by Irwin DeVries and Tania Elias, TRU

1. Sensemaking in the changing world
of learning design
ETUG Spring 2015
Tanya Elias, Irwin DeVries
TRU Open Learning
This presentation is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

2. Thinking about learning
design…
Overview
• Much learning design is shaped by combinations of pedagogical theories
and generally accepted ideas and practices that are prevalent in the field.
• At the same time, the field is being challenged by emerging theories of
learning, new technologies, alternatives to the traditional course model,
and increased interest in the use of statistics and learner analytics
intended to inform learning design practice.
• Participants were invited to collaborate in discussing and clarifying these
potential challenges as well as in generating ideas for navigating these
seemingly diverse developments.
We tried to illustrate these challenges with the graphic on the following slide.
It shows a number of staircases, each of which makes sense from the walker’s
perspective, but when we step back the picture looks very different. We’re
using this picture as a discussion starter for the questions that follow.

3. Relativity. MC Escher. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_%28M._C._Escher%29#/media/File:Escher%27s_Relativity.jpg

4. Thinking about learning
design…
What are your crazy staircases? (Summary of participant comments)
• Trying new things might overwhelm students – concerns that we’re
leaving some behind
• Academic freedom sometimes conflated with role of instructional design
• Course “ownership” – “It’s my course…” mindset inhibits discussions
around improvements
• Get into a rut because it’s comfortable – proxy for something else? (e.g.,
fear of change; too much work; loss of control, etc.)
• Conflicts between course level and program-wide planning
• Lack of understanding re teaching focused vs learning focused approaches
– rhetoric vs reality
• Conflicting approaches – outcomes/competency based learning vs open
ended exploratory learning (more student directed), etc.
• Variety of tools and potential approaches running up against embedded
LMS juggernaut and privacy issues
• Students voting with their feet – might not choose what we would LIKE
them to want

5. Thinking about learning
design…
What keeps us on these staircases? (Summary of participant comments)
• Start small – take little steps
• Embrace difference topics/ content among courses/ programs
• Partner with others to try something new – take a risk
• There’s always someone on another “staircase” who shares your concern
• Collaboration among students, among staff – Culture change
• New way of looking at the world – Approach a topic from different angles
• Combine different skillsets/ knowledge/ experiences in new ways for fresh
approaches
• Intentional change management strategies
• Finding people who feel the same
• Add information to courses about teaching philosophies (make more explicit)
• Take risks – be nimble
• Work around the rules –share successes with contacts
• Put people within course design groups who are not SMEs
• Revisit assumptions and standard structures (see Quest university as an
example)

6. Thinking about learning
design…
What are some of strategies that might help us to get off them? (Summary
of participant comments)
• Start small – take little steps
• Embrace difference topics/ content among courses/ programs
• Partner with others to try something new – take a risk
• There’s always someone on another “staircase” who shares your concern
• Collaboration among students, among staff – Culture change
• New way of looking at the world – Approach a topic from different angles
• Combine different skillsets/ knowledge/ experiences in new ways for fresh
approaches
• Intentional change management strategies
• Finding people who feel the same
• Add information to courses about teaching philosophies (make more explicit)
• Take risks – be nimble
• Work around the rules –share successes with contacts
• Put people within course design groups who are not SMEs
• Revisit assumptions and standard structures (see Quest university as an example)

7. Thinking about learning
design…
Thank you!
Tania Elias telias@tru.ca Irwin DeVries idevries@tru.ca