Bringing It Together (9 of 9)
Image: Key stages of an LX Map
Recall the design to development process that I shared with you in post 1? Now it’s time to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together and build your online course. This has taken a lot of hard work to get to this stage so it is important to take a moment to realise what you have done so far. Let’s take a look at the key stages and linked the posts below.
Post 1: Review what it takes to create an LX map
The image above outlines the process from the design to the development of your online course. Recall that it can take up to 500 hours to create an online course (Online Course How, 2020) so it is so important to design first so you build a solid foundation for an engaging learning experience.
Post 2: Map your learner journey
It can be easy to dive straight into the detail and start developing but it is crucial to understand the learner journey, who they are, where they have come from, and where they are going. This map will help in a number of areas including learner retention; adopting a learner perspective; insights into the realities of the overall journey; the different touch points; and where there are opportunities for improvement. Remember iteration is key.
Post 3: Evaluate previous iterations using a SWOT analysis
We’ve all heard the term iterate but does it really happen? I’d love to say yes, but with constraints on resources and educators, it can be challenging to iterate throughout and at the conclusion of every course. In this step, we explored a SWOT analysis and how this can help you to identify what worked, what didn’t and where there are opportunities for improvement.
Post 4: Develop personas
Once you have defined your learner journey, and evaluated previous iterations, it is important to get to know your learners. Personas are one way to gain insights into your learners so you design for their wants and needs rather than what you think their wants and needs are. After all, if you don’t know who you are designing for, you are setting your experience up for failure.
Post 5: How to write a learning outcome
Learning outcomes articulate what learners can expect to be able to do as a result of completing a course; and provide an actionable measurement of how learners will be able to achieve this. Sounds simple enough; to write a learning outcome; but if you haven’t written them before, it can be challenging. This resource will share with you Bloom’s Taxonomy and how to write your learning outcome with an action verb and what the learner will be able to do.
Post 6: Create your LX map
It’s time to list the key concepts and map the different interactions for the learner. This is where everything you have done up until now comes together to start creating an LX map. It’s time to ask yourself what does the learner need to know in order to achieve the learning outcomes. As you are listing them, ask yourself, does this help the learner achieve the learning outcomes? If not, why are you covering it? At this point, it’s also time to consider any support/extension resources as you progress through.
Post 7: Evaluate your software
EdTech is growing at 16.3% and will grow 2.5x from 2019 to 2025, reaching $404B in total global expenditure (HolonIQ, 2020). With such growth, there are so many different options in relation to software and choosing the right one for you. So, selecting software should be easy; but making sure it is the right software for your context can be challenging. So how do you do it? Firstly, you need to know what you want to achieve with the software and then you can find the one that is fit for your purpose. To do that there are a few steps to consider which are covered in this post.
Post 8: It’s development time
Now you have done all of the design, it’s time to put a project plan together and develop. But how do you do this? Remember, all of those post it notes from your LX map - they are resources that need to be curated or created. There are many ways you can go from LX map to online course, and I am just showing you one way; so, be sure to find what works for you and your context. Get your project plan sorted and start developing.
Post 9: Here we are, bringing it together
After all of your hard work; the easy part is about to begin; building your online course. Remember that it may not be perfect the first time and that is okay. I still remember my first online course like it was yesterday; I continually tried to perfect it based on what I thought it ‘should’ look like. What I have since learnt, is that it’s okay not to have it perfect the first time; the important thing however, is to listen to your learners, and iterate. Don’t let your course be a set and forget course; make sure you iterate it and make it fit for your context.
Summary
In this series of posts, I have shown you the main stages for designing an LX Map to developing one. Although I have worked through a series of ‘posts’, it is important to note that you may not complete it in a linear way and that is okay. There are many ways to design and develop an online course; and I am sharing my experience with you. I encourage you to challenge the ways in which you work, adapt this process to your context and share with your peers. Work through it and if it doesn’t work for you; iterate it, and make it your own.
