Designing the Design Space

This space was originally created as a blended learning lab. It's a great example of a meeting space for learning environment design meetings with group stations that seat up to 6 individuals per station. The equipment and technology includes computers/monitors and whiteboards. I made this selection because it meets the needs of a whole group, but also serves as a setting for smaller breakout groups assigned to a specific task or sub-task on the agenda. 

Outcome - The details & individual assignments for a project to design a virtual study tour. 

Strategy -  Group discussion.

System - Using the LEML building block of Information, Dialogue, and Feedback.

Experience - Contributions to this project is innovative and will valuable to distance education students and UCO as a whole.  

Planning a Learning Environment Design Experience

Specific Design Challenge: Communication

Discover

Begin with small talk (informal chit-chat). Ask questions along the way --- including "why?" Engage in and elicit storytelling. Empathy research starts with intentionally listening and clueing in on the unspoken.Pay attention to body language. 

Understand

Too often, learning environments are designed with the facilitator sharing what they know rather than considering what the student/learner hopes to gain from the learning environment.Communication may be non-existent.   

Envision

Build-in a formative evaluation process that is quick and easy to use and provides ideas for improvement.This ensures a constant flow of communication. 

Build

Use communication tools in the learning environment. (e.g. virtual sticky notes,  ah-ha moments, Plus/Delta, etc.)

Innovate 

Develop a system that evolves and improves upon what's working and re-design what's not based upon listening and communicating with the learner throughout the process. 

ILEDx - Applying the Framework

ILEDx - Applying the Framework

Specific Design Challenge: Communication

Discover

Begin with small talk, asking questions and even storytelling. Empathy research starts with intentionally listening and clueing in on the unspoken.

Understand

The current state of the learning environment may be based on the facilitator mainly sharing what they know rather than establishing communication with the students and considering what the student hopes to gain from the learning environment.

Envision

The future state of the learning environment can start with the facilitator creating a formative evaluation process that is quick and easy to use and provides ideas for improvement.

Build

Plan to use communication tools in the learning environment by implementing the use of virtual sticky notes (Google Doc, etc.)

1.     Ah-ha moments

2.     Plus/Delta

Innovate 

Develop a system that evolves and improves upon what's working and re-design what's not.

Different or Similar?

Different or Similar?

This is my go-to scenario and has worked in the past for my previous work. I'm sure this will change as I begin to design for newer (to me) learning environments. The LEDx is similar because my typical process was more of an experience than a process. It's different due to the framework. If my typical process was structured to include the building blocks, methods and focus of Discover, Understand, Envision or Build it wasn't necessarily intentional or planned.

Curating BIG Learning Environment Design Challenges

Creating experiences that are meaningful, useful and relevant.

Breaking away from textbook-centered learning and activities.

Facilitating experiences that encourages the interpretation of knowledge and produces knowledge versus absorbing information.

Designing experiences that are collaborative and bite-size.

Understanding the needs and aligning all of the elements to support active and collaborative learning.

Identifying the hiccups (problem areas).

                                                                   

http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/rethinking-the-classroom.html

http://www.tojet.net/articles/v9i2/9222.pdf

Modeling Learning Environment Layers

Modeling Learning Environment Layers

The sample learning environment that I selected was a Collaborative Conference Proposal from the ILED Pinterest board.

The Outcome layer is the Conference Instruction and Guideline (Info) and Ideas and Roles (Dialogue). It provides the details necessary for collaboration.

The Strategy layer is the Notes, Comments and Edits (Feedback). It transcends from the dialogue and is more concrete

The System layer is the Draft Proposals 1, 2, & Final and Submission (Practice, Practice & Evidence). It allows for the organization of the ideas and for revisions to the final proposal.

The Experience layer might consist of the collaboration portions (Dialogue & Feedback). It is formed from the collaborative efforts with the potential to encompass all ideas from each role.Collaboration ensures that everyone feels their input is valuable and matters.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The design process incorporated all of the layers to a degree. It changed the way I thought about the design process because I felt the need to re-use some of the content blocks. Therefore, the outcome, strategy, system and experience layers are important elements to consider when creating a learning environment model. 

Exploring Design Layers in Learning Environments

In my newest role as project manager, I assist in the process of identifying the task for each strategic goal, assigning a project lead (and other assignee's as needed), creating a status system, projected budget and timeline.

The outcome of this learning environment is designed for the purpose of awareness and to enable team members to complete their goal(s) as planned.

The strategy consists of a detailed spreadsheet shared among team members to assist with efficiency and time management.

The system is comprised of an overview session with the project lead, a brainstorming session (that is specific to the deliverables) with all team members and for developing the task.

The experience should provide a sense of collaboration, ownership, and accomplishment.