Students learning by design

The Students Learning by Design study explores how Learning by Design theory applied in contemporary classrooms addresses the needs of learners in a rapidly changing technological and socio-cultural environment. Its starting point is a detailed examination of this changing environment of new knowledge workplaces and social spaces including virtual spaces to determine the nature of the changes to which education must respond. A careful analysis of a range of views on these changes and their impact on schools provide both cautionary and optimistic visions of the future for our students and teachers. The study locates Learning by Design within this contested ground of new learning and the analysis of these varied perspectives reveals commonalities and differences in responses to the changing technological and socio-cultural environment.<br><br>The study then proceeds to explore how Learning by Design theory translates into practice within several primary school classrooms in the Australian Capital Territory focussing on its impact on students’ learning experiences. The students within these classrooms are the major data source providing rich qualitative data on their perspectives on learning in classrooms where teachers use the eight knowledge processes of the Learning by Design planning framework. The data is examined using a triple lens analysis that incorporates these eight knowledge processes, the features of contemporary social spaces identified from the literature and student performance data supplied by their classroom teachers. In this way, the study is able to address the impact of Learning by Design on individual learners as well as to extrapolate its potential for addressing the needs of contemporary learners as a whole in a rapidly changing technological and socio-cultural environment.<br><br>In the light of this analysis, the study examines the implications of Learning by Design theory and practice for students, teachers and administrators. The changing role of teachers and students is highlighted along with practical considerations and limitations that may impact on the wider implementation of this approach to learning. The future of Learning by Design in our schools is left open to further exploration and the competing visions of what constitutes new learning for new times.<br>