Empathy at the Heart of Course Design

As a learning experience designer, I work with faculty every day. My favorite part of the job is meeting new people and learning from them. Through my work, I have met many people, and many of them have become lifelong friends. To say I love my job is an understatement.

As a former teacher turned learning experience designer, I am passionate about creating innovative and engaging learning experiences for students. Building an online course requires more than just technical expertise and content knowledge. It also requires empathy towards the instructors who will be developing and delivering the courses. Empathy plays a crucial role in understanding their needs, challenges, and goals. 

Why does empathy matter?

Having empathy is like the magic ingredient for setting up a positive and supportive learning vibe. When you take the time to listen to instructors and see their vision, you can design courses that foster strong bonds between them and their students. This connection has the power to boost engagement, motivation, and student success, big time.

Online teaching presents unique challenges for instructors. But when you put yourself in their shoes, you can spot those challenges and handle them like a pro. To help with challenges you could offer resources, training, and support to assist instructors in navigating the online learning environment.

Empathy encourages open communication and collaboration between course designers and instructors. When you really listen to what instructors are saying, you can make their ideas happen, guarantee course success, and mold the student learning journey.

How can having empathy impact course design?

Empathy is the driving force behind course design and development. It helps designers truly get where instructors are coming from, so they can create course materials that resonate with students. This means tailoring things to suit, encouraging teamwork, supporting instructors' well-being, and making those instructor-student connections thrive.

When empathy takes the lead, courses become more than just lessons. They turn into spaces where instructors and students click, everyone's there for one another, and learning feels like a real success. When you weave empathy into the course design process, designers can help build courses that truly amp up the learning experience for students.

Summary

Empathy is a big deal and the heart of course design because it helps us really get where others are coming from. It is like a magnet that pulls people together, making communication and teamwork smoother.

When empathy takes the lead in the design process, it transforms the way you create courses. You create a course that hits home for both instructors and students, which makes for a high-quality learning experience. WIN WIN for ALL!

Curiosity Unleashed: Fueling Early Career Exploration in Children

In a world full of endless possibilities, it's never too early for children to start dreaming about their future careers. Career exploration at an early age lays the foundation for their lifelong journey of self-discovery, growth, and success. Let's delve into the importance of early career exploration and discover how both parents and teachers can play a pivotal role in guiding children toward a bright and fulfilling future. Check out the ideas and resources below to get started on this exciting journey!

Unleashing Curiosity

Children are naturally curious, and early career exploration taps into this innate sense of wonder. By exposing them to various professions, children can explore a wide range of interests and expand their horizons. Parents and teachers can nurture their curiosity by engaging in conversations, reading books, and arranging visits or virtual sessions with professionals from different fields.

Broadening Perspectives

Early career exploration helps children understand the diverse world of work and challenges stereotypes. It opens their eyes to a plethora of possibilities beyond the familiar career paths. Parents can expose their children to different careers through books, documentaries, or visits to workplaces, while teachers can invite guest speakers from various professions to share their experiences.

Encouraging Self-Reflection

Through career exploration, children develop self-awareness and start recognizing their own passions, talents, and values. Parents can encourage their children to reflect on what they enjoy doing and what they're good at. Teachers can integrate activities such as self-assessment exercises or project-based learning to help students identify their interests and strengths.

Empowering Informed Choices

Early career exploration empowers children to make informed choices regarding their educational journey. Parents and teachers can collaborate in guiding children toward opportunities that align with their interests. They can facilitate conversations about the importance of education, skill-building, and how different paths can lead to fulfilling careers.

Building a Supportive Network

Parents and teachers can collaborate to create a supportive network for children's career exploration. They can connect with professionals, alumni, or community members who are willing to share their career stories or mentor young minds. This network can provide valuable guidance, advice, and even internship opportunities as children grow older.

Resources

These free resources are for both educators and parents, offering valuable materials, lesson plans, and career insights that have a tremendous impact on student learning and growth, empowering them to explore diverse possibilities and pave the way for a bright future.

• The Futures Channel
• Career Girls
• Elementary: Plans and Resources
• Secondary: Plans and Resources
• 60-Second Career Profiles and Bios
• Career Exploration Activities (Teachers Pay Teachers)
• Career Exploration (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Jobs Made Real by Teens for Teens

By embracing the importance of early career exploration, both parents and teachers can ignite a spark within children, fueling their curiosity, broadening their perspectives, and empowering them to make informed choices about their future. Through nurturing curiosity, fostering self-reflection, and building a supportive network, we can guide children toward a path of self-discovery, growth, and fulfillment. Let us embark on this journey together, encouraging children to dream big, explore their passions, and unlock the endless possibilities that lie ahead. With our guidance and support, the next generation will be equipped with the tools they need to shape their own bright and successful futures.

Level Up Learning

Power up student learning! From simple scenarios to emerging technologies, let's level up learning by adding interactive elements and instructor presence to engage students more deeply. We challenge you to join our journey from bricks to clicks to learn more about our process for working with instructors to develop rigorous learning experiences. We will explain how we work with instructors to make content come alive for all students, regardless of time or space.

Level Up Learning Resources

Interactive learning involves engaging students in active participation in the learning process, with the aim of increasing engagement, motivation, and retention. Below you will find image examples of ideas to level up learning using H5P and the Lessons tool in Moodle.

Leadership Adventure

Choice Board

Professional and Ethical Decision-making Scenarios

Jeopardy

Property Sisters

Humanizing Your Online Course

Let's take a few minutes and talk about humanizing your online course. ​Online learning environments can sometimes feel like a cookie-cutter experience where students get the "everyone is the same" experience. It may even feel like you are just a number and have no face, but it doesn't have to be like that. There are so many ways to ensure that you create a course that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive for all students. One way to do that is to humanize your course. You want to make sure to connect with your students, have them connect with their peers, and guide them to connect with the course content. Humanizing a course should be intentional and not an afterthought. It should be about building human relationships so that all students feel like they are part of a community of learning.

I wanted to take the time today to share a resource I stumbled across today while continuing my studies of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).

In many learning activities, we tend to neglect the human connection. ​In this resource, an understanding of the importance of human relations between the instructor and student is not only explained but examples of how these principles are implemented are also provided. Take a look at the infographic below as well as discover additional ideas on humanizing an online course. 

If you have enjoyed what you have seen so far, you can learn more about how you can humanize your course through the linked website.

Would you like to view a different version of the above infographic? Choose an option below.

• Text version
• Condensed version

This infographic was created by Michelle Pacansky-Brock and is shared with a CC-BY-NC license. 

Your Turn
Comment below and let me know how you humanize your online course.

Learning Experience Designer

Hi everyone! I often get the question, "What do you do for a living?"

My response is one that always gets me the strangest look..."I am a senior learning experience designer."

9 out of 10 times they want to know more! If you have 3 minutes, take a look and learn about what I do each day. #lovewhatyoudo