Even before coming to HGSE, I became very interested in play-based learning and I have learned about the Pedagogy of Play under Project Zero. I have also taken a course called Teaching of Reading with and through Technology, in which I was exposed to many frameworks for evaluating and integrating educational technology. So, for this project, I was thinking about why not combine these two components together and create something that can help other educators leverage both playful learning and educational technology. Then, the idea of playful ed tech was born.
I started my project with a preliminary website framework and the reason why I chose to design a website was that I wanted to explore and practice web design skills. But over time, I have also realized how the website itself is only a platform and a tool and I still lacked the meaningful content. I came to think of the website as the skeleton while the content is the muscle. So after a few explorations of the website, I decided to zoom in to an online workshop where I can start to create the content.
I first listed the outline for the three-day workshops and then started to create the actual activities and slides. While designing it, I kept thinking about online learning and adult learning theories (Andragogy) and tried to apply them to my practice. Also, I kept reflecting on my learning experiences: I have learned both play-based learning and educational technology in formal, face-to-face, undergraduate-level courses. Then how is it different if the format is an online workshop and the learners might have different background knowledge in these topics? With these insights, I experimented with different activities, such as brainstorming, small-group discussions, and gallery walks. Also, I tried my best to make the learning as collaborative as it is. Since it is online and people don’t know each other, building a learning community, at least temporarily, is critical.
I don’t think my journey will end here. I will keep revising my workshop and my website moving forward. At this point, if I am asked again, what is learning design, my answer would be to start with the purpose, and design the content and choose the delivery tools accordingly.
