Before we move on …

In this module, we explored how design is iterative. With what you know about the need, the context, and the six personas developed, you are able to now contemplate how the need, context, and personas will influence the lesson you are designing. Before we move on, begin to fill in gaps by digging deeper to understand your learners, the need, and the context.

Once again, consider the personas using the discover-immerse-connect-process to validate and fill in gaps. Remember, to gain empathy for our learners, we:

• Discover: Raise your curiosity. Enter the world of these people. Explore and discover the people, their situation, and experiences.
• Immerse: Wander around in their world. Expand your knowledge about the people. Give them names. It is okay to be surprised by various aspects that influence their experience and circumstances. What may be their hopes, fears, and dreams? Be open-minded. Don’t judge. Get interested in their point of reference.
• Connect: Resonate with these people. Recall upon your own memories and experiences in order to reflect and be able to create an understanding. Make a connection on an emotional level with the people by recalling your own feelings and resonating with their experience.
• Detach: Step back and make sense of their world. Reflect as an instructional designer designing with the learner’s perspective on new insights for ideas to help them. What may they want to accomplish? What learning activities and delivery methods can be used? How can you provide opportunities for your learner(s) to engage in learning experiences and activities that can prepare them for the high school equivalency exam?

As we conclude this module, reflect on how you will use your personas, their needs, and context as you move on to the next modules and design your instruction. Focus on the learning activities and delivery methods that you can design for your learners, the need, and the context.

When in the Detach phase, begin to come up with learning activities and delivery method ideas that reflect what your learners what to accomplish. Please remember to view all design decisions from the learner’s perspective. Depending on the learning activities you design in your lesson, you may find it necessary to tweak and fill in gaps with a persona. Remember, we develop our personas as a narrative. In the narrative, the persona has a name, a face (image of persona), and a story.