Anthony Hie
A Learning Experience Designer (LXD) is a professional working in education and instructional design, specialising in developing effective and engaging learning experiences for students
Education is undergoing radical change, driven by technological advances that are propelling us towards a dramatically different future for learning. Metaverse Learning, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) are high-potential technologies that compel adoption of experiential teaching-learning. And even as game-changing technologies play a pivotal role in this transformation, the Learning Experience Designer will become a central player in the creation of innovative learning experiences.
A Learning Experience Designer (LXD) is a professional working in education and instructional design, specialising in developing effective and engaging learning experiences for students. The primary role of an LXD is to design learning environments to enable learners to achieve their educational objectives as effectively as possible.
An LXD ensures that an engaging learning experience is underpinned by extensive research to provide a deeper understanding to the learner and fulfilment of her objectives. As educational developers, remaining at the forefront of change is not only beneficial, it is essential. One of the most transformative changes in recent years has been the shift from conventional pedagogies to holistic learning experiences.
Learning Metaverses: Using neuroscience and experiential learning to power the learning process. Often associated with provision of interactive digital environments — Virtual and Augmented Reality — a Learning Metaverse provides students with opportunities to interact with each other and with virtual objects in an immersive way, enabling lesson content to be personalised in accordance with their individual learning objectives. However, these virtual worlds or metaverses become effective only when a LXD steps in to assist with development of meaningful, emotional learning experiences, and neuroscience is harnessed to optimise knowledge retention.
Advances in neuroscience have resulted in better understanding of how the brain functions in learning situations. As such, Learning Metaverses, combined with this knowledge, offer unique opportunities to design learning environments that are in harmony with cognitive mechanisms.
The role of the LXD and neuroscience in building Learning Metaverses is critical. Together, they create digital environments that optimise learner participation by combining the principles of cognition. As a result, the cognitive potential of learners is fully aroused making the learning experience highly effective and memorable. LXDs combine instructional design, immersive storytelling, and ease of interaction to optimise the learning experience.
Generative Artificial Intelligence: Creating high-quality educational content. Generative AI, based on large language models (LLM) such as GPT-3 and GPT-4, is revolutionising the way in which educational content is developed. To harness its full potential, LXDs ‘collaborate’ closely with AI programs. They discharge a critical role in customising AI-generated content to the specific needs of each learner. In collaboration with teachers and AI programs, they create pedagogy scenarios that incorporate contextually generated content, enabling students to derive maximum benefit from automated programs.
Professional LXDs leverage their expertise to design learning scenarios that seamlessly incorporate AI-generated content. They create stimulating learning environments, drawing on the powers of AI, to personalise the experience for every learner. This bespoke pedagogy enriches the learning experience making it compelling and more effective.
Moreover, LXDs create learning paths that stimulate critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving. They devise interactive learning and tests that draw on AI-generated content at precisely the right moment to stimulate deeper analysis and hands-on application of knowledge.
This synergy between technology and educational design produces learners better prepared to confront complex challenges of the modern world.
Learning Experience Platforms and the ‘social’ dimension. Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) are designed to facilitate experiential learning. But it is the LXD who shapes learning experiences. LXDs create learning paths on these platforms to enable students to engage in practical projects, challenges, and interactive learning. LXDs assess the needs and skills levels of students to create engaging experiences and learning opportunities that promote acquisition of practical skills that address real-life demands and problems.
Social learning is also a vital component of Learning Experience Platforms which are developed on the premise that learning outcomes improve substantially when students interact with peers. LXDs are instrumental in designing environments that promote social learning.
In short, since social learning plays a central role in Learning Experience Platforms, the role of the LXD is to develop environments conducive to interaction, collaboration, and mutual learning. This enriches students’ learning experience and prepares them to work collaboratively and learn continuously throughout their lives.
(Anthony Hie is Chief Digital Officer at the Excelia Business School, France)