Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ What's behind the growth and interest in learning design?

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

"Why is it that learning design is being talked about much more and why do universities feel that they need more people to engage in this work?" asks Neil Mosley. "It's impossible to downplay the role that growing complexity and a diversity of modalities, such as blended, hyflex and online distance learning have had," he says. But the article is mostly about resistance to it. The first half of the article is taken up in explaining why learning design (LD) is really basically the same as instructional design (ID), which has been around for a while. "In particular," he says, "the UK seems to have a hang-up with instructional design." As well, "programmes that involve multidisciplinary teams which combine academics with professional specialists are by and large still an uncomfortable cultural fit in most universities. Equally, many educators still don't see themselves as designers or view their work in that way." This frames it as a struggle between academics and technologists. I'm not sure I accept that, and I think there is a relevant difference between 'instructional' and 'learning' design that explains the trend.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 02:07 a.m.

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