High Level Outline

As part of my conversations with my LXD mentor, I created a high-level outline of Navigating Disruption to better understand how the course was structured. Building this outline helped me step back and look at the flow of modules, the placement of assignments, and how learning goals were supported across the course. It was a way to unpack the design choices that shaped the learner experience. This outline was developed retrospectively through a process of guided reflection. With input from my LXD mentor, I examined how the course’s elements aligned to generate a learning experience that followed principles of backward design—starting with clear outcomes, then aligning content, examples, and assessments to support learners in reaching those goals.

Core Competencies

  • Applying Learning Theories and Design Frameworks

    This activity helped me practice analyzing a course through the lens of backward design and Bloom's taxonomy. Using these frameworks allowed me to understand how structure, pacing, and sequencing support learner comprehension—and how each design choice aligns with specific learning goals and cognitive processes.

  • Using Research and Evaluation Skills

    Analyzing the course outline allowed me to critically assess its pedagogical structure. I focused on how pacing and scaffolding supported learner progression, and evaluated the alignment between activities and intended outcomes. By viewing the course through the lens of diverse learner needs, I was able to surface both strengths and opportunities for design refinement.

This activity was a valuable opportunity to engage with course design from a critical and theory-informed perspective. Rather than building new content, I focused on analyzing the architecture of an existing course to better understand how its design choices shaped the learning experience. Beyond reinforcing my understanding of learning theory, this process also strengthened my evaluative thinking. By approaching the course structure through the lens of diverse learner needs, I began to recognize not only what was effective, but where and how it might be refined. This reflection-oriented analysis expanded my capacity to interpret instructional design choices with nuance, and highlighted the value of inquiry, feedback, and iteration in the learning design process.