Prologue:

At the end of this month I’ll be graduating with a B.A.S. in Cybersecurity. After this, due to my interests, I’ve decided to pursue a Masters in Instructional Design. That said, I felt motivated to author and contribute information on learning management systems through design thinking on this blog. As someone who also enjoys writing I decided to incorporate creative story elements and creative “quirks” to further touch on the main ideas.

In today's digital era, the demand for effective learning management systems (LMS) is more important than ever. But how can we make sure these platforms are not only functional but also engaging and easy to use? A key to this is to leverage design thinking that first starts with a human-centered approach that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and experimentation. In this article, I, after research and from my own thoughts, delve into how to develop a thorough Learning Management System using design thinking principles.

What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?

An LMS is a software application that allows for the creation, distribution, and tracking of online courses, training materials, and educational resources. Upon reflection and in comparison with the cover image, I see that learning management systems can be effectively visualized as sun rays or “beams of light"; each producing and emitting purpose that plays a crucial role in the smooth and efficient operation of the entire system. At the heart of this metaphorical sun is its core functionality—the ability to deliver and track educational content, monitor learner progress, and facilitate communication and collaboration. In addition, similar to the power of the sun and how it’s presence influences earth’s intricate systems, the true power of a learning management system lies in the intricate network of supporting components that allow it to operate effectively.

Understanding Design Thinking

Design thinking focuses on fixing problems by getting to know what users need. It has five main steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Each step builds on the one before leading to answers that click with users in many ways. Furthermore, the design of the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in a learning management system (LMS) is essential for its effectiveness and how engaged users feel. A thoughtfully designed LMS can improve the learning experience, boost learner satisfaction, and lead to more successful educational results. By focusing on UI/UX design, you can develop an LMS that is easy to navigate, visually attractive, and customized to meet the needs of your intended users, similar to how those beams of light together.I also find that design thinking principles, whether applied to instructional design or web design, are based on core psychological principles and human behavior. These principles help create experiences that do not overwhelm our senses, no matter if someone consider themselves "neurodivergent." After all, there is a reason why a lot of commonality can be found between best practices in web design, ui/ux design and instructional design.

Empathizing: “Walking in a User’s Shoes”

The first step, or metaphorical “beam of light”, involves getting to know your users and empathizing with their needs. Most of you may have heard the saying “if you walk a mile in someone’s shoes…”. In essence this saying revolves around empathy and how you can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Plus, the main core of what we do in our daily jobs, and specifically in reference to instructional design, revolves around other people - whether that’s faculty and students at a college or staff in a corporate environment. That said, I decided to allude to this concept through the following scenario:

Story element: Imagine Jill—a busy working mother balancing her job while pursuing an online degree. Her experiences with traditional LMS platforms have often left her feeling frustrated. She finds it difficult to navigate clunky interfaces and struggles to engage with content that seems impersonal. So, to design an LMS that truly meets her needs, we must first understand her, and others like her, situation in order to develop an approach for learners like Jill.

Define: Framing the Problem

The second step, or “beam of light”, is to define or “frame the problem.” This helps in identifying the main issues that your LMS will address. After that, you can synthesize the findings into clear problem statements or personas that reflect the needs of your target audience.

For instance: - Persona: Jill – A 35-year-old working mother balancing work and study.

Problem Statement: Jill needs an intuitive interface that allows her to quickly access course materials during short breaks. This defined framework will guide your design process by keeping user needs at the forefront.

Brainstorming Solutions

Now comes the exciting part—ideation! This third “beam of light” involves gathering your team or individual efforts for brainstorming sessions where no idea is too wild or outlandish. Encourage participants, or yourself, to think outside conventional boundaries; after all, revolutionary ideas often stem from unorthodox thinking; as the saying goes “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs.

Key Elements:

To create an engaging LMS you can use techniques like mind mapping or sketching out concepts on sticky notes. For example:

1. Intuitive and Accessible Interface: Ensure that the LMS interface is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and accessible to users with diverse abilities and backgrounds.

2. Personalized Learning Experiences: Offer personalized learning paths, adaptive content, and customization options to cater to the unique needs and preferences of each learner.

3. Collaborative and Social Learning: Incorporate features that enable learners to engage with each other, collaborate on projects, and share knowledge and insights.

4. Gamification and Incentives: Introduce gamification elements, such as badges, leaderboards, and rewards, to foster a sense of achievement and motivation among learners.

Story Element: Everyone has a voice, so this story element is based on envisioning how individual voices can bring diverse perspectives in crafting a balanced, yet engaging atmosphere around instructional design. For example, picture a vibrant workshop room filled with those diverse voices—educators sharing stories about students’ struggles with motivation while designers draw inspiration from game mechanics popular among young adults. This synergy can help spark innovative ideas grounded in real-world experiences. In addition, this element also plays off the fact that many younger learners may find the content more engaging when relating to something that interests them, like video games and/or pop culture. (This also expands on the “empathy” part of getting to know your audience.)

Prototype: Bringing the Ideas to Life

With a variety of ideas generated during the brainstorming phase, the fourth step, or “ray of light” involves moving on to prototyping. This includes developing wireframes or mockups that showcase user flows based on the identified problem areas. In this stage, focus on crafting scenarios that resonate with your personas. For instance, consider how Jill could manage her coursework after work using mobile-friendly designs or voice-enabled/other accessibility tools tailored for not only busy learners, but designs focused on accessibility and inclusivity.

Key Elements:

Some key elements to consider, and as an when developing a comprehensive, engaging LMS platform:

1. Define User Personas and Journeys: Identify the different user types (e.g., administrators, instructors, learners) and create detailed user personas. Map out the user journeys to understand their interactions with the LMS.

2. Establish Learning Objectives and Outcomes: Clearly define the learning objectives and desired outcomes for your LMS, ensuring alignment with your organization's or institution's educational goals.

3. Specify Platform Functionality and Integrations: Outline the key features and functionalities required for your LMS, including course creation and management, assessment tools, reporting, and integrations with other systems.

UI/UX Design:

Considerations from the brainstorm session - some key elements when designing the UI/UX portion of your LMS include:

1. Consistent and Responsive Design: Maintain a consistent visual style, layout, and interaction patterns throughout the LMS, ensuring a seamless experience across different devices and screen sizes.

2. Accessible and Inclusive: These concepts should be at the forefront of your LMS design. Ensure that the platform is accessible to users with diverse abilities, including those with visual, auditory, or motor impairments. Incorporate features such as screen readers, captions, and alternative text to cater to the needs of all learners.

3. Intuitive Navigation and Information Architecture: Develop a clear and logical information architecture that allows learners to easily navigate and access the content and resources they need.

4. Engaging Content Presentation and Interaction: Leverage multimedia, interactive elements, and visually appealing designs to enhance the presentation and delivery of learning content.

5. Measurement and Improving Engagement: Continuously monitor and evaluate the engagement levels of your LMS users. Collect and analyze data on learner interactions, course completion rates, and user feedback to identify areas for improvement. Use this information to refine the LMS design, enhance the learning experience, and drive higher levels of engagement.

Story Element: For example, recall when early prototypes were presented at a local educational technology conference; attendees were able to interact directly with mockups designed around learner feedback gathered earlier in the process. There was a sense of exhilaration among educators that at last personalized learning opportunities to each student that individual needs could be provided!

Testing: Refining Through Feedback

Earlier this year I produced a presentation about incorporating a training program that I later gave to leadership. During the production phase I wrote something down things that also helped inspire this section - it was “refining leads to defining” or you could also flip that and say “defining leads to refining” as I believe we can’t necessarily have one without the other; refining something helps us better define our end goal. On the other hand, defining something can help us better refine a list or content so that it’s more organized, cohesive and clear. Imagine it as another gear that helps create revolutions that keep the cogs turning.

The 5th, and last “beam of light” involves testing. This is where magic happens - sharing your prototypes with actual users, gathering feedback on what works well and what doesn’t resonate at all, and observing them as they interact with features you’ve built, be sure to listen closely as they express their thoughts aloud during usability tests. In addition, encourage constructive criticism—this is essential for refining both functionality and aesthetics before launch day arrives!

Story Element: Imagine sitting across from Jill again during one such testing session; she lights up when she effortlessly accesses course materials tailored specifically for her schedule while providing invaluable insights into areas needing improvement based on personal experience navigating prior systems.

Conclusion

I’m someone who has, for as long as I can remember, sometimes lived by concepts/traits that echo “dreamer” and/or seem whimsical. Some of these that I have recognized within myself and a few others throughout the years can be related to through the excerpts of famous authors, Lewis Carroll and J.R.R. Tolkien. For example, the following from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland - “Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'
I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast”.

Or the dialogue that occurs between Merry and Treebeard in The Two Towers:

Treebeard: “The Ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done.

Merry: “How can that be your decision?”

Treebeard: “This is not our war.”

Merry: “But you’re part of this world! Aren’t you? You must help, please! You must do something.”

I am a part of this world, as are you. What I’m trying to say is that we all have diverse perspectives and not becoming stagnant in our efforts, or just relinquishing ourselves to a “weathering things as we have always done” mindset, can help better the future of instructional design. If needed, think about what inspires you or pushes you to pursue your goals and how those can help users and/or your audience. For example, it wasn’t until Treebeard and the other Ents realized that their world was indeed affected by Sauron’s, and by extension, Mordor’s plan, that Treebeard and the other Ents rallied to contribute.

So, in summary, visualizing a learning management system with each element producing “beams of light” from the sun highlights the importance of carefully designing, implementing, and maintaining each element - from the core functionality to the supporting features - to ensure the entire system operates at peak efficiency. It's a intricate, interdependent process, with each element or “beam of light”, while seemingly independent, plays their part to influence and affect the process to create the whole; it is what ultimately empowers organizations to not only meet the demands of the users but also improve people's lives dramatically by changing the essence of learning experiences!

The power is in our hands to create accessible ecosystems that open doors to growth beyond the once-impenetrable barriers we believed were insurmountable. It’s not just about delivering content; it’s about igniting a passion for lifelong learning; each element contributing to and emitting those “beams of light” that keeps everything functioning as it should.