T566: Learning Design for All

*Lottery-Based Enrollment* Innovations in education technology are making it possible to reach learners in ways that were once unimaginable. This course critically examines the complexity of navigating the affordances and limitations of technology to design global learning experiences that respond to learners' different needs, contexts, and lived experiences. We will explore the following questions: Can education technology effectively support learners with different backgrounds at scale? Can it foster meaningful learning across varied cultural, social, and economic contexts? Can it help ensure that learners who are often left on the margins have the support they need to succeed?
 
Students will examine how the design of human-centered technology-enabled education interventions involves a complex process of negotiating various cultures (e.g., languages, spiritual beliefs), resource limitations (e.g., limited funding for contextualizing content for all learners), ecosystems (e.g., infrastructure affordances per country), and education theories (e.g., constructivism, instructivism) to advance learning. By critiquing existing technological interventions and working on collaborative projects, students will design technology-based strategies aimed at creating learning environments that are practical, responsive, and suitable for implementation across a wide range of settings.
 
The course will feature guest expert sessions and case studies that illustrate the practical realities of "designing for all," allowing students to gain
a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges in building learning technologies that serve a broad range of learners.
This course is ideal for students passionate about using technology to drive positive educational change, who aspire to design thoughtful, learner-responsive environments that reflect the needs and experiences of learners around the world, and who see themselves as builders ready to advance learning and engage with experts from across the globe.