1. Crafting the Learning Experience Conversation with USA Program Brent G. Wilson 30 October 2007

2. Why did you choose this field? Technology can transform learning Good blend of my tech skills with preference working with people Help people Like making things

3. “Nobody ever set out to make a bad picture” …or a bad course!

4. Do we have a quality problem? eLearning - rise and fall - rise again? Templates and Repurposing Professionalism - everyone’s a designer Evaluation - impact, cost control, ROI

5. Why do poor courses get made? Lack of knowledge/skill Don’t care Overriding constraints Lack of tools Notice: I didn’t say lack of theory!

6. Leaving out the learner No real voice Input Ownership Meaningful participation

7. Videogame Envy Why can’t we make instruction as compelling as Halo ? Heard this before? It’s partly a red herring, and partly true.

8. The Hegemony of Psychology Learning theory is privileged over design practice Science over everyday craftsmanship Research over contextualized reasoning Engineering is over art Learning Sciences over IDT

9. Practitioners Using Theory AECT Study with BYU - Theory is barely on the radar! Irene Vissher report of reflection training Design grounded in theory (Hannafin) or problem (Wilson) Restoring the parity between practitioners and theorists

10. Designing what? Behavior Activity Materials Programs Learner Experience Thoughts Learning Programs

11. Experience Mediates Learning Experience Learning Plans

12. Two Senses of Experience Immediate “lived experience” Constructed experience - stories used to interpret our lives and

13. Lived experience Pacing Engagement Compelling Invitation Flow Challenge Heightened Awareness Suggestive, evocative

14. Constructed experience - rising to the story level What learning experience explains something about you? These can be transforming - shaping your sense of self; community membership; vocation

15. The Living Dead Our students are often in need of redemption!

16. Bringing the Dead Back to Life Aesthetic qualities - heightened experience, drama, challenge Mythic qualities - hero’s journey, ritual, symbols Surrender to the situation - beyond teacher/learner control

17. Examples Scott Switzer’s management course Joni Dunlap’s Comp-Sci capstone course Kathy Sierra’s blog and Head First programming books Ike Choi’s Ill-Structured Problem-Solving Work Aaron Doering Adventure Learning Charlie Miller’s ASL Tutoring Materials Sasha Barab’s Quest Atlantis

18. Good vs Great Design Everyone loves good design But NOT everyone loves GREAT design Don Norman, Emotional Design (2004)

19. Holistic Practice Theory AND Practice Research and Design Engineering and Art Psychology and Design Crafts Efficiency, impact, and quality experience

20. Implications - Early Stages Better metrics for instructional outcomes More attention to crafting processes - what great IDs do in practice Research on what works for learning experience Improved research and assessment methods

21. Fin Questions? Thank you!