Evolving Innovation through Structured Rapid Design; innovating with a learning patterns toolkit and generated hi-fi prototypes to drive efficient design guidance

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Making the building blocks for curricilum design and development standardized and innovative at the same time is not an oxymoron. This lightening presentation explores how a learning patterns toolkit with efficiently developed high-fidelity prototypes can aid in the creation of engaging learning content that directly connects to fascinating activities that can inspire collaboration and creativity to flourish between its learners. Find out via a compelling and fast-paced presentation how this applies to your institution.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: David Petersen, Western Governors University

David Petersen leads the Standards and Practice Team’s work for Program Design at Western Governors University. He joined WGU in January 2020 after graduating with distinction with an MSc in Education (Learning and Technology) and an MBA from the University of Oxford. Prior to this, David helped to launch the online programs department at the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business. In his free time, David enjoys improv comedy, computer programming, camping, and hiking, cooking, woodworking and wrestling with his two young sons.

Co-presenter: Michele Mesesnger, Western Governors University

Michele was an Elementary School Library Media Specialist for a school that was K-6 in the school district in the town where she grew up. She then worked for BOCES as an 'online principal', overseeing faculty and working with school districts and high school students who were taking online courses from AP to remediation and everything in between. She switched to higher education years ago and worked at various colleges and universities in the Rochester, NY, area, including the Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Geneseo, the University of Buffalo, and the University of Rochester. She has been with Western Governors University for 2 years. Michele has a Master's in Library and Information Science, a Master's in education focusing on Integrating Technology, and a Master's in educational leadership. She is ABD in a Doctorate for Instructional Design for Online Learning and is proud to have accomplished all of the coursework. She has just begun her journey in a CBE Online EdD program in Leadership in Instructional Design and Technology.

Extended Abstract

 

In the world of online learning, we are constantly focused on delivering the best content in the shortest amount of time to achieve a lasting impact on the audience using our curriculum. In this process, it is common to face aggressive timelines where the intent at the forefront of our process is achieving the greatest efficiency while also not diminishing the level of innovation. Therefore, we begin to discuss what are the best methods for reaching this goal? How can design and development be more efficient and supply innovation at the same time? How are the building components provided to the design and developments teams in a manner that encourages consistent quality but also the ability to play in a flourishing space of creativity? And how do we achieve all of these things while improving the student experience?

As education professionals in the arena of standards and practices, before we can impact the student, we must examine the process and its guidance. An examination of the building blocks that lead to curriculum creation includes a study of how foundational learning patterns can be used to guide the production of content. Since how designers might choose to implement a pattern based on learning objectives and competencies can be subjective, what would happen if there were a toolkit to help align this procedure? What if this toolkit included easily constructable building blocks to create visually effective high-fidelity layouts of learning activities with relative ease? What if the related toolkit decision trees and documentation provided a consistent language throughout the design cycle that eliminated the guess work while also providing a playground for creativity? Then, how can this toolkit be used to foster learning outcomes for the students that allow for innovative methods of improved creativity and collaboration in the actual curriculum?

The intent is to allow the desired objectives, skills, and competencies for the learners to drive the inclusion of innovative ways to learn via the learning patterns. In this way, it can provide the ability to incorporate better means of collaboration for learners, along with activities that will drive creativity. 

These are the thought-provoking concepts that will be discussed in this lightening presentation. Please join us to see one institution’s take on this approach that will also spotlight how these concepts may be applied to your institution to foster innovative design and development that lead to improved collaboration and creativity from your learners.

Level of participation: This session will be a high-powered TED talk presentation with back and forth presenter interjections completed in 15-minutes. These panelists will provide an introduction to the toolkit, demonstrating the overall goals. Following the introduction, the presentation will display through animated demonstrations of how the toolkit decision tree builds a course with components to customize the experience. Then dynamic visuals of how Figma is used for creating a variety of combinable blocks in efficiently designed and slick high-fidelity layouts displaying collaborative and creative learner activities. An example will be used to provide real-world context of a design and development scenario to allow the audience to contemplate the content’s applicability to their world.

Session Goals: Individuals attending this lightening session will be able to examine how design and development innovations can be used to craft exciting learner experiences for collaboration and creative learner activities. They will also ponder how design and development guidance can provide a space of efficiency while also being a playground of innovation.