The Learning Designer Tool

The video Introduces the Learning Designer, a free, online, learning design tool for teachers. Based on the Conversational Framework, it builds in the six learning types so that the user can specify and evaluate the nature of the pedagogy being designed for a session.

What is the Learning Designer Tool?

It shows how to plan your own design or edit an existing design to create an effective online version of a session you are planning. It demonstrates: the Browser, a collection of existing designs from teachers in all sectors and subject areas; the Designer screen, where you can inspect, edit and create learning designs; how to embed the 6 learning types in a design; and other features of the tool.

Learning Designer Tool Benefits

One advantage of the Learning Designer tool is that it gives you feedback on your design. If you prepare a conventional and online version of a session, you can see the contrast between them in terms of the learning experience you create.

In Downloads you can find a guide to the different screens as a crib sheet for when you’re using the tool. There is also a copy of the exercise below. Print it out as guidance, while you explore the Learning Designer.

You will be using this tool next week to create, evaluate, and share your own learning designs.

Exercise

1. Use this link to see the learning design for this week (or use the Word version in Downloads)
2. Inspect how it relates to the design you have experienced as a participant.
3. Click on the Turn Editing On button on the right. This makes it your version of the design, which is saved in My Designs in the Browser tab.
4. Try experimenting with editing any part of the design.
5. Change the duration of a learning type (change the number to the right of the little clock icon) – you should see the pie-chart change in response. In this way you can dynamically check the overall learning experience you are creating for your students.
6. Click on the Analysis tab, top left, to see the different kinds of the feedback you receive on the nature of the learning design created.
7. Click on the Timeline tab, top left, to return to the design, and explore further.
8. Save your design by clicking on Save (right-hand side). Do this frequently. It is also a good idea to Export to Word, and to .ldj – this saves the code to your computer, and you can then import it or send the file to a colleague.
9. Go to the Browser tab – My designs- and you will see your version of the design listed there.