Category: Our practice

  • Tip of the ICEBERG: Updated learning design principles for student retention

    Tip of the ICEBERG: Updated learning design principles for student retention

    Catriona Matthews, James Openshaw, and Jake Hilliard  ~ Learning Designers   When we think about student retention and the factors that can lead to students withdrawing from their studies, learning design is often just the tip of the iceberg. The decision to complete a course – or to withdraw or pause studies – is often […]

  • Study speed and workload: How do they intersect?

    Study speed and workload: How do they intersect?

    Paul Astles and Charlie Knowlson ~ Learning Designers   Imagine, for a moment, that you are standing in front of a pile of food the height of a giraffe. This pile is made up of all your favourite foods, neatly separated by sustainably sourced packaging. If you’re unsure why there is packaging, just consider this: […]

  • Scaffolding learning: What does it mean for students?

    Scaffolding learning: What does it mean for students?

    Clare Hill and Paul Astles  ~ Learning Designers   When you scaffold your learning materials, you build students’ understanding and ability gradually and in a planned way by adjusting the amount of support offered. Researchers have described scaffolding as ‘support from experts enabling learners to accomplish what is beyond their current ability’ (Wood et al. […]

  • Fabulous formative failure

    Fabulous formative failure

    Michael Collins  ~ Senior Learning Designer Last July I had the privilege of attending the Playful Learning 2023 conference for the second time, once more bearing a bulging bag of microphones and a question. Previously Dr Mark Childs and I asked attendees about their favourite games, what they loved about them – and how that […]