Redefining Educational Structures: Invaluable Insights in Curriculum Creation
In the realm of education, the focus on creating effective learning experiences has gained significant attention. These experiences, designed to facilitate knowledge acquisition, are not confined to traditional classroom settings but can occur in various environments.
At the heart of these learning experiences lies the goal of addressing one or more of five common challenges: lack of knowledge, lack of skill, lack of confidence, lack of motivation, and lack of resources or tools.
While the structure of a learning experience is based on the logical order of content to support task completion, its delivery can involve a variety of methods such as video, audio, text, or practical components. A varied approach to learning methods can increase engagement, but the methods should be appropriate for the desired outcome, a concept often referred to as "blended learning".
Schools strive to maintain consistency in their teaching approach, minimising disruptions by avoiding frequent teacher swaps during a lesson. This continuity is crucial in fostering a seamless learning experience.
The branding of learning content should maintain a consistent look, feel, sound, and reading style to complement the learning experience and avoid distractions. This consistency contributes to a cohesive and immersive learning environment.
The field of learning experience design (LXD) expands beyond traditional instructional design by focusing on the entire learner experience—including emotion, engagement, and context. LXD aims to create personalised, interactive, and immersive learning experiences that consider learners’ goals, preferences, and settings.
This approach to learning design prioritises the learner's experience throughout the learning journey, pushing towards holistic, learner-centered experiences that improve retention and impact. In contrast, instructional design (ID) primarily focuses on structuring and organising learning content and activities to ensure learners can demonstrate specific knowledge or skills effectively.
The term "learning experience design" was coined by Connie Malamed in 2015, reflecting the progression towards a more comprehensive and user-centric approach to education. This progression echoes broader design principles seen in User Experience (UX) design, which focuses on creating enjoyable, efficient interactions. Consequently, LXDs often incorporate advanced tools, learner analytics, and iterative improvements for optimised outcomes.
In essence, while instructional design centres on what is taught and ensuring instructional effectiveness, learning experience design prioritises how learners feel and interact throughout the learning journey, aiming to make learning more meaningful, motivating, and memorable.
UI design and UX design are essential components in the development of effective learning experiences. Both disciplines aim to create user-centric, interactive, and immersive environments that enhance knowledge acquisition, aligning with the principles of learning experience design (LXD) and the holistic approach to education. Furthermore, educators can leverage learning opportunities from the fields of education-and-self-development and user experience (UX), as these areas emphasise the importance of designing learning experiences that address the user's goals, preferences, and emotional engagement for improved retention and impact.
