The following questions will help guide the design of learning experiences following the 5D Framework.
Discovery
Audience
- Who are we trying to reach?
- What are their needs in this area?
- How does an online learning experience fit into their lives? How can we reach them with this opportunity?
Investment
- What will it cost to offer the optimal learning experience?
- What people, skills, and other resources would be needed?
- What is the expected return?
Content
- What skills and concepts will have the most relevant and powerful effect on the field?
- What instructional topics would, if adopted by a large group of learners, have a significant impact on the education profession?
Technology
- What platforms, tools, and technologies might be leveraged for this learning experience?
- What are the constraints and barriers associated with each?
Design
Learners
- What prior learning and experiences will most benefit their success in the planned course?
- What will we need to provide to orient them to this course?
- What readings or other materials will need to be made available to them in this course?
Affect and Values
- How do we want learners to feel as they approach this experience?
- How do we want them to feel throughout the experience and as a result of completing it?
- What are our values and priorities for this experience regarding video production, look and feel, interactivity, community building and other elements?
Strategies and Technologies
- What instructional strategies will most effectively meet the intended goals and outcomes?
- What tools and technologies identified in discovery can be leveraged to enhance these strategies?
Facilitation
- Who will be involved in teaching the course and what qualifications do they need/have?
- What are the primary goals of the facilitation?
- What are the expectations for time investment, level of feedback, and number of people/teams per facilitator?
Cadence and Scheduling
- How does this course flow from beginning to end?
- What are the common milestones or consistent themes or actions from session to session?
- When do they each start, end, and have activities due or feedback provided?
Evaluation and Research
- When, and how, will the course be evaluated?
- What are the criteria for success and how will these instruments be administered?
- What research goals can be served by the resulting data?
- Who will be responsible for collecting, analyzing and reporting on the evaluation results?
Development
Web Development
Rather than becoming programmers, look to those with experience in web development who can build a series of efficient, screen-reader friendly, web-optimized templates for use on pages in a learning platform.
Media Development
While low-fi video production via webcams and phones has its place in the development stage, partnering with a professional media team for the creation of high-quality video and animation can lead to a richer user experience that positively impacts engagement and retention.
User Experience and Accessibility
By partnering with our experts in accessibility and usability, LXDs can create products that reflect best practices in these areas.
Debrief
The Experience
- What kind of feedback did learners and facilitators provide for this experience?
- What most supported and most hindered their learning?
- What aspects of the experience were particularly effective?
The Outcomes
- Did the learners demonstrate the knowledge and skills we set out to provide?
- How many completed the course and how many did not?
- What contributed to these decisions?
The Impact
- Did learners indicate that the learning was relevant and applicable?
- Can they demonstrate or explain ways in which what they have learned has impacted their practice?
The Project
- How did it go?
- What worked well?
- What could have gone better?
- What should we do the same and differently in future, similar projects?
- Did we have the right people involved, in the right ways, at the right times?