Learning Experience Design: Orientation to the Profession

In Week 1 of the course, you’ll become oriented to contemporary issues and directions in the field and you’ll be introduced to the “big ideas” of LXD. You’ll examine the instructional triangle to identify productive interactions in support of learning. You’ll learn the essential aspects of the design process, from ideation to evaluation. You’ll take a brief look at learning theories and design frameworks that help LXDs move from an initial concept to a completed course. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear from learning professionals working in the field and learn from their experiences working in authentic design contexts.

In Week 2 of the course, you’ll begin to examine the importance of considering learner variability from the start of the learning design process and explore ways to incorporate principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into your design practice. You’ll also become familiar with ideas from inclusive design, universal design, and Universal Design for Learning, and practice applying these principles to design learning experiences that are accessible to all learners. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear from learning professionals in the field who focus on accessibility and inclusive design.

In Week 3 of the course, we will discuss the importance of learning experience designers cultivating a critical mindset for technology use. We will make the distinction between technologies that learning experience designers use as part of professional practice and learning technologies that LXDs use in their designs to support the learning process. We will also discuss how to evaluate the potential affordances and constraints of different technologies and the importance of staying current with emerging technologies.

In Week 4, you’ll begin to define learning experience design and explore how it differs from instructional design. You’ll deepen your understanding of the skills and attitudes that are essential to the profession of learning experience design and explore potential career paths in this field. You’ll work on constructing a personal professional development plan and review the professional development plans of others.