Why is it so important to train learning designers?
In today's digitally-mediated world, learning is no longer confined to traditional classrooms or textbooks. With the advent of technology and the proliferation of digital platforms, learning designers have emerged as highly valuable professionals who shape the way we acquire knowledge.
Learning designers possess a unique skill set that bridges the gap between subject matter experts and learners; their key position makes it absolutely necessary to train them to do their jobs effectively.
Understanding the Learner's Perspective
Learning designers play a pivotal role in understanding the learners they design and deliver for. By investing time and resources in training these professionals effectively, we can empower them to delve deep into the psychology of human learning, gaining insights into their motivations, preferences, and challenges. This understanding enables learning designers to craft personalised and engaging learning experiences that cater to diverse learners and styles, fostering better knowledge retention and long-term skill development.
A recent 2023 report by McKinsey & Company found that the top two reasons that learners do not enrol in online courses are: ‘I get more distracted studying online’ and ‘online programmes are not motivating enough and I would get bored’. It’s essential that we train learning designers to understand the learners that they are designing for, and to mitigate these perspectives to ensure higher engagement and satisfaction. In short, they must understand the pedagogy behind their digital learning designs.
Aligning Pedagogy with Technology
The integration of technology into the learning landscape has transformed education, making it essential for learning designers to master the art of combining pedagogy with technology. Effective training equips learning designers with the necessary expertise to leverage the vast array of digital tools and platforms at their disposal. They can harness the potential of immersive simulations, interactive activities, gamification, virtual reality, and adaptive learning systems to create dynamic and engaging digital learning spaces. But, and this is a big but, too often institutions and organisations are concerned with the technological training of learning designers. They want learning designers to be trained in particular technologies above other skills. This is a mistake. The most important skill needed by learning designers is their understanding and application of digital pedagogy. If a learning designer understands the nuances and complexities of pedagogical design for digital landscapes, they will be a far more useful asset than an individual who knows how Articulate Storyline functions.
By understanding the pedagogical benefits and appropriateness of different technologies, digital environments, and digital pedagogies, learning designers can design experiences that are not only engaging but also empower learners to navigate the digital era with confidence.
Fostering Creativity and Innovation
Learning designers act as pioneers for creativity and innovation in the realm of education. Through effective training, they can enhance their creative problem-solving skills, enabling them to develop novel approaches to pedagogical design. By encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, effective training empowers learning designers to break away from traditional teaching methods and explore innovative strategies that captivate learners in digital environments. By fostering creativity, they can design learning experiences that spark curiosity, stimulate critical thinking, and inspire lifelong learning.
Collaboration and Cross-Disciplinary Expertise
Learning designers often work collaboratively with subject matter experts, instructional technologists, and other professionals involved in the learning process. Effective training equips them with the necessary skills to collaborate effectively, bridging gaps between different disciplines. By facilitating cross-disciplinary expertise, learning designers can bring diverse perspectives together, resulting in rich and comprehensive learning experiences. They can act as mediators, ensuring that the content is accurately transformed into engaging learning materials while aligning with the intended learning outcomes of the courses they are designing.
Continuous Adaptation to Changing Needs
The field of education is constantly evolving, which means learning designers need to be adaptable and quick to embrace change. Effective training ensures that learning designers possess the agility to stay abreast of emerging trends, research, and methodologies. By acquiring a growth mindset through training, they are prepared to tackle evolving learning needs and make informed decisions about teaching and learning. Their ability to adapt ensures that the learning experiences they create remain relevant, engaging, and aligned with the ever-changing demands of the digital world.
The role of learning designers in shaping effective and impactful learning experiences cannot be overstated. By investing in their training and development in digital pedagogy, we can unlock their potential to revolutionise education, inspire learners, and bridge the gap between knowledge and application.
The effective training of learning designers not only equips them with the necessary skills but also empowers them to leverage their creativity, collaborate with diverse professionals, and adapt to emerging trends. A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company outlined three overarching principles for effective online teaching: creating a seamless journey for students; adopting an engaging approach to teaching; and, building a caring network. What these three principles have in common is that learning designers are involved in all of them. As we navigate the future of education, we need to recognise the significance of training learning designers effectively and nurture their ability to create transformative learning experiences that shape the minds of generations to come.
REFERENCES
Child, F., Frank, M., Law, J. and Sarakatsannis, J. (2023). What do higher education students want from online learning? McKinsey & Company. Available from: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/what-do-higher-education-students-want-from-online-learning
Child, F., Frank, M., Lef, M. and Sarakatsannis, J. (2023). Setting a new bar for online higher education. McKinsey & Company. Available from: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/setting-a-new-bar-for-online-higher-education
