T581: Digital Prototyping for Deeper Learning

In this project-based studio course, students will design and prototype educational technologies that foster deeper learning. Building on pedagogies, learning theories, and design frameworks from prior coursework, students will apply their knowledge to create working digital prototypes.
Throughout the semester, we will explore two essential questions: 1) What kinds of designs enable educational technologies to support deep, meaningful learning experiences? 2) What design processes help us conceptualize and develop these impactful tools?
The first half of the course focuses on short design challenges, taking students through rapid cycles of concepting, prototyping, playtesting, and iteration. In the second half, students will collaborate on small group projects, going through an authentic design process to develop functioning digital prototypes. Weekly lab sessions will introduce basic coding concepts and support the use of tools such as vibe coding and other prototyping tools.
Throughout the course students will be encouraged to center deeper learning—experiences that go beyond content knowledge to cultivate future-ready skills, mindset shifts, and learner agency. By the end of the course, students will have a portfolio of original design work and be able to articulate how technology can be thoughtfully designed to support transformative learning.
This course requires a commitment to creative design work, a willingness to play with new ideas, and comfort with ambiguity. Students are expected to work hard, take risks, and have fun, and they will come out of this course as confident, innovative ed tech designers.