Dr. Jenae Cohn, Executive Dean at UC Berkeley’s Center for Teaching and Learning and author of 'Design for Learning,' dives into the importance of user experience in educational design. She emphasizes creating engaging online courses by understanding student needs and goals. Cohn explores innovative learning spaces and how pandemic lessons can reshape traditional education. The conversation also tackles fostering intrinsic motivation online, highlighting the need for feedback and student autonomy to enhance engagement.
Effective online course design should prioritize user experience principles to facilitate student engagement and navigation in learning environments.
Blending innovative online teaching strategies with traditional classroom dynamics can foster a collaborative atmosphere and enhance overall student outcomes.
Deep dives
The Importance of User Experience in Learning Design
Starting with user experience principles is crucial for developing effective online teaching and learning experiences. As users, students engage with online platforms with specific tasks and goals, so educators must design learning environments that facilitate achieving those objectives. This approach emphasizes reducing barriers to accessing content and actively considering how to create a supportive online environment. For example, just as physical classrooms require thoughtful arrangement to foster interaction, online spaces must be designed to encourage student engagement and smooth navigation.
Bridging Online and On-Site Learning Principles
Many principles of online learning can significantly enhance on-site teaching practices. Educators can draw lessons from their online experiences to rethink classroom dynamics, such as reshaping physical spaces to promote interaction and engagement. By fostering open dialogues about expectations and learning goals, instructors can encourage students to actively participate, breaking traditional hierarchies. This approach not only redefines the student experience but also encourages a collaborative atmosphere that enhances learning outcomes.
Lessons from COVID-19's Impact on Education
The shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked innovative teaching strategies that many educators found exhilarating. However, as schools returned to in-person learning, the opportunity to carry forward these innovations has often faltered. Educators are encouraged to incorporate techniques that emerged during online teaching into their face-to-face classrooms, such as engaging students in co-creating the learning environment and regularly assessing their understanding and engagement. This transition period represents a chance to blend the best of both worlds, fostering a more inclusive and adaptable approach to education.
Fostering Student Agency and Intrinsic Motivation
Incorporating principles of autonomy can significantly enhance intrinsic motivation in students, particularly in online learning settings. Unlike traditional classrooms, online environments allow for greater flexibility, enabling students to choose how they engage with materials, such as selecting readings that resonate with their interests. This sense of agency cultivates curiosity and allows students to connect their learning to personal experiences, enhancing their investment in the material. Educators are encouraged to design courses that provide students with options and encourage exploration, ultimately leading to more meaningful learning experiences.
In this episode of the Social Learning Amplified podcast, host Eric Mazur interviews Dr. Jenae Cohn about her new book, Design for Learning: User Experience in Online Teaching and Learning. Dr. Cohn discusses the importance of user experience principles in designing online courses and how they can be applied to both online and onsite learning environments.
Join Jenae Cohn's Perusall Engage: Community Book Event starting January 15th, 2024 on Perusall!
Sign up and learn more: perusall.com/engage
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