider the colonial systems and biases which may be unconsciously built into instructional design models (p. 50). For me as an ID, creating inclusive content which reflects the diversity of my learners is mandatory. This can include having a diverse spectrum of individuals in your imagery, and including a variety of voices and perspectives in the people who contribute to your content. One area I want to continue to grow is better understanding indigenous knowledge frameworks so I can evaluate my own colonial biases.

Tech-Enabled

Modern solutions for hybrid work

I believe digital learning solutions make sense in modern corporate learning as it allows learning teams to reach both remote workers and hybrid ones who spend some time in the office. Prioritizing digital solutions which help to connect these two employee groups also makes sense for building digital skills. Just as design thinking helps learners build digital literacy skills alongside problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity (Goldman et al., 2012, p. 17), making learning enabled by digital methods supports learner resiliency by exposing them to a variety of technical tools.

Open to Failure

Expriment and be open to honest failure

Approaching problems with an openness to “honest failure” was something I heard about at work several years back and haven’t forgotten about since. I like this concept of honest failure as it allows you to experiment with new ideas or technologies, take risks, assess their effectiveness, and be willing to adapt as needed the next time you try it. In practice with learning design this aligns best with an agile approach where the instructional designer asks learners to test out different iterations of a learning solutions through rapid prototyping (Svihla, 2018, p. 300), collects their feedback, and decides whether the prototype needs adjustments to be successful or perhaps if the experiment was not successful. For example, I’ve never used this particular infographic tool (Genially) before, but I’m testing it out and will use this prototype to evaluate if I try it again.

Practical Application

Solidifying learning with practice

We’re well past the point where educators are seen as the “sage on the stage”, delivering lectures with information so important learners are expected to accept and memorize it. Instead, learning in our modern age is participatory and active, requiring learners to practice what they’ve learned to help commit it to longer-term memory. In developing a model for implementing effective microlearning, Dolasinski & Reynolds (2020) embedded learners having an opportunity to practice their new skills as a critical step to the learning content implementation. Giving our learners the opportunity to practice new skills they’re learning through simulation, experimentation, discussion, case studies, or other practical applications is key to effective adult learning practices.

Collaborative

Involving stakeholders and learners

I don’t believe that designing learning should just be up to the instructors or learning designers, but it should rather be a collaborative process where stakeholders and learners are involved, engaged, and excited about the end product. I’m energized by all the great ideas Stanford’s d.School Design Thinking Bootleg (2018) and I am already thinking of ways I can incorporate some of these approaches into stakeholder engagement or needs analysis workshops. Having stakeholders and learners engaged in corporate learning makes it easier to support change management around the change and find ways you can measure the impact of your learning solutions.