Designing: Change and Possibility

3 credits · Peabody College - Professional

This course explores design as a way of understanding and shaping learning in a wide range of contexts. We will examine how design theories and frameworks, such as human-centered design, universal design for learning, and design-based research, guide what we notice, how we interpret learning environments, and the kinds of solutions we create. Because design is never neutral, we will consider how culture, identity, power, technology, and our own positionality influence the choices we make and the futures we imagine. Through hands-on investigations, analyses of existing learning designs, and iterative digital prototype development, students will learn to make principled, evidence-based design decisions. The course supports us in articulating the how and why behind our design choices, evaluating their impact, and reimagining learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to diverse communities of learners in a digital age. [3]