Be Water

This is part of a series unpacking each of the Principles of Agile Learning Design. The last principle is one that gets to the heart of what I see as the role of the learning designer: As the Learning Designer the roles and responsibilities in the process need to adapt to the course, the discipline […]

The Key to Success is to Iterate

This is part of a series unpacking each of the Principles of Agile Learning Design. The biggest change in moving from a traditional waterfall approach to an agile one is the concept of iteration. Rather than a linear approach, the secret ingredient to adopting an agile methodology is to iterate. What I find counterintuitive is […]

Shape is Emergent, the Scope is Set

This is part of a series unpacking each of the Principles of Agile Learning Design. For anyone new to agile processes and in used to working with traditional learning design practices, so far what I’ve discussed is pretty antithetical to common learning design practices. Where are the templates? Where is the structure? This all might […]

Ask Big Questions for Little Details

This is part of a series unpacking each of the Principles of Agile Learning Design. In the last post I spoke about purpose — this principle is how do we establish what that is. From the outset ask big questions – like how do you want to change students? What will they remember in 5 […]

Design with Purpose

This is part of a series unpacking each of the Principles of Agile Learning Design. Design with intent and purpose. Know what you want in the course and design it in. Ask and map out the points of Wow and Joy and design for them. We get to define the whole experience, so don’t leave […]

Understand the Constraints

Previously I’ve described design as problem solving within a set of constraints. It’s a definition I believe works across the various media and disciplines we might apply design to – web, graphics and yes learning. In my early career I was a graphic designer. I’ll admit that I was never the flashy kind, my work […]

Containers and Fidelity

So last week I dropped down some principles for Agile Learning Design and I want to unpack each of these a little. However, I figured there’s one there that might need some extra explanation – number 5 – so let’s start there. Content is content until it is something else. We use “content” as a […]

The Principles of Agile Learning Design

So far I’ve given you a bit of an origin story for Agile Learning Design and spoken a little bit about the Design itself. The next thing I thought I’d do was lay out some principles for Agile Learning Design. This post is more manifesto than explanation — some of it definitely needs to be […]

The Design in Learning Design

Before I get into some of the meatier discussion around Agile Learning Design I want to take a quick detour and have a quick chat about learning design. Without a dedicated degree or qualification it seems that learning designers come into the profession via two streams – education or technical. I came to it from […]

An Origin Story for Agile Learning Design

I’m going to try and keep going with the writing. Rather than aim for the masterful tome, I’m just going to approach it as a series of connected pieces. For me I just need to externalise some of my thoughts and see what sticks. I’ll come back and refine things later. I want to talk […]