Overview

In the Week 5 session, the course explores deeply about the role of learners in the design of learning environments. In this reflective journal, I want to discuss how learner-centred mindsets influenced my understanding of course designing and our final project in the course T127 Teaching and Learning Lab Practicum.

Course Insights

The session Learner/Human Centred Design provided a foundational knowledge of the central role that learners play in the design of course or learning environment. It began with a series of case studies from world-renowned brands such as Apple, Disney, and Gucci, allowing us to discuss and analyse how these companies approach product design. Then, the session encouraged us to draw meaningful connections between these designs and education introducing cases in which learners’ needs are prioritized in the creation of educational products. For example, the professor guided us to investigate the case of Student-Centred Higher Education Ecosystem, which emphasizes learning with peers, flexible location, upskilling at work, and adaptable schedule. To me, this session is extremely inspiring, where we managed to translate the customer-focused mindsets form product design into the learner-focused perspectives specifically in educational design.

Implications for Final Project

After our weekly group discussion, we sought to incorporate learner-centred mindsets into the design of our final project—an iteration of the How People Learn course. The major task of this integration is to tailor our course content to the needs of our targeted audience, namely, in-service teachers. Based on the insights from the previous interviews with 50 in-service teachers, we managed to categorize our learners’ needs into two tracks — learner development, which is focused on development trajectories and constraints among leaners, and learning environment design, which is centred on establishing inclusive educational settings that can cater for all learners and abilities. Built on our understanding of the major task and qualitative data, we decided to condense the original five-module structure of the How People Learn course into two modules, each addressing one of these key areas—learner development and learning environment design.

Progress and Challenge

However, the greatest challenge at this stage lies in content selection—deciding what should be retained and what should be removed. In order to make good choices, our group had interval discussions and debates large and small. Despite these efforts, we have not yet reached a full consensus. In the coming weeks, our team will continue to review and refine the course content through the lens of a learner-centered mindset. Only by doing so can we ensure that the redesigned course is effectively tailored to meet the specific needs of our target audience.