The document outlines an educational design workshop focused on the design thinking process. It discusses learning design case studies and examples. The workshop covers the discovery stage of the design thinking process, which has three sections: understanding the challenge, preparing research, and gathering inspiration. Activities guide participants through applying the discovery stage to their own challenges or issues of interest. The goal is for participants to capture their thinking in notes to add to wikis and complete an assessment task.

1. EDEV405: Designing learning
utilising digital technologies
Session 2: Discovery
Nick Bunyan: Educational Developer & Learning Technologist
ELearning Unit, Centre for Lifelong Learning

2. Workshop outline
1. Learning design case studies practice
capturing design patterns.
2. Start the Discovery stage in the design
thinking process.
Practical
1. Wiki – commenting on each others wikis.
2. Start your online research.
3. Other technologies of interest at this stage

3. Learning
designThe next section of the workshop will re-turn to the idea of
‘learning design’ introduced in the first session:
the patterns of student learning activities, tools, physical
spaces, resources, assessment tasks etc that create an
‘effective’ learning environment.

4. Learning design example
A ‘Traditional’ campus learning design from a
teaching perspective might look like this:
LectureLecture
SeminarSeminar
Classroom:
Information delivery,
collaboration, application…
Online:
Resources
VITAL resourcesVITAL resources
LectureLecture LectureLecture
• How do student actually learn?
• What do they do?
• What do ‘good’ students do, and what to ‘less
capable’ students do in this learning environment?
• How do different student learning preferences,
learning strategies & motivations effect how they
engage within a specific learning environment?
• How do student actually learn?
• What do they do?
• What do ‘good’ students do, and what to ‘less
capable’ students do in this learning environment?
• How do different student learning preferences,
learning strategies & motivations effect how they
engage within a specific learning environment?

5. Learning design example
A ‘Traditional’ online learning design from a teaching
perspective might look like this:
Online:
Collaboration
• How do student actually learn?
• What do they do?
• What do ‘good’ students do, and what to ‘less
capable’ students do in this learning environment?
• How do different student learning preferences,
learning strategies & motivations effect how they
engage within a specific learning environment?
• How do student actually learn?
• What do they do?
• What do ‘good’ students do, and what to ‘less
capable’ students do in this learning environment?
• How do different student learning preferences,
learning strategies & motivations effect how they
engage within a specific learning environment?
Online:
Independent learning
Discussion forumDiscussion forum
WebinarWebinar
E-lectures, e-journals etc.E-lectures, e-journals etc.

6. Learning design is explicitly
focused on what students do
(active) to support their
learning - in the classroom, in
groups, independently etc.

7. This re-design was based on some
insights about how students were
learning that included:
•Students lacked expose to examples
of academic writing.
•Had no opportunities to practice
academic writing.
•Could ‘cruise’ the module
and only start learning just before the
exam!
•Students were not connecting module
learning outcomes, content, assessment
tasks and assessment criteria.
Learning design example
Dr Paul Williamson’s peer learning case study:

8. This image is a representation of the
module re-design created using the
Compendium LD software.
It is essentially a flow diagram of the
specific activities staff and students
engage in, resources and
technologies used to create the new
‘learning environment.’
To access the video of Paul talking
about this case study, plus this
learning design model, in VITAL go to
the :
1. Introduction to module key themes
> Inspiration
Learning design examplePaul Williamson’s peer learning
case study:

9. Activity #1: Visualising the
challenge
Individually, create a visual representation
of your challenge area. This can be any
conceptual diagram, storyboard, timeline
or other graphical representation.
Focus particularly on the student learning
experience as you perceive it.
Share and discuss with a neighbour.

10. Conceptual drawing/ visualisation
Purpose is for you to capture and
explore a specific learning context
holistically.
If you are stuck about how to
approach this task, start with a
timeline (week, or term etc.) as the
basis for the drawing.

11. Activity #2: Theorisation
Make a few notes on possible explanations as to
why your current learning is not educationally
effective?
Share and discuss these with your neighbour.
(This is an exercise in practising developing
grounded theory – this is something that will be
required in the final synoptic text assessment!)

12. Design
thinkingThe next section of the workshop will re-turn to the
main focus of each workshop which is the design
thinking process. This workshop will focus on the first
stage in the process: Discovery.

13. Design thinking process
A reminder of the key stages:
1. Discovery
How do I approach
the problem?
2. Interpretation
How do I interpret it?
3. Ideation
What do I create?
4. Experimentation
How do I build it?
5. Evolution
How do I evolve it?
Although each stage is clearly
defined, in practice it is a very
iterative and evolving process!

14. Design thinking challengesDesign thinking is not suited to all problems. Some issues will have readily
recognisable solutions. Design thinking is best suited to ‘wicked’ tricky, more
complex challenges where the problem area is ill defined and the likely
solutions are not that obvious:
Clear
challenge
Clear
challenge
Clear
solution
Clear
solution
AnalysisAnalysis
Poorly
defined
challenge
Poorly
defined
challenge
Analysis & synthesisAnalysis & synthesis
Likely
solution
Likely
solution
Likely
solution
Likely
solution

15. This stage in the process has 3 sections:
1.1 Understanding the challenge.
1.2 Prepare research.
1.3 Gather inspiration.
The detail requirements for this stage is
described in our first patch assessment task.
1. Discovery

16. Activity #3: Understanding the challenge
Individually at first, focusing on your areas of
interest, work through the questions in
1.1 Understanding the challenge (Patch 1).
Then in your groups, discuss and refine each
of your challenges or issues.
Write notes to capture your thinking to add to
your wiki for patch 1.

17. Practical

18. Activity #4: Prepare research
Individually at first, focusing on your areas
of interest, work through the questions in
1.2 Prepare research, in patch 1.
Then in your groups, discuss how you will
approach getting data and evidence.
Write notes to capture your thinking to add
to your wiki for patch 1.

19. Activity #5: Gather inspiration
Individually at first, focusing on your areas of
interest, work through the questions in 1.3
Gather inspiration, in patch 1.
Then in your groups, discuss how you could
gather inspiration about how to approach
your challenge area.
Write notes to capture your thinking to add to
your wiki for patch 1.