Defining Learning Content

Defining Learning Content 

Though the education landscape is vast and filled with diverse initiatives, philosophies, and communities, I spend much of my time as a learning experience designer standing on the precipice of what's next in education. The following four topics are ones that consistently pique my curiosity and interest: 

  • Fostering Creativity in Teaching and Learning 
  • Cultivating Creative Confidence in Learners (for teachers?) 
  • Character Education | Compassionate Innovation 
  • Design Thinking for the Elementary Classroom


I have always been a champion for creativity in the classroom. From building a rainforest with 4th graders to creating short films with high schoolers, I am passionate about unlocking creative genius. After reading The Collaborative Conflict Between AI and Creativity by my educator friend, Dr. Sabba Quidwai, I have a game design idea: Warning, stream of consciousness ahead 🤪


  • What if students could see themselves as design heroes for a better tomorrow? Combine the design thinking process with creative learning strategies to address community/world challenges with innovative products/services. 
  • What if students designed themselves as heroes, choosing a creative "hard" skill and a future-focused "soft" skill as their superpower? Hard skills might include writing, animation, building, music making, visual story making, and coding. Soft skills might include flexible thinking, adapting (or shapeshifting), being a digital literacy expert, and risk-taker.
  • What if, after being presented with a community challenge (leveled from simple to complex, i.e., planting a garden to marketing a product for a small business to addressing how to help fragile ecosystems), they journeyed through a series of quests (the heroes journey) to learn the design thinking process (empathy, define, ideation, prototype, test, iterate) while practicing creative learning strategies (i.e., listing, 30 circles, alternate uses), culminating in prototype testing, feedback given, and time to iterate? 
  • What if the game was designed so that students could transfer their design thinking/creative thinking process to the classroom for real-world learning opportunities? 

I know the design thinking process, various creative thinking strategies, and learning standard connections to real-world issues. I use this knowledge in my job every day. However (not a yes, but -- more of a yes, pause), the above idea needs time to marinate and morph. 


Understand the Problem and Define the Audience

The world is evolving at an exponential pace. AI is here to stay. As a thought partner, a personal assistant, and a Jarvis to Iron Man, AI continues to improve and grow and embed itself as a feature (new iPhone) in current products we use every day. Just like mobile technology for learning purposes, AI will transform traditional learning environments—old to new and new to more new. And just like in any "new" introduction in education, there needs to be a cost-benefit analysis. 

Writing out loud: 

Proportionally, there are exponentially more schools that need to embed creative thinking and design thinking into teaching and learning schools than schools that do. In my research and understanding thus far of Generative AI use, as educators, may hold the key to prioritizing what is distinctly human potential. Humans are designed to connect with other humans, create, love, empathize, serve, communicate, and more. In my opinion, education should prioritize what is distinctly human when looking ahead to the future of continued improvement and growth of AI. Therefore, teaching design thinking and using creative thinking strategies to help develop human characteristics are essential in education. 

The world is full of problems that students will inherit as they become adults. Just like game design, using a design thinking process infused with creative thinking strategies can equip students to address larger, more complex problems. The goal for this game would be to teach the design thinking process by addressing problems in the community, specifically problems that impact the school community. 

Problem ideas that directly correlate to learning standards as well as provide the opportunity to learn the design thinking process and to practice creative learning strategies: 

  • Designing an Inclusive Playground 
    • Force/Motion concepts
    • Accessibility concepts
    • Needs/Wants of all kids 
    • Ideation techniques
  • Planting a Eco-Friendly Garden 
    • Native plants 
    • water conservation techniques - water cycle 
    • Pollinator plants
    • Resource management (recycled/upcycle, tools, dirt/soil) 
    • Math skills -- measurement, etc
    • Reading/Research what plants need, how to care for them, etc. 
Still learning, but if the content is focused on one of the above topics, it would be more of a short play game. Like SPENT, decisions made will impact outcome. 

Intended learners would be upper elementary (3-5). In my current position, we have several raised beds on our campus. From my experience, this age group loves being out in the garden. They also love the playground. If students were given the opportunity to plant a garden or design a new playground, as explorers, they would dive in head first to figure it out. 

As I write and process, I imagine the audience would prefer to design a new playground vs. planting a garden. 

⬇️ This image was something I produced a few years ago. 
An idea I considered for this game, but abandoned. ⬇️




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