Once we have done the critical reflection and planning required, we move to something that we like to call the “spark” of the MAET learning experience. This is that gut feeling…that creative twist…that extra bit of magic…that captivating element of the design that illuminates the learning experience.
We’ve thought a lot about how we get to that spark and how to help others develop the ability to build it into their learning experiences. While there is some kismet involved—and learning experiences come in all shapes and sizes—we believe that there are some key phases in the process to guide all learning experience designers.
- Outline the learning experience (goals, outcomes, key content).
- Zoom in and zoom out. Turn it upside down. View it from new angles.
- Examine the patterns. Can you identify any threads that run through the learning experience that you can play off of?
- Make new patterns. Are there outcomes that can be grouped as a larger theme to “put in lights” so that learners are continually reminded of or experiencing this theme?
- Break patterns. Is there a way to create an unexpected twist that teaches them more about the content?
- Find inspiration in what (and who) is around and use it to see things in new ways / find new connections (we get inspiration from really weird, unexpected places sometimes)
- If it doesn’t feel like a spark yet, keep going. Brainstorm (by yourself or with others). Iterate.
- Understand that this is not a linear process.
If you read our other two design series posts linked above, we’d like to let you know that this is the perfect example of our empathy and brainstorming. Candace was the lead on this blog series. She set a deadline for when she’d finish these posts and when the time ran out at this exact spot in this third blog post, she messaged Brittany and Liz to let them know that things were incomplete, but it was a start. Brittany and Liz came into the drafts to continue the energy flow. Did Brittany find the exact spark? No, but she added a little. Did Liz create the perfect spark? No, but she added a little more. Then, Candace returned. And somewhere in the ebb and flow of work, the pause, the ask for help, and the collaborative creation, our spark emerges and we find it. That’s it! The spark of our spark post is unveiling how all of these ideas we’ve discussed thus far have come to life in this post. We’re guessing it broke from the expectations you had about this paragraph after reading the ideas above, didn’t it?
It’s never quite the same process to find the spark because it’s never quite the same spark. Sparks happen between spaces, between people, between times, and between the known and the unknown. Because we continually develop empathy for our learners and trust each other and our brainstorming and creation process, we know we will find the spark. It’s always there. How we get there is a matter of ego-less teamwork that depends on the strength of interdependence and a commitment to our learners.
The Student Perspective
Morgan Abb, MAET’s Student Advisory Council Representative shares her take on the spark of MAET learning experiences:
Students in the MAET program come from all different backgrounds, have a range of personal and professional goals, and a plethora of unique experiences. Therefore, our learning experiences need to be individualized and catered to our aspirations in order to find our own spark. The MAET program understands and empathizes with this and shows their support by providing a customizable education and a variety of supports to capture a variety of needs. While learners are always given suggestions and starting points for projects, we are encouraged to use our creative freedom and follow our spark to explore our own ideas and the possibilities in creation are limitless.
Pending final approval from Michigan State University, Team MAET is launching a Master of Arts in Learning Experience Design in Fall 2024. Join our mailing list to receive news about our upcoming learning experience design opportunities.