{"id":372,"date":"2018-11-28T16:44:13","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T00:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/?p=372"},"modified":"2018-11-28T16:44:22","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T00:44:22","slug":"learner-experiences-through-design-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/learner-experiences-through-design-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Learner Experiences through Design Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"
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image: Dorothy Sidhu<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Design <\/em><\/strong>Challenge<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Immersed in a human-centered approach, through design thinking simulation and empathetic dialogue, we reached a \u2018prototype\u2019 for a common problem encountered within each of our respective online orientation sessions.\u00a0 Dorothy\u2019s online orientation takes place within the first 30 days for new employees and Anita\u2019s as an online orientation session with new post secondary students. What we found as common concern was learner passiveness and lack of engagement, directly with the content.<\/p>\n

Using the design thinking process, we were able to scaffold root causes and ideate possible solutions.\u00a0 Through interviewing we discovered learners were eager to learn and begin their new experience, however an underpinning of\u00a0 unsettled nervousness, conforming, and fixed mindset lurked.\u00a0 Through our process, we agreed on common observations of passiveness, cognition overload, and lack of experiential engagement with the content.\u00a0 Identifying with an immediate sensation of \u201ccontent abundance and excessive front-load telling,\u201d we decided to transform that learner experience into one of active participation, engagement, and relationship building through \u201cstorytelling and connections\u201d (Fahrenbruch & Sidhu, personal communication, Nov. 23, 2018).\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
image: Dorothy Sidhu<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>The Design <\/em><\/strong>Solution<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>During our prototyping a shared vision emerged to \u2018Set the Stage\u2019<\/strong>, where learners emotionally and experientially connect with each other and content, ultimately creating a community of practice in succeeding together through commonalities, safety, stronger relationships, and trust (personal communication, Nov. 23, 2018). Building these meaningful connections became evident for a successful orientation session for new employees or new students.<\/p>\n

Our intentions were to create a design that \u201cincorporates the use of authentic learning scenarios, peer-based collaborative and cooperative learning and reflective practice\u201d (Karunanayaka, Naidu, Rajendra & Ratnayake, 2015, para. 2). We wanted participants to be able to leave the orientation session with a greater sense of purpose, beyond just the what and how I need to do my job or pass the course. (personal communication, Nov. 23, 2018).<\/p>\n

We used findings by Boyle, Kwon, Ross & Simpson (2010) who states, \u201ca learning model that values collaboration and social learning \u2026 [finds] ways to facilitate learner-to-learner support as a way of engaging and retaining students\u201d (as cited in Zawacki-Richter & Anderson, 2014 p. 291).<\/p>\n

In our design solution new employees, students and facilitators will come together as learners through authentic learning experiences through \u2018Setting the Stage\u2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Pratt’s Learning Perspective – Nurturing<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

This approach is reflective of Pratt\u2019s perspectives of teaching, specifically \u201cnurturing: facilitating a self-efficacy\u201d (Pratt, 1998 as cited in Bates, 2015, p. 84). Pratt discusses the importance of providing nurturing learning environments where learner\u2019s self-esteem and self-efficacy become the focus, instead of the intellectual processing of content (Pratt, 1998 as cited in Bates, 2015). In this approach the facilitator holds the belief that the learner strives to have autonomy over their own learning, carefully listening to learners to determine learner needs and create an environment for learning based on those needs (Bates, 2015). We determined orientation sessions in both of our organizations focused more on the front loading of content and dismissed the social and emotional needs of the participants entirely. We hope this change will enable a shift from content to context.<\/p>\n

Imagine yourself as a new employee or new student participating in a learning experience for orientation that \u2018Sets the Stage\u2019 through storytelling and connections.\u00a0 How would that make you feel?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We will reply to all responses received no later than 9pm Tuesday, December 04 PST. <\/em><\/p>\n

Co-authored by A. Fahrenbruch & D. Sidhu<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bates, A. W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age<\/em>. BC Campus. Retrieved from https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/teachinginadigitalage\/<\/span><\/p>\n

Karunanayaka, S., Naidu, S., Rajendra, J., & Ratnayake, H. (2015). From OER to OEP: Shifting Practitioner Perspectives and Practices with Innovative Learning Experience Design. Open Praxis, 7<\/em>(4), 339-350. doi:http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.5944\/openpraxis.7.4.252<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Zawacki-Richter, O. & T. Anderson (2014), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda<\/em>. AU Press. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.aupress.ca\/index.php\/books\/120233<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Design Challenge \u00a0 Immersed in a human-centered approach, through design thinking simulation and empathetic dialogue, we reached a \u2018prototype\u2019 for a common problem encountered within each of our respective online orientation sessions.\u00a0 Dorothy\u2019s online orientation takes place within the first 30 days for new employees and Anita\u2019s as an online orientation session with new … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Learner Experiences through Design Thinking”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lrnt524"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":379,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372\/revisions\/379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0060\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}