Designing learning experiences in times of unrest and uncertainty
Syllabus and Course Description
Could you make complex ideas accessible and engaging to learners everywhere? Could you use what you know to make society better, and can teachers be active agents of social change?
In these times of Covid-19, many people have used learning to stay connected with friends and communities, pursue their interests and passions, there’s been a groundswell in teaching, instruction, and the sharing of skills and knowledge online.
In this course, you will develop learning experiences using instructional media formats in a variety of contexts and settings. These might be in the form of YouTube lessons, Instagram tutorials, or downloadable worksheets and handouts that can be easily distributed and shared with learners.
Underpinning our work with ideas from philosophers and educators, we will explore the democratization of education in a post-Covid world and consider a shifting educational landscape inspired by the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. We will look at the response from museums, libraries, cinemas, and civic spaces to better meet the diverse needs of learners in their communities.
By the end of this course, you will have an appreciation of the complexity of designing learning media for everyday settings and gain the technical know-how to work with digital and analog formats. Based on your selected topic and learning situation, you will design and produce examples of instructional videos, audio content, animation, worksheets, talks, paper-based instructional materials that can be shared in the community.