The 2022-23 school year may be my last as a teacher. In the fifteen years I have spent in the classroom, I had wonderful times and learned a great deal about how people learn, but those lessons did not capture my attention and curiosity like Learning Experience Design.
LXD
Fortunately, all of my teaching has occurred in progressive environments which emphasize learner engagement and creativity—hallmarks of Learning Experience Design. Designing units of inquiry based on principles of Understanding by Design and coaching learners along their personal paths to deep learning has provided me a unique perspective and skill sets which combine elements of social constructivism, constructionism, and andragogy.
I first blogged about what I called “LX Design” in 2014 in the aptly titled post, LX Design, on my professional teaching blog. Additional posts can be found under the LX Design category. It is a theme that has remained at the center of my thinking for years. So much so that I now seek to pivot permanently into a career as a Learning Experience Designer.
Research-based instructional design practices are indispensable, but can ignore non-clinical elements of learning. My training and expertise balances knowledge acquisition with social, emotional, cultural, and creative aspects of learning.
First steps
I completed a Master’s Degree program in 2019 that emphasized instructional design and technology, so many LXD approaches (Design Thinking, ADDIE, Gagne’s Nine Events, the Kirkpatrick Model, etc) were already familiar. Ongoing professional development based on the latest research also helps me to feel confident in a new Learning and Talent Development role.
A year ago, I joined the ATD to reinforce my instructional design vocabulary and build business acumen. I also began to practice with Adobe Captivate for e-Learning development skills. LXD includes an important technology component and there has never been a better time to explore and harness the wealth of digital learning tools available.
Next steps
Developing a portfolio of work is the key to promoting myself. At the moment my LXD Portfolio is in its earliest stage. It’s exciting to continue growing, apply for freelance jobs, and collaborate on new and exciting projects.
Finally, I plan to use this blog to document my own learning and development process. I hope you will come back to read more!
Good luck! I believe in you! It will be very interesting to follow your progress.
Thank you! I appreciate your comment!
I am curious about what kind of projects you will work on, Bart. I’ve bookmarked this page!
Great to hear from you, Jon! Thank you for checking in!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
Thank you Mark! I’ll do my best!