How To Create An LX Design Map (1 of 9)

It can take up to 500 hours to create an online course according to Online Course How (2020). But imagine you could reduce this by mapping the learner experience first. In this post I am going to outline the key steps you can progress through to develop an LX map that is learner-centered, constructively aligned, and relevant to your cohort.

I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing people; designers, producers, and creatives in my time as part of different teams along the way which has given me invaluable insights into different disciplines. I have also been (and still am) lucky enough to have ‘critical friends’ - you know the ones that tell you the truth and nothing but the truth about your work regardless of how ‘brilliant you think you are.’ When designing LX’s I highly recommend having a critical friend - so you can discuss, challenge, and question, each others designs - as there WILL BE times where you will come up with solutions that may not the best solution for that context - so have that critical friend to challenge to get better - to think of more suitable solutions.

Whilst I have presented this as a ‘list’ that you may progress through, it is important to note that you may not complete it in a linear way and that is okay. There are many ways this can be completed and this is my experience that I am sharing with you. I encourage you to 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. So let’s get started.

Image: Key stages of developing an LX Map

Review the learner journey

The learner journey may not just started and end with your course; there are different start, end and pivot points. It is important that you are aware your course sits in the learner journey so you can create a cohesive design. Key questions to answer at this stage are:

• What does the learner do before; during; and after this course?

• What administrative tasks is the learner encountering; from different methods of communication; to the look and feel of different courses. Is there cohesion across the journey?

Evaluate previous iterations

If there was a previous iteration regardless of the mode of delivery, it is important to identify what worked, what didn’t, and where are the opportunities to improve. There are many different evaluation models, but, if you are unfamiliar with what to use and want to get started, I recommend completing a SWOT analysis with a critical friend.

This will enable you to reflect on what to keep, what to improve and how to enhance the learner experience. You can do this through a SWOT analysis; or:

• Strengths - what worked?

• Weaknesses - what didn’t work?

• Opportunities - what can you do better next time?

• Threats - what might prevent you from doing what you need in future?

Get to know your learner

Central to LX design is the learner and it is only when we put ourselves in their shoes that we can design for them. So, who are your learners? To do this you need to develop learner personas that gather information about your learners, who they are, what their motivations for doing this course are, and what might challenge them. These personas don’t need to take long but are essential to refer back to throughout the design process to ensure you are meeting their needs.

Please note: whilst you may not know the intricate details of your learners, you should be able to provide insights into whom you may be teaching. It is important to note this is general in nature and will serve as a reference point for you throughout the design process. 

Define the learning outcomes

It is critical that you define what the outcomes will be so you know what you need to achieve. This will allow you to align all content and activities to the learning outcomes and ensure everything is relevant to the learner. 

Bloom's taxonomy is a great resource to help to construct learning outcomes and what the learner should be able to do as a result of this digital experience. To create a learning outcome:

1. Use an action verb to state what the learner will need to be able to do (e.g. define, remember, create, etc.)

2. Develop a statement that reflects what the learner should be to demonstrate upon completion of the course

Develop use cases for your learners

Consider what pedagogical approaches will be undertaken in this experience, and group them accordingly. This will form the basis of your use cases which will be used to evaluate the technology. To do this, you need to:

1. first identify your learners, such as educators, learners, and parents

2. As a [learner] I want to be able to [insert what you want to be able to do] so that [identify the outcome you would like to achieve] 

3. Please note: it may seem early to identify the pedagogical approaches, so if needed you can complete this at a later stage.

Outline the key concepts

Identify all of the key topics that the learner needs to know in order to achieve the learning outcomes. 

1. Group the topics into weeks, or themes, and sequence them as a learner would progress through them. 

2. Align the content with the learning outcomes - if it doesn’t align to the learning outcomes, ask yourself ‘why am I adding this in here?’ 

3. Review the key concepts and identify what, if any support resources may be required for the learner.

Where is the interaction?

1. Alongside each of the key topics, consider what activities the learner can do to demonstrate their understanding of that topic and/or theme. 

2. What will the learner ‘do’ to check their understanding of key concepts. It is important to have feedback throughout the learner experience so they can identify where they are at at any given point. 

3. Refer to Laurillard’s activity types to map different activities that are aligned to the key concepts of each week.

4. Create opportunities for connection, creation, and participation.

How will the learner demonstrate their understanding?

1. Consider formative and summative assessment, what feedback the learner is receiving, where, and how this will inform their future assessment? 

2. It is important that the learner receives ongoing, timely feedback to identify how they are tracking toward their learning outcomes. 

3. Review the pedagogical approaches you will be using, such as quizzing, portfolios, collaborative learning tasks; by doing this you will be able to ensure the technology is fit for purpose. 

Review the LX map

Refer to the learner profiles and cross reference the map against the learner profiles

1. Identify any support/extension resources required for the learners. 

2. Review the sequencing and activities and cross reference with the learning outcomes - remember, if it doesn’t align with any learning outcomes - why is it in there?

3. Refer back to the evaluation of the previous iteration (step 1) and ask yourself:

   1. did you keep what worked? 

   2. did you look at what didn’t and make appropriate changes?

   3. were you able to implement any changes that you evaluated as opportunities for improvement?

Evaluate the technology

In any organisation there will be different software available to achieve the same outcome. For example, you may need to collaborate with the learners synchronously in breakout rooms; and you may have licenses for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Blue Jeans. To ensure you are selecting the software that best supports the learner experience, it is important that you evaluate the software against your use cases. Select the software that will best support the learner experience.

It’s development time

It doesn’t stop here; it’s time to start the development. Identify all of the key resources that need to be developed, develop a project plan, and get started.

Summary

This is 1 of 9 posts where I will delve further into the main steps to provide you with tools and resources you can use to design your own Learner Experience Map. I encourage you to have your own scenario that you can work through and create your own LX map alongside these posts and share them along the way.