Curated Design Patterns

Curated Design Patterns

Brad Griffith - December 9, 2016

There are many great design patterns that have been shared in this cohort so far.  I have selected a few here that I thought would be some of the most beneficial or relatable to me.

1. Kelly's Individual Facilitation Sessions

This model stood out to me due to the mixture of contexts and the learner-focused facilitation of a workshop or class session.  I have often done this, but not provided much guidance in advance of the person's experience about how to actually facilitate a session.  I appreciate the additional opportunity to provide feedback that she has placed in this environment.

2.  Rhonda's Learner Facilitation of Discussion

This model stood out to me due to its similarity in my eyes to that which Kelly made, but having a different way of accomplishing it.  Here, Rhonda has created a learning environment in which the learners are responsible for facilitating a post classroom session discussion.  This pattern does a good job of offering a continuance of the classroom learning environment to the asynchronous context.

 3.  Stacy's Mentoring Session

What an exciting pattern this was.  I appreciated the mixture of contexts here and I think Stacy has spoken to the intensive nature of the mentoring relationship in a learning environment through this variety.  I would feel very comfortable using this model to communicate expectations of a mentoring interaction when training someone to do that.

4.  Stacy's Short Paper

Stacy has captured the essence of a short paper very well in this pattern.  Simplicity is key here, specifically because I have noted that there is absence of a practice block and the synchronous-classroom setting is reserved only for questions about the assignment.  I can see the Paper Guidelines as being a very important part of this pattern that will affect the timing and transition between each step.

5.  Weekly Seminar Meetings

I liked this model because it allowed me to reflect upon a negative learning experience I had in graduate school.  I took an incredibly complicated philosophy seminar course that focused on the works of Giambattista Vico.  It was very old fashioned in that the professor provided us all of the readings for the course in paper and we had no interaction outside of class or opportunity to ask questions about the readings.  This pattern incorporates a digital scaffold that would permit there to be greater reflective questioning in advance of the classroom session, along with providing a way for learners to reflect after the classroom session using the new knowledge they gained from the peer discussion. 



Facilitating the Understand Step - Lessons Learned

Facilitating the Understand Step - Lessons Learned

Brad Griffith - December 2, 2016


I used the understand step in this process to really attempt to grasp what my client wanted out of his project, a program certification process.  I found it so useful to come to the table having already researched this learning environment somewhat and felt confident having had an example to share with him so that we could exchange ideas and not feel pressured to reinvent the wheel, just customize it.


I found it a bit challenging to try and maintain in the conversation at first that this model was not set in stone and that it was really the beginning of a conversation so that I could find out the true goals of the client. 


I learned during this step that it's of utmost importance to listen actively to the client in this process and to take note not only of the reactions they have to your ideas, but of the ideas they come up with during this process.  I brought two copies of each model with me to the meeting so that we could both take notes if needed.  Most importantly to share with you, I believe, is the copy I kept of that...

We came upon a few key questions about this process, such as wanting to know why a program would decide not to pursue a certification after seeking information about it and about how we could incorporate consulting into the forefront of this learning environment for the client.  This is specifically how Michael's program wants to differ from the existing example I provided through the diagnostic model I originally showed him during the meeting.

Creating Diagnostic Models with the Understand Guide

Creating Diagnostic Models with the Understand Guide

Brad Griffith - December 2, 2016


I met with my client, Michael to review these diagnostic models I created for a Program Certification process that will be implemented by his organization.  This is a new learning environment, so I did some research and came across an existing program by Quality Matters.  After using the discover datasheets with Michael in our preliminary meeting, I used the Understand Guide to dissect QM's program certification process and came up with these two models.

This was a great experience because of the conversation that developed out of this model.  I thought that by coming to the table with a preexisting version of what Michael was looking for, we had a more productive conversation and used this model to talk about what we liked, didn't like, and wanted to keep from it as we move forward through the next phases of creating his learning environment.  I also gained some valuable insight about Michael's view of his organization and the type of service he wanted to be offered - specifically a consulting service that is highly customized and dialog-centric.  I plan to rework this model in the future and present it to him with these changes requested.  I should mention I kept a copy of the understand guide with me during our meeting and used it to take notes for when I go back to modify this model.

Interviewing for Understanding: LeaderShape

Interviewing for Understanding: LeaderShape

Brad Griffith
November 18, 2016


For this assignment, I met with my friend Jenny who works in the College of Business as a Career Consultant.  Instead of doing an environment in which Jenny participated as a learner, we chose another environment called LeaderShape in which she acts as facilitator.


As you'll see in the following model, this program begins with team branding, followed by individual assessments and group activities, culminating in the articulation of a vision of leadership. This was an interesting process because I initially started out writing on the Understand Guide itself before concluding that it would be easier just to directly transcribe the elements of our conversation onto the blocks themselves.

Jenny had not encountered LEML before I met with her to review LeaderShape.  I think she appreciated the visual element and having the sticky notes of the LEM blocks handy made it very easy to move things around to match what we were discussing. 

overall, I think the questions that we started with from the Understand Guide helped me to ask her deeper questions and elaborate upon what she was telling me.  The conversation felt remarkably fluid and I felt like we were on the same page for its duration.

Design Pattern Swap

Design Pattern Swap - Educators Leadership Academy 2016

Brad Griffith
November 18, 2016

I have selected a learning environment in which I am currently participating as a learner:  Educators' Leadership Academy 2016.  This program lasts approximately 8 months and we travel to various locations around the state for two-day long seminars that are sometimes accompanied by overnight stays. I have selected a few design patterns that are repeated in our cohort meetings and have them represented using LEM as follows:

1. Pre-Workshop Assessments

The larger ELA program focuses on the various tenets of leadership skills and development.  In a few of the sessions we have attended, pre-workshop assessments were administered to learners in advance of meeting face to face.  These assessments were presented to the facilitator and incorporated into the lesson for each day.

2.  Mentor Check-In Pattern

Relationship building is a big component of the greater ELA learning environment.  In this pattern, I have modeled the interaction that occurs between each mentor and their group of mentees. This is a regular occurrence between each of the sessions we have throughout the year and serves the purpose of keeping us in tune with happenings of the program, ensuring we are prepared before the session, and gathering feedback of the overall program experience.

3.  Post-Workshop Networking

The greater ELA learning environment is a cohort program.  One of the learning outcomes of the program is to build professional relationships outside of one's traditional network, so meetings among group members are encouraged each day after the ELA sessions.  These usually take place in the hotel bar where we are staying that day and provide an informal opportunity for learners to interact.

Creating Diagnostic Models - Vocational Training

Creating Diagnostic Models - Vocational Training

Brad Griffith
November 18, 2016

For this assignment, I held a meeting with my coworker Tracey to create a LEM model of her son's vocational training program.  This particular program is dedicated towards individuals with special needs and helping them obtain jobs in the workforce once they have completed this training program.  

The Understand Guide was a great tool for this process because it helped me to guide my questions directed towards Tracey and to frame my words in a way that allowed me to push her for further detail in certain areas.  There were a few moments in which I think I helped her clarify her own understanding of the program because of the language we used surrounding the guide.  

Once we finished our discussion, it was very easy to produce a LEM model using the information gathered on the Understand Guide.  

Understand Interview Reflections: Khan Academy PSAT Review

Understand Interview Reflections:  Khan Academy PSAT Review

Brad Griffith - November 10, 2016

For this entry, I selected Khan Academy's (KA) online PSAT review course and met with my colleague, Rhonda to tell the story of how learning occurs in this environment.  For those that aren't familiar, Khan Academy is an Open Educational Resource that features courses in multiple areas for all levels of learning, from elementary school to higher education.  When I advised students, I referred them to this resource and received good feedback, especially since it's mobile device friendly.

Here's a screenshot of the course home page:

As you can see by glancing here, there is a practice schedule, skill level assessment, room for testing scores imported by College Board, and practice, tips and strategies, and full tests at the top of the screen.

In order to create a LEM model for this KA course, I acted like a student and followed all the steps until I reached an understanding of how the evidence of learning (in this case, completion of the review course and recommendation to take the full exam) occurred.  Here is my model:

I began by telling Rhonda that the outcome of this learning environment was a learner completing the review course and being told they are prepared to sit for the PSAT exam.  We then went back to the beginning and worked through each step.  The model was particularly useful in representing how students with different characteristics would flow through this learning environment.  KA customizes a lesson plan for each student.  Some students had completed the PSAT already and could have their scores imported into this system.  Those that had not attempted the PSAT are administered a diagnostic quiz that informs the system action of generating this lesson plan.

The learner also has to provide information regarding scheduling so that a plan of study can be created according to their scheduled/desired PSAT testing date, ability to dedicate time to studying, and number of requested practice exams throughout the course.

Once the curriculum is set for the student, they receive feedback on their progress from the system and the system will continue to adjust the plan of study to account for areas of strength and weakness.

This was one of the more complex models I have constructed thus far, but Rhonda and I agreed that it helped to visually represent and simplify the dynamic structure of KA's course.  If you just look at this model, you can tell it is a feedback-oriented environment.  Their system is designed in a way that makes it instantaneous for the learner and won't inhibit their rate of progress.  I think that's quite admirable in this case since the environment is fully online and asynchronous. 

Discover Datasheets Results Report

Discover Datasheets Results Report

Brad Griffith

Here are the final datasheets for my Program Certification project.  I learned through this project that my client is open to multiple ideas of how to proceed, but needs to be informed of each option and how they may be currently employed elsewhere.  It was very much a discovery process for the both of us, I felt. 

I learned in this process that by conducting empathy research and having these discussions, it's much easier to advance in your project with a clear path that is not prone to changing course or getting bogged down. 

I may return to these datasheets as I begin exploring each layer of this certification process not only to  be sure that I'm adhering to the overall goals that were discussed with the client, but even using new datasheets if I feel that we may be getting off course or need to gain further clarity.

Here are a few of the more simplified datasheets from my research:

Facilitating the Discover Step - Lessons Learned

Facilitating the Discover Step - Lessons Learned

Brad Griffith

In the discover step of my learning environment project, I met with my client and had a productive discussion of the goals and scope of the program certification process as we both understood it.

I learned within the first few minutes of the beginning of our meeting that I had made a few assumptions about what he was wanting out of the project, such as adding requirements or how public information would be handled.  I was glad here to have had this information present on the datasheet because if we hadn't discussed it, I could have easily proceeded in the project with a false understanding of what needed to be done.

It also helped me understand what was truly important to my client in this project and what could be negotiated if necessary.  I plan to keep the datasheets from my previous meeting to inform my future ideas from this process and to make sure that I'm keeping on track with what's needed and not making assumptions again.

Finally, I'll just mention that the discover step has brought a sense of ease to me in approaching this project.  I have never worked with a program certification process before, but I feel confident that with the steps of LEDx and having completed the discover phase that I will be able to make the connection between what my client needs and a finished product. 

Empathy Research with Discover Datasheets

Empathy Research with Discover Datasheets

For my project of a program certification process, I held a meeting with my boss, Michael to review the datasheets I had completed in advance of our getting together.  It was interesting to use these with a client like Michael because I had the fortune of his expertise with LEM and LEDx to make sure I was following the process correctly.

I learned first that we were very much on the same page about the questions that were being raised about this process and how to develop it, along with finding out some areas that I needed to investigate further. 

I also learned in this process that I was caught up in overusing the Discover Datasheet in that I felt it needed a lot of information.  My next experience with these sheets will probably result in many more of them with less text and greater focus.  I did also have a few lines that should go on another sheet under a different discovery type. 

I think experiences like this help to build empathy because you must present your understanding of a learning environment to your client and get their feedback.  The datasheets are a good way of doing this because they help frame the conversation around each observation.  I would argue these experiences enhance the learning environment design end result because time has not been spent trying to resolve confusion in the later, productive stages of the process.

Identifying a Learning Environment for LEDx - Updated

Identifying a Learning Environment for LEDx - Updated

Brad Griffith - November 3, 2016

I have decided to change my project to something that is going to affect my role more directly.  I am a program manager and my department has recently decided to begin certifying programs based upon certain features such as being a blended program, fully online program, cohort program, etc. I would like to use LEDx to design this certification program from start to finish.

My client for this project will be my Assistant Director for Distance Education.  He has the authority to present this information to the key stakeholders that we will need in order to make this certification program a significant success and one that might be shared with other institutions.

This learning environment matters because distance education and blended programs are more able to meet the needs of students and therefore have a greater ability to financially benefit departments, colleges, and universities.

I'll use the LEDx framework to discover each step of this process that will need to be designed and built.  It will also come into play in the evaluation of this learning environment once it's set into motion.

Identifying a Learning Environment to Apply LEDx

Identifying a Learning Environment to Apply LEDx

November 1, 2016 - Brad Griffith

I manage the Self-Paced Online Course (SPOC) program at my institution, specifically handling communication with deans and department chairs and the occasional student issue. My colleague, Glenda is a Learner Experience Manager and handles all student inquiries for the program, in addition to monitoring course access, sending reminders of administrative deadlines for the course, responding to inquiries, and resolving student issues.  I would like to apply LEDx to Glenda's role of student management in the SPOC program.

As my client for this project, Glenda is the point of contact for all students and faculty regarding student issues.  She manages the department email account in addition to embedding her presence into each course that we offer. I used to serve in Glenda's capacity when I started working in my department and have worked directly with her as the SPOC program has changed over the last year and these efforts have been incorporated.  For the purpose of this learning environment, she acts as facilitator.

I have selected this project because there are multiple layers that have to work together in order to ensure a successful educational experience for a student in this type of course, our learners in this environment.  It's hard enough to manage one's time over the period of eight weeks, but I believe there are things we can do to help ease some of the confusion and offer motivation to each person.  When I held Glenda's role, I found it frustrating that some of my interventions didn't work and I would like to help her confront this because I know it's an ongoing issue. 

This learning environment matters because it directly affects students progress towards earning their degree.  The types of courses we offer are ones that students sometimes seek out of desperation, convenience, or to get ahead and I think any of those three reasons has a significant impact on their educational experience.  It matters for my position because I am charged with following up on any possible initiative we can undertake to improve retention and success rates at my institution.

I plan to use the LEDx framework to not only gain empathy for Glenda and her students' needs, but to help me break down the various layers within this environment that need to be examined in this process.  Glenda handles all types of issues from students. Some are easy and pleasant to deal with, others are not.  I'd like to look at each method of communication she uses, the content she is distributing, and what her students need in order to succeed. I think the focus boards and discover datasheets will help to organize all of this information and frame my conversations with Glenda in a way that allows us to explore these layers in depth.

Client Empathy Discover Datasheet

Client Empathy Discover Datasheet

October 31, 2016 - Brad Griffith

For this assignment, I asked my colleague Rhonda if I could observe her in her workspace.  Rhonda's office is close to mine and I have worked with her in this space before, but this was an interesting experience as I went into her space with a different mindset.

I began by backing a chair into Rhonda's corner and just letting her work. 

 

It was here that I noticed the curated experience of being in her office. On the datasheet, I listed some of these observations and the blocks I thought were affected by them.  In my documentation, I wanted to remember this experience visually, so I drew a floor plan of her office and highlighted the effect that essential oils had on me.  Rhonda uses the oils, her plants, and the organization of her office to bring peace and clarity to her workday.   I selected three of the blocks which I felt were affected by this experience:  information, dialogue, and practice.  Rhonda is able to process information in this space better because of how it's arranged according to her standards.

 

 



Client Discovery Focus Board - Milissa's Major Hubs

Client Discovery Focus Board - Milissa's Major Hubs

Brad Griffith - October 13, 2016

My colleague, Milissa is working on a project right now called "Major Hubs."  These are online communities that are focused around students' field of study. I worked somewhat with her on the initial stages of this project, but am not present for the production phase, which is going to be key to getting this off the ground and universally used across campus.

First, I did an overall focus board for this online community:

I then went into a deeper level to determine how the information regarding the major would be presented:

Another focus of this hub I wanted to tackle was the learning tools that would be incorporated.  

One of the unique things about these focus boards is that I don't think they require much explanation to understand the information presented.  I handed these over to Milissa yesterday morning and asked her to look over them.  She quickly got back to me and indicated that they were clearly written and that one of them had an idea she had not considered until now.  I don't think these boards truly "enlightened" Milissa's work on this project, but I could tell by our conversation that we both felt that she was on the right track with this project concerning empathy of the client, in this case the students and faculty of the program that receives the hub.  I could have done many more of these focus boards to represent the various layers of the major hub learning environment.  I could see them as being a useful tool for a project like this to ensure that you are focused from the beginning and not wasting time constructing an ineffective environment.

Client Discovery Focus Board - Milissa's Major Hubs

Client Discovery Focus Board - Milissa's Major Hubs

Brad Griffith - October 13, 2016

My colleague, Milissa is working on a project right now called "Major Hubs."  These are online communities that are focused around students' field of study. I worked somewhat with her on the initial stages of this project, but am not present for the production phase, which is going to be key to getting this off the ground and universally used across campus.

First, I did an overall focus board for this online community:

I then went into a deeper level to determine how the information regarding the major would be presented:

Another focus of this hub I wanted to tackle was the learning tools that would be incorporated.  

One of the unique things about these focus boards is that I don't think they require much explanation to understand the information presented.  I handed these over to Milissa yesterday morning and asked her to look over them.  She quickly got back to me and indicated that they were clearly written and that one of them had an idea she had not considered until now.  I don't think these boards truly "enlightened" Milissa's work on this project, but I could tell by our conversation that we both felt that she was on the right track with this project concerning empathy of the client, in this case the students and faculty of the program that receives the hub.  I could have done many more of these focus boards to represent the various layers of the major hub learning environment.  I could see them as being a useful tool for a project like this to ensure that you are focused from the beginning and not wasting time constructing an ineffective environment.

Getting Focused - First Design Board

Focus Board - Virtual Study Tour

Brad Griffith - October 10, 2016

I currently have a project underway to develop what will amount to a "Virtual Study Tour" experience for students at my university.  This is a unique project in that it combines my current role of strategic planning and program development with my former emphasis in international experiences for students. 

When I first looked at the blank focus board and considered this project, I first found it to be a bit daunting because I was trying to go from the top to the bottom of the sheet.  I had this idea in my head, but now I had to put it down in somewhat definitive terms.  Once I started skipping around to different areas that I could easily define and fill, I found that the problem I was trying to solve became clear and how I wanted students to accomplish something in this environment became easier to distinguish. 

In my case, I found the notes column to be useful for recording all of the supporting actions or missing pieces that needed to be taken account of as I move forward with developing this learning environment.  Understanding LEM and being aware of the various LEML building blocks also caused me to think about this project more dynamically and search for opportunities to incorporate these elements that I may not have considered otherwise.

Discover Interview Reflections

Discover Interview Reflections

Brad Griffith - October 4, 2016

I had the fortune of serving as an Academic Advisor to business students for about two years.  This is one of the most empathy-focused positions in a college setting because you truly confront all types of issues with students, specifically those that they often are not willing to reveal right away.  Here are some of the techniques I can remember that worked well for me (and hopefully my students). 

1. Conduct background research.  My first step in empathy occurred in a review of my students' academic records and personal file before actually greeting them for an appointment.  Advisors usually have a specific set of information that must be communicated to each student, regardless of their stated needs for that exact appointment.  This was my way of conducting research of the person's current situation academically so that I could try to understand how it fit into their holistic place in life at that moment.   It is important to be informed about your learner, but to not cast a judgment or try to complete a picture before you have all the information. 

2. Intrusive and developmental questioning.  One of the most challenging skills to master as an academic advisor is that of intrusive advisement and questioning.  It's simple on the surface in that you should try to ask open-ended questions that provoke thought on the part of the student about their current and future academic career and personal goals.  This is particularly useful when students are confused about their purpose or direction.  Advising students can easily fall into a transactional pattern where you're just asking the student what they need and giving it to them, but it's in these intrusive questions and my observations that I was able to truly sit in their shoes, understand the obstacles and opportunities they faced, and then try to get them to take charge and own the learning environment/track I had proposed to them in the form of recommended classes, extracurricular activity opportunities, job connections, or just returning to me for feedback and encouragement.

3. Track progress and give constructive feedback.  In order to truly empathize with my 700+ students in some cases over the course of multiple years, I found it necessary to keep diligent notes about them and to make sure they saw our relationship as one that was continuous.  Fortunately, we used a program called Degree Works that had a note taking feature, with additional capabilities for confidential notes.  The conversation could be as simple as remembering that someone had a job interview between their appointments and asking how it went, or as complicated as following up on developing relationships between students and faculty mentors.  If I was keeping track of my students' progress, I could also help them modify their educational plan when needed to meet their needs.

4. Get to know who my students (or your clients) know.  My experience as an advisor changed when I started building personal relationship with the faculty that were teaching my students.  It wasn't until I observed the personality of the faculty, learned about their individual expertise, and inquired to my students about how they perceived their instructors that I was able to merge the interpersonal and academic reality of my students. 

Facilitating Design Experiences

Facilitating Design Experiences

Brad Griffith - September 16, 2016

For my first attempt at conducing a LEM session, I chose something I actually had to perform on the same day:  presenting strategic development and planning sessions to a group of college administrators.  

I sent out the following agenda to a few team members in advance of the meeting. 

This had to be modified for my session because the attendees changed.  You can see that this is a design session since I have not yet conducted one of these meetings.

For the meeting room, I arranged three movable dry erase boards in front of a horseshoe-shaped seating arrangement.  I thought it would be great to have people facing one another to facilitate a more collaborative design experience.

I gave my attendees a copy of the agenda, LEM blocks to write on, a LEML framework guide, and writing utensils.  They also received a document that I planned to circulate in my meeting because I wanted them to see what information would be given to the learners.

I began this meeting by giving a few details of why we were here and discussing the purpose, goals, and expectations of the strategy session proposal meetings I will hold with other departments. I even went as far as to have a board dedicated to the discover and understand phases.

This was a great discussion! We highlighted some of the goals and expectations of the meeting and found some trends that clarified some of the points that needed to be emphasized or streamlined during the presentation.  I didn't want to get into the building blocks here yet and I think that served me well to keep the initial flow of brainstorming before trying to bring some structure to the conversation and ideas.

In the understand phase, I started asking questions about what we had written from the discover phase, illustrating along the way how some of the things we discussed fit into LEML.  At this point, there's no arrangement of the blocks, but we did start with the evidence block first (people request the strategy session that I'm offering).  

The discussion that arose after this was incredibly rich and helped me, as the facilitator of this environment, empathize with my learners (audience of administrators) in a different way.  We had some challenging discussions of how my organization and this project are perceived and how we can make sure we are communicating the correct message in the correct way.

 This is the model we established in the envision phase.  Not only did this allow me to address some concerns I had about doing this presentation, but I it helped me to hold an efficient and effective meeting.

I feel lucky in that I quickly incorporated some of the feedback from my attendees into this learning environment and just a few hours later had to actually go out and make it happen!  Having designed this learning environment beforehand in this way allowed me to have a confident and successful meeting. For the record, the evidence block here was absolutely achieved since I received an email request for getting started on a blended learning strategy session WHILE I was giving my presentation to the college administration!

Considering the close time-frame from the design of this learning environment to bringing to fruition,
I plan to hold another meeting with my attendees to conduct a diagnostic design experience for this learning environment.  This is a simple model for the time being, but I think it could be analyzed in a more fine tuned way.  I felt personally that I could incorporate more dialogue into the meeting. All of that considered, next time, I plan to do many things similar to how I conducted this session.

Modeling Agenda Design

Modeling Agenda Design

Brad Griffith - September 15, 2016

I'm excited to hold this design session with my colleagues in advance of having to conduct one of these meetings right after.  I have chosen to conduct a learning environment modeling session for advertising Blended Learning Strategy Sessions that are conducted by my eLearning Strategy and Program Development colleagues.

As you can see from my agenda, this meeting needs to result in department leaders signing up for a blended learning strategy session.  This includes needing to educate them on the concept, describing what happens during the sessions, and answering any questions that come up about the experience.  I have chosen to include team members that are both directly and indirectly involved with this project in order to ensure I have multiple perspectives during the modeling session.  Regarding LEML, I will focus on group presentation and interactions, while considering the best fit for presenting content.

I look forward to the session and seeing how this can be incorporated.

Designing the Design Space

Designing the Design Space

Brad Griffith - September 13, 2016

How I Constructed My Space

I meet most often with individuals in my office during strategic planning sessions.  I wanted to arrange the space in a way that would allow for collaboration in multiple ways.

I'm fortunate enough to have a large dry erase board in my office that is centered on a wall that has no attached furniture.  I use this for brainstorming and collaboration with my coworkers, but it makes a very good analog canvas for LEM.  You'll notice that I've added an example agenda to the white board.  I think it's great to give people an early idea of how your meeting will go down so that they know what to expect.  I also have dry erase markers and LEM sticky notes available for analog modeling.

My desk has a rounded end where you can see that I have placed a total of three chairs.  I have chosen to put the chairs around the table so that my clients and I can have a shared space to look at any printouts or mark up documents.  All of the chairs in my office are on rollers and can easily be moved away if more space is needed or standing collaboration is warranted.

I think the minimal decorations I have on that wall are actually serving me well by not cluttering the ideation space.  I wonder if this has been an issue or even noticeable for other individuals' design spaces.

I plan on continuing to use this space to conduct strategic planning sessions for individual or small groups of faculty.  This space will not work for groups of more than three people if I had to guess due to the room's spatial limitations and the size of my whiteboard. 

Planning a Learning Environment Design Experience

LEDx for Communicative Foreign Language Teaching
Brad Griffith - September 8, 2016

Awhile back, I created this model based upon what I have previously done to teach foreign language communicatively.  This basically means that language is learned thorough communication that mirrors a normal person's use of the language, specifically contrary to the ineffective approach of teaching a grammar topic and considering it mastery if a student can reproduce it on paper.

As you can see, this model begins with a class discussion led by the facilitator of the previous session's topic, followed by a short quiz with feedback, presentation of a new grammar topic followed by discussion, and a practice opportunity.  I also allowed for peer feedback.  The conclusion of this is an assessment completed independently by the students.

Now that I've learned about LEDx and how to approach this learning environment, my model has changed and, in fact, simplified!

This was a different sort of experience for me since I approached this not only from the learner's perspective, but also from what I knew needed to be accomplished as an instructor considering my method of teaching.  I immediately wanted to give students a lower effective filter in the class by bringing everyone "down a notch" with a new topic at the beginning.   By using the unfamiliar topic that they were to learn that day, students are all unsure and have to search for meaning in the words. This is an improvement on my rather regimented first model.

Students have already received feedback from me on their first impression before I present the actual content that is to be learned.  I also wanted to give students an opportunity to practice independently and recognize what they had missed before having to participate in a group environment.  I envisioned this as continuing to emphasize peer learning, so it's important that there be an element of group practice. 

It's interesting that much of this model requires students to verbally practice because I found it necessary to add a separate discussion element before the final phase to ensure that students and the instructor have a clear set of expectations of what is required in order to demonstrate competency.

Overall, this model is much more focused on the experience of the student than in my previous approach.  I was considering that students had to communicate through speech and writing in order to master nuances of a language, but I think this model accounts for the dynamics of a classroom in a much better way.

Applying the LEDx to BIG Design Challenges

Design Challenge #1:  Office Hours

Brad Griffith - September 8, 2016

I selected the Design Challenge #1: Office Hours because I consider office hours (and often one-on-one meetings in my office) to be prized contact time between learners and instructors.  

Discover - Student and Instructor Needs, Expectations, Goals

Students that visit instructors during office hours usually fall into two categories: they are missing a concept and may express an uncomfortable vulnerability by coming to visit me or they are a highly motivated student that needs additional help in meeting a goal.  This is also the case with my current position in that I help people solve problems or achieve goals. 

Understand - Create a Better Understanding 

I personally underutilized office hours as a student.  Office hours as I have experienced them can fall into a trap of mirroring a lecture that was already done in the classroom where the students don't get a real opportunity for one-on-one practice.  Sometimes resources can be given such as additional problem sets, but the efficacy is debatable. 

Envision - What Should This Become?

I asked myself now what I most wanted out of office hours as a student and as an instructor.  I recall my greatest experiences being those in which my professor was personable, helped me solve a problem, and I came away with a feeling of preparedness, like I had accepted a challenge.  This usually began through informal conversation at the beginning of the meeting.  

As an instructor, this would be the key to helping me to lower the effective filter as soon as possible in meetings with students to really get at why it was taking place and what we needed to accomplish.  

Next is perhaps the most important part.  Instead of the easy way of ending here and just giving the learner some information, it's important to proceed through a practice phase in which the leaner demonstrates competency or understanding of the conversation to the instructor.

This could be as simple as asking someone to repeat what you've just told them or to attempt to solve a mathematical equation. If the problem is, for example, a conflict in the workplace with another employee, this step could be an employee making an attempt at resolving the conflict.

This provides an excellent opportunity for further interaction between learner and facilitator through offering feedback.  This could be either positive reinforcement or corrective, depending on if the attempt was successful or not. 

I can see there is an opportunity here for a feedback loop in that an instructor may have to return to the topic at hand, allow for another practice attempt, and provide another round of feedback on that second attempt. 

In the end, I want to capture the notion of a student accepting a challenge at the end of the meeting. This should be something that allows a student or employee to demonstrate that they have mastered the competency that was dealt with earlier in the learning environment, perhaps requiring communication once more with the facilitator in the form of an assignment or other communication.  This could also come in the form of a student taking an exam.  

Now that I've gotten this far, I would also hope that this entire learning environment as I'm about to form it could form a continuous loop.  All instructors hope that students will repeatedly visit in office hours, not just for the times when they can't master a concept, but also when they are looking to expand their horizons.

Build - Develop the Learning Environment

After going through these first few phases of the LEDx process, it was quite easy to construct this LEM in Lucid Chart.  I think I may have created an innovation loop in this model as well.  

You'll notice on here that I have indicated this is a classroom environment with an online asynchronous evidence block at the end. These are entirely flexible since the initial interaction could be done online through a program like Skype.  Similarly, the follow-up task that I created at the end could be experiential.  

I look forward to hearing your constructive feedback about this model and to see how others approach this challenge.  Thanks for reading!