Julie Dirksen's Design For How People Learn (2nd Edition) - Book Review

As an instructional designer have you been looking for a practical way to learn about instructional design and where (even as a novice designer) should a reader even begin?  I recently had the pleasure of reading a very conversational and witty instructional design book: Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen. I am happy to say that Dirksen's book covers these questions as well as several other areas designers should look at when creating courses. This book explores the learner, our brains and memory, environmental factors to learning, knowledge or motivational gaps, evaluation techniques and much more.

Design For How People Learn (2nd Edition) by Julie Dirksen  

ISBN-10: 0134211286 

ISBN-13: 978-0134211282.  

This book can be purchased on Amazon for around $30 (click book cover image below).

About the Author...

Julie Dirksen is an instructional designer and independent consultant who has almost 20 years experience working with clients like fortune 500 companies helping them design interactive e-learning experiences. Dirksen first published her book "Design for How People Learn" in November 2011 and then published a second edition in December of 2015. For the purpose of this book review I will be looking at the 2nd edition version although I personally read through the majority of the first edition as well and feel it is just as worthwhile to consider reading. The information in both editions is essentially the same but with a few updates including the addition of 3 new chapters.

Dirksen also has a very informative blog at http://usablelearning.com/blog/.  She welcomes comments and contact from her followers.

Book Breakdown...

First, as a educator and instructional designer I respect the structure of this book. It is a quick read for a 304 page book because of HOW the information is presented. Written as well as visual aspects of the book will appeal to many types of readers and learning styles. Dirksen pairs simple stick figure drawings with real world images that discuss real life applications and antidotes. These images, charts and drawings grab a readers attention and allow them to really grasp the information being discussed by using different mediums.

Image excerpt from Chapter 8: Design for Motivation, Pg 222 (Dirksen, 2015). A sample chapter of the book may be viewed through the Author's Blog: http://usablelearning.com/the-book/

The chapter layout also appealed to me because Dirksen starts first with the learner and how people learn and retain information. Then, through a series of subsequent informative chapters she delves into what and how to design for different learners by exploring topics like knowledge, motivation, and environmental factors. The book closes with how to design successful evaluations within courses to help the instructional designer be able to properly measure the success of the information they have designed.

Chapter 1. Where do we Start? - This chapter looks at learning as a journey and how the learner not only needs to know more but needs to be able to "do" more with the knowledge they are gaining in a course. Gaps in knowledge like: skills, motivation and environment are also explored

Chapter 2. Who are our Learners? - This chapter dives into the particular audience you will be designing for and what do they already know and what learning styles should be taken into account when designing instruction.

Chapter 3.  What's the goal? - This chapter explores and asks what as a designer are you trying to accomplish in your particular instructional design? Are there any gaps (discussed in Chapter 1) that need to be addressed

Chapter 4.  How do we remember? - This chapter goes into great detail explaining  the different types of memories and why do we remember some things over others as well as how our brains work to help us remember.

Chapter 5.  How do you get their attention? - This chapter digs into getting your audience interested in the material by eliminating oustide distractions. How do you make your learner focus?

Chapters 6-9.  Design for: Knowledge, Skills, Motivation and Habits - These chapters look at each of these topics individually and explain how to make sure your design process is meeting the needs of all of your learners including those with motivational issues and practicing skills for better retention

Chapter 10.  Social and Informal Learning - This chapter discusses how social learning is innate for humans since one of our greatest skills as species is communication. (Author's Blog also gives some great links to other resources that dive into this topic more even relating to social learning vs social media learning)

Chapter 11.  Design for environment -  The chapter goes into how a persons particular environment impacts their learning and how we as designers should appeal to knowledge they already have on topics.

Chapter 12.  Designing Evaluation - This chapter hits on several points on why designing evaluation is so hard and how to make it more applicable to your audience so as a designer you can see and determine that retention is occurring.

Personally I enjoyed Chapter 4 the most. I am not new to the online instructional design world but am also not an expert. This chapter helped me tap into how my audience thinks, remembers and retains the information that is being presented on a deeper level. I think as a designer sometimes we are so focused on the content itself and WHAT we must teach that we forget or overlook how important it is to approach the design aspect from a point of view of HOW this should be taught to reach more learners.

While reading this chapter I found myself back in a Psychology 101 class saying to myself "ahhhhh I remember" which is really the point of the entire chapter! The most beneficial aspect of this chapter to me was looking at simple methods of taking large information and breaking it up for better memory retention...chunking. Also, looking at how much is too much and at what point do our brains hit a limit on memory and how to avoid that in the design process?

Final Thoughts...

The one drawback I encountered to this text was that it was geared towards adult learners. The examples included adults in the work force working on different projects. While the idea of K-12 students is not really explored a designer that may be working with younger students will still find this book extremely beneficial. The designer no matter what age audience will be able to learn tools behind how we learn and remember as well as effective design strategies to help them create effective instruction that will lead to better retention.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I was able to quickly go through the chapters as I had a free moment (which are few and fleeting with 2 almost 3 kids, a home to run and working as an online educator). I found myself really enjoying the break up of text with the images included. Dirksen ties in several "characters" throughout her chapters like Marianna (Chapters 1 and 8) which help sync each chapter to one another.

This book will appeal to those just starting out in the design world as well as those more experienced designers that may be stuck following just one design model. For me, the book included great reminders of many topics I already knew or had learned but was able to see presented in a new, fresh light. The practical examples and antidotes found within the text help a designer make real world connections with the practices discussed.

For the instructional designer no matter the audience this is a great and beneficial handbook to keep close by during your design process.

A Mash Up of Universal Design for Learning and Revised Blooms Taxonomy Design Models aka (A "Bloom-iversal" Design for Learning)

In a previous post I critiqued two instructional design models: (Revised) Blooms Taxonomy (RBT) and Universal Design for learning (UDL). I was able to see how easily these models can work together to not only aid in higher order thinking from students but also meet the needs of different types of learners that may be present in your classroom.  I started to think about combining these two models in order to make "new" effective approach at designing courses accessible for all students while addressing higher order and deeper thinking.

Revised Blooms Taxonomy (RBT)

As an educator you are most likely familar with Blooms Taxonomy. It has been around for years and stood the test of time and revisions but you may still ask yourself: Why do we "need" RBT when designing instruction?

Dark Blue & Orange Vector Cute Process Infographic by Coston Daugherty

Direct link to infographic: https://www.canva.com/design/DAC8yJp_upI/view

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Unless you have designed courses or taken an instructional design course you may not be as familiar with UDL and you may ask yourself the same question: Why do we need to use UDL in a design process? Take a look below at the video on how UDL impacts various learners and is critical for student understanding when they don't learn in a "normal" learning style!

https://youtu.be/bVdPNWMGyZY. 

Why We Need Universal Design | Michael Nesmith | TEDxBoulder . Published on Oct 13, 2016(CC BY -- NC -- ND 4.0 International)

"Bloom-iversal Design for Learning"

The Universal Design for Learning process focuses on the "What, Why and How to learning" but lacks the higher level engagement. Revised Blooms Taxonomy focuses on different competency levels to achieve higher level thinking but lacks the How and Why to learning.  What each model lacks the other excels and vice versa which makes them great partners that can compliment one another if combined in the design process...

So I present to you:

"Bloom-iversal Design for Learning" an edited/mash up approach at designing instruction.

Yellow Lines Lesson Plan by Coston Daugherty

Direct Link to infographic: https://www.canva.com/design/DAC8x0A-rDs/view

With this design mashup an instructor and/or designer would look at creating instruction that is accessible and adaptable to all learners that one may encounter in a course. While taking into account the "What, Why and How" a designer would also focus on different levels of learning from these students by addressing the entire audience but allowing for understanding at different levels of thinking by the individual student. This mash up will provide not only understanding from all students but allow those students to dig deeper into the material for better retention. 

By combining these two models more work is put in during the design process since many learning styles and learners are being taken into account HOWEVER this could prove to actually save time in the implementation process of instruction. Less tweaking and adapting would be needed since using these two design models together would meet more learner needs AND address higher order thinking all in one. 

I wondered if others thought these two models would be a good fit to use in conjunction with one another when  designing courses and I was pleasantly surprised to find a few resources from a blog post to two school systems that use RBT and UDL together to create effective instruction: 

1) The UDL Project (scroll to bottom to see how Blooms is also referenced) 

2) Blooms and UDL Planning Tool (From HCPSS)

3) The Intersection of UDL and Bloom's Taxonomy

Resources Used:

• Canva
• TedEx
• Iowa State University CELT
• CAST

Critiquing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and (Revised) Blooms Taxonomy (RBT) Instructional Design Models

“Design is thinking made visual.” – Saul Bass by Coston Daugherty

Revised Blooms Taxonomy (RBT)

When looking at instructional design models one often referenced in the college classroom with perspective teachers and revisited time and again in course design is (Revised) Blooms Taxonomy (RBT). This model has stood the test of time and innovation and has revised itself to meet 21st Century needs of today's students. This model focuses on using a system to promote higher order thinking by a variety of engaging activities each at a different level of critical thinking. Variety is abundant and key at each level.  To further demonstrate how this model has stood revisions and STILL works for instructional design even in the online classroom see the image below (with clickable links):

Bloom’s Revised Technology Taxonomy October 17, 2012 Katie Siemer

http://talktechwithme.com/2012/10/17/blooms-revised-technology-taxonomy/

To see a larger version of table please visit this link: http://talktechwithme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/blooms-tax-apps.pdf

"Educators often use Bloom's Taxonomy to create learning outcomes that target not only subject matter but also the depth of learning they want students to achieve, and to then create assessments that accurately report on students’ progress towards these outcomes" (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

When looking in depth at RBT a teacher is focused less on memorization and more on peaking a student's interest in what they may be thinking and how the educator can take that thinking and turn it into retention. So how does a teacher teach with RBT and incorporate it in their daily lessons? I believe any good educator innately uses RBT and digs to get students on a higher level of thinking even when they may not realize it. Below are a few awesome resources that allow teachers to explore how they can teach with RBT, questions to ponder when creating assignments as well as a simulation tool to help them delve deeper into this time tested instructional model.

1) 4 Strategies For Teaching With Bloom’s Taxonomy

2) Blooms Taxonomy Questions

3) The Differentiator! (Make sure to watch the video attached and then explore the link)

Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) per Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching terms of use. 

Please use this link to view a larger version of the above graphic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vandycft/29428436431

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Blooms Taxonomy (Revised) is only one of several design models now available for teachers when designing courses both in the face to face classroom and online arena. Another popular design model that many designers are embracing is the Universal Design for Learning Model (UDL) developed at NC State University. 

This model focuses on the various needs that every learner presents as well as ways to allow them expression of assignments in a way that will benefit them most for learning and retention. The UDL Model focuses on ALL learners and their ability to learn in any classroom whether face to face or online.  Accessibility for all students is taken into account when designing courses. Options for students is the guiding aspect of this design model. Not all students learn the same or express their work best in the same way so VARIETY is just as important as the CONTENT. If you explore the word cloud above you will see terms that describe all students including those labeled as gifted and those with learning disabilities. 

If you are a teacher not as familiar with UDL as you may be with RBT how would you go about incorporating this model into your design or classroom? First you can explore the graphic above as well as visit the following links:

1) UDL Q&A for Educators

2) Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students

3) The UDL Guidelines

Check out this TEDx Talk below on how UDL is a student centered model and ways that UDL can help all learners!

 

Universal Design for Learning—A Paradigm for Maximum Inclusion | Terence Brady |TEDxWestFurongRoad. Published 2/10/2017 (CC BY -- NC -- ND 4.0 International)

As an educator you may ask yourself what kinds of things do I need to incorporate in my planning to use UDL in my classroom?

1) Address WHY your students are learning the material you are presenting. Give them goals!

2) Give students options on HOW they can complete assignments and express their work

3) Allow a flexible workspace. This may mean allowing a student to stand while working, using a wobble chair or a balance ball. 

4) Give detailed feedback with real world connections and examples to make the work they are completing relevant. A "Good Job" is not sufficient and should be paired with areas of excellence as well as areas of improvement in a students work

5) Make the work accessible. All needs of learners should be met when designing lessons. Audio, text, read speakers, captions, transcripts etc should be available.  

Comparing/Contrasting RBT and UDL

How do both of these models compare to one another and what keeps them as two separate instructional designs? 

slides of a pitch deck by Coston Daugherty

The main contrast I find between the two models is even though Blooms Taxonomy has many areas of variety for student learning and expression it does not address HOW to meet the learning needs of multiple learners and make the instructional design and course accessible to all students.

Universal Design for Learning on the other hand really focuses on the HOW, WHAT and WHY to student learning and making the course accessible to ANY student but it does lack the variety in the the multiple levels of higher order thinking as presented by RBT

With this being said, I do think that each model can be easily intertwined with one another to allow not only accessibility BUT also higher order critical thinking. For any instructional designer many methods and models may be used to achieve the best course for their intended audience. I dare say that no one model is strictly used in the design process.

I would even venture to say that many models could be meshed together to to form a new stronger instructional design model, particularly Revised Blooms Taxonomy and Universal Design for Learning...

Stayed tuned for a follow up blog post on how RBT and UDL can be "mashed up" when designing courses and how this "new" model can not only meet accessibility needs but also higher order thinking needs of students in order to increase retention of material presented.

Resources Used:

•  A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Complete Edition (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)
• Photosforclass.com (All images CC0 Public Domain)
• Tedx
• Canva
• Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching

Incorporating Universal Design for Learning in my Online Science Classroom

One area of UDL I feel I am successful with in my courses is "Providing Multiple Means of Expression and Action". Students are engaged on a daily basis in my Earth and Environment Science course through a variety of assignments and submission choices. Since our courses are built using the UDL design it does make it easier to incorporate this in my daily work with students. Having a solid UDL foundation allows me to really be able to delve into how my students learn best and by what methods.  UDL uses the principles of the “what, why and how of learning” and with each student I have to look at what they are learning, why they need to understand this information and then how it is going to be best portrayed to them for understanding. One major thing I have learned in teaching an online course is that although we are reliant on technology as a method for how the information is portrayed it is important for us to use that technology correctly and in the best way to make sure student understanding is achieved. We cannot use technology for the sake of using it, instead as online teachers we have to look at the UDL model and determine how best to use the technology for student understanding.

For example even in such a technologically advanced world sometimes my students work best with pen and paper. I have an assignment in one of my courses where students need to design a brochure for an alien to come visit earth. I allow my students to submit these assignments in a variety of ways to allow for the most engagement and intrinsic motivation. I have some students that knock it out of the park on a brochure template or Smore while others do a phenomenal job by drawing the information and submitting screenshots of their hand drawn work. Please see the examples below from student submissions: (Note names have been hidden due to FERPA)

I think when using UDL in my courses it is most important to not limit the students learning and expression. I know that if all 90 of my students were only given ONE choice for this assignment I would not have gotten the best results from 100% of them. By allowing them to choose a different method for how they presented the information resulted in more understanding of the material from the student as well as allowed me to see a bit into the students personality. This is an important concept to master when building relationships with the students we don’t see face to face.

Another example of how I incorporate UDL in my courses is by the personalized feedback I give the students. For the above assignment a student may have received the following feedback from me:

“Wow John Doe! I loved your brochure. You really made it appealing to want to visit earth if I was an alien. Very factual and interesting information for the Earth’s History and Facts! You covered all aspects from the rubric! I liked your travel slogan and your hand drawn information. Very creative!

Just like visiting places on vacations you would want to know a little about the place you are planning to visit. Here are URLs to two sites containing fun facts about planet earth which may enhance the information you have already learned in this assignment.  ENJOY!

http://www.planetsforkids.org/planet-earth.html

http://theplanets.org/earth/”

One important part of UDL is giving regular feedback to students to let them know if they met the goals of the assignment. If the goals were not met where do they need to improve and what additional resources are available to them to meet the goals and/or enrich their knowledge of the topic.

One area that I can continue to improve upon in my courses is "Provide Multiple Means of Representation". In our Electronic Learning Community (eLC) we strive to provide information to students in a variety of ways BUT it is so easy to go back to the good ole powerpoint and fill in the blank notes. This form of representation is utilized in several modules in our Earth Science Course however we do incorporate video lessons, slide shares with audio, etc. As part of my yearly teacher improvement plan I am working on creating individualized videos with my voice and information to cover each module students will work on in my course. I think this will add a very personalized touch to my courses while meeting multiple learning needs via visual and audio representation.

I have learned that no matter how long you teach a course or how familiar you are with a design method each semester you have new students with new learning needs. It is important to continually adapt to these needs by personalizing how you represent, engage and allow students to express their work. What works one semester in how I allow students to express their work may not work as well the next. This rings true for how I represent the information to them. I may have a group of students that thrive off PowerPoints instead of video representation and vice versa.

Online teaching is a arena of constant change and adaptation so a teacher must be prepared to always want to change with their courses, students and their learning needs.  This may mean having to incorporate different design methods and/or revamping their current design method to meet their students individual needs.