Core Design Issues

A reflection on the core design issues in this context

The user needs analysis and exploration of relevant theories and concepts revealed several core issues in relation to the learning space which informed the development of a problem statement. When considering what Finley & Wiggs (2016) refer to as the ‘ecology’ of design, in which curriculum, instruction, and space are seen as interdependent factors which influence learning experiences, it became evident that the library’s digital space has so much potential to become an engaging and dynamic learning experience. It could, for example:

Target traditional literacy development though tailored reading lists, reading competitions and explicit comprehension activities.
Support research skills though links to and guides for database research or by hosting curriculum aligned ‘knowledge quests’ where students are actively involved in individual and team research projects.
Foster digital literacy skills through both explicit skill guides and project-based learning.
Leverage its status as a third space for students to foster connected learning opportunities and link students to appropriate resources and mentors in their field of interest.

To create a space which would best serve the needs of users is was necessary to bring 'clarity and focus' to the design process and carefully define the issues (Stanford Design School, 2010). The purpose of the learning space must therefore be very clearly identified so I created a vision statement as suggested by Finley & Wiggs (2016, p. 4-5). As a teacher, my overall goal is to support students to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to actively and meaningfully participate in society. In a socio-economically disadvantaged context, this can mean explicitly addressing gaps in skills and knowledge which are assumed in other areas while still recognising and respecting the rich diversity of skills and knowledge they offer. Furthermore, to genuinely encourage full participation in society , the intrinsic desire to seek and use knowledge and skills must also be fostered. Therefore, the vision for the learning space is that:

'the library's virtual space will empower students

to take charge of their digital literacy journey'

To further define the design problem, I attempted to synthesise my understanding of the vision and potential problems of the learning space in a mind map. Aligning the learning space with the needs of the users and the purpose of the space in this way raised a number of core issues:

1. Students must be able to easily access and navigate the space, including outside of the school environment.

2. Students will need support to develop a range of essential skills to utilise the space.

3. To support digital literacies without creating excess cognitive load, the space should align with the curriculum wherever possible.

4. For independent learning to occur, the space needs to encourage voluntary student engagement.

core issues

By combining and understanding of user needs with the set of insights described above I arrived at an actionable problem statement intended to drive the subsequent learning space design. Despite the temptation to be 'all things to all people' (Stanford Design School, 2010), a strong focus on one aspect of the needs of users which could be met within this context allowed the creation of the following discrete framing of the problem:

How can the structure of library's virtual learning space be adapted to encourage students to engage with experiences supportive of digital literacy development?

Continue to 'Design SolutION'

References

Finley, T., & Wiggs, B. (2016). Rethinking classroom design: create student-centered learning spaces for 6-12th graders. Rowman & Littlefield.

Gibbons, S. (2016, July 31). Design Thinking 101. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-thinking/#:~:text=The%20design%2Dthinking%20framework%20follows,say%2C%20think%2C%20and%20feel.

Stanford Design School. (2010). An introduction to design thinking—Process guide. In Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. Retrieved from https://dschool-old.stanford.edu/sandbox/groups/designresources/wiki/36873/attachments/74b3d/ModeGuideBOOTCAMP2010L.pdf.