LEARNING EXPERIENCE
DESIGN (LXD)
Curating the Collection, Organization and Presentation of Innovative Learning, Development and Growth Adventures
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What is your experience of adult learning?
If it's anything other than feeling a sense of joy, curiosity, empowerment, accomplishment, and even a child-like
spirit of play, wonder and adventure, you are not alone.
But that isn't how it has to be.
Learning Experience Design (LXD) is a modern-day term for what many adult learning educators who deeply care about how what we are teaching is received and valued (and if the knowledge we share has retention and sustainability over time) have done during our entire careers. The Learning Experience of our students matters. Most of us who feel this way truly love learning and sharing knowledge and consider it an honor and even a "calling" that we uphold with tremendous respect, reverence and responsibility for the influence we have upon the minds and hearts of those who place their trust (and often financial compensation) in us. No matter what, we can't not be learning guides or constant students, for that it is at the very core of our identity and our outward expression into the world. Over the course of our lives, we've probably all had engaged, caring and passionate teachers in both formal and informal educational situations who have made an indelible impact upon us - so much so they ignited that joy of teaching spark within us too
Take a few moments to reflect back upon the truly caring, inspiring, attentive, engaged teachers you've had (whether it was in an academic, professional or personal scenario) - even if there was just one. How did that person make you feel? What impact did they have on your life?
But let's be honest here: not everyone in the broad teaching/learning profession feels the same way, and sadly you may have never had a teacher who enlivened learning for their students. Most of us have also had teachers who are miserable, burned-out, arrogant, cruel, spirit-destroying, on auto-pilot, and don't care about their students as human beings or the influence they have upon them. They are disinterested in life-long human Learning, Development and Growth. It's just a job, and even something they were told they could "fall back on" if what they really wanted to do professionally didn't pan out for them.
Again, take a few moments to reflect back upon those teachers - whether it was in an academic, professional or personal scenario, even if there was just one. How did that person make you feel? What impact did they have on your life?
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Yet even with all of these negative qualities, they can also be outstanding teachers for us to learn how not to educate others.
How have your past Learning Experiences impacted your mindset and attitude towards learning? How do you want to learn? The material you are being taught may be mandatory, yet what do you want that learning experience to be like? The subject matter is obviously important, yet so is how it is being taught. An engaged, caring educator who simply loves learning can make even the driest subject matter interesting - as well as naturally prompting an experience of joy, curiosity, empowerment, accomplishment, and even a child-like spirit of play, wonder, and adventure that inspires you to reach to the highest heights.
And of course, like all great adventures, it must be challenging and fun.
CONTINUE...