Category Archives: Learning Design

Navigating the space between process and excellence. Is your organisation agile enough?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

Process will get you so far: it will get you precisely too the edge of the abyss. I’m increasingly interested in the disconnect between formal, abstract, ‘knowledge age’ training and the requirements of the dynamically connected and agile Social Age. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptability, Agile, Challenge, Change, Collaboration, Community, Culture, E-Learning, Formal Spaces, Informal Spaces, Instructional Design, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Culture, Learning Design, Productivity, Social Learning, Training | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Building a rocket to fly to the moon: are your learning blueprints complete?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

Commander Hadfield is the archetypal Social Age hero: rugged but personable commander of the International Space Station, cult hero on Twitter and lead musician in the first ever terrestrial/orbital concert performance. Which, naturally, makes me want to build a rocket … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Attention to Detail, Challenge, Change, Complexity, Culture, Design, E-Learning, Information, Instructional Design, Learning, Learning Design, Social Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How to design great e-Learning: ask the right questions

Posted on May 13, 2013 by

It has to be said that i’m a rather amateur gardener, much preferring the ‘BBQ on a summer evening‘ end of the event to the ‘months of digging holes and spreading manure‘ part of the process. On those occasions when … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Context, Demonstration, Design, E-Learning, Effectiveness, Engagement, Footsteps, Instructional Design, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Methodology, Learning Styles, Meaning, Narrative, Social Learning, Stories, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The ecosystem of engagement in learning

Posted on May 3, 2013 by

We do not learn in isolation: we inhabit a rich ecosystem of media, all competing for our attention. TV adverts, posters on the sides of buses, radio, new music, films, the xBox, books, emails from friends, Facebook and Twitter, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Community, Conformity, Creative, Curation, Design, Effectiveness, Engagement, Formal Spaces, Informal Spaces, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Technology, Mediocrity, Pace, Stories, Storytelling, Teaching, Training, Variety, xBox | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Learning what to leave behind: agile learning in the Social Age

Posted on May 1, 2013 by

You can’t do everything, or so i’m told, but the trick is to know what to leave behind. As we progress, as we learn, we take on new responsibilities, new roles, learn new skills, it’s important to learn what not … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Just in time' learning, Adaptability, Agile, Change, Community, Difference, Effectiveness, Introspection, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Design, Opportunity, Personal Learning Network, Productivity, Reflection, Social Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The role of ritual and why to avoid too much structure in learning

Posted on April 30, 2013 by

It’s a big day here in Amsterdam, Queen Beatrix has abdicated and handed the crown over to her son, the now King Willem-Alexander. The Dutch like to party and today is no exception: as i write this the celebrations are … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Continuity, Difference, Effectiveness, Experience, Formal Spaces, Informal Spaces, Learning, Learning Design, Narrative, Pace, Social Learning, Standardisation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Playing with learning: a very sociable model

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

A conversation on Twitter this morning has made me think about play. Playing is all about learning: it can be a solitary activity or done with friends, it can be done in dedicated ‘formally‘ defined play spaces, or it can … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Collaboration, Community, Context, Curiosity, Demonstration, Discovery, Education, Effectiveness, Everyday Reality, Experience, Exploration, Footsteps, Formal Spaces, Graffiti, Informal Spaces, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Journey, Learning Methodology, Mistakes, Play, Reflection, Social Capital, Social Learning | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Let’s start a band: coordinated social learning

Posted on March 28, 2013 by

I’ve been trying recently to tease out the lessons we can learn from music when it comes to learning design and the learning experience. We communicate in so many different languages in our social lives, but so very few in … Continue reading →

Posted in Choreography, Collaboration, Community, Conversation, Creative, Engagement, Knowledge, Language, Learning, Learning Design, Music, Narrative, Performance, Social Learning, Stories, Storytelling | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The co-creation of meaning in social learning: adapting our view of learning

Posted on March 26, 2013 by

One of the strongest ideas i’ve taken out of my research into music in learning is that of co-creation: the ways that we work together, taking specialist roles and consulting within our community (be it a learning group or band) … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptability, Agile, Assessment, Blended Learning, Challenge, Collaboration, Communication, Community, Community of Practice, Control, Conversation, Culture, Dialogue, E-Learning, Education, Effectiveness, Informal Spaces, Instructional Design, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Design, Meaning, Social Capital, Social Learning | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The architecture of learning: methodology and mortar

Posted on March 25, 2013 by

On the train this morning heading to the airport and i’m struck by the variety of architecture around me in the industrial district: glass, steel and stone arranged into a wide variety of imaginative and often playful designs. They’re not … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative, Design, E-Learning, Effectiveness, Engagement, Experience, Instructional Design, Integrity, Learning Design, Learning Methodology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments