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Education, Technology and Design: A Much Needed Interdisciplinary Collaboration

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Designing for the User Experience in Learning Systems

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS))

Abstract

In this chapter we defend and underpin our claim that, to improve and innovate education, a novel conception of the role of design in education is needed. What this conception is we will elaborate on, specifically on how it affects design in education as it is customarily practiced. We will translate this conception to the context of technology-enhanced learning (TEL). Because of its potential to have an impact on education, TEL more than any other form of learning demands consciously devised learning designs. Thus, our proposal addresses both the design of learning, in particular learning activities, and the design of educational technology. We focus on human-centred design (HCD), a problem-solving framework underpinned by user involvement in all stages of the process. HCD provides professional designers with a mindset and a toolbox that includes both process and methods. It is multidisciplinary by default and also practice-oriented, context-aware, empathetic and incremental. As such it naturally fits many of educators’ everyday realities. Leveraging human-centred design theories and practices will greatly benefit educational design and give it the push it has been missing, we argue. Our proposal focuses on how HCD can enhance and facilitate technology-enhanced learning by (1) focussing on the design of learning activities, (2) involving all its actors in a timely and meaningful way; and (3) affecting its micro, meso and macro levels.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the help of the HANDSON Consortium partners. Special thanks go to the UOC team for the HANDSON project without whom this chapter would not exist: Francesc Santanach, Israel Conejero, Mireia Garcia, Gemma Aguado, Toni Mangas, Xavi Aracil, Jorge Ferrera and Jean-François Colas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICT Department, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, 08018, Barcelona, Spain

    Muriel Garreta-Domingo & Davinia Hernández-Leo

  2. Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands

    Peter B. Sloep

Authors
  1. Muriel Garreta-Domingo
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  2. Davinia Hernández-Leo
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  3. Peter B. Sloep
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Correspondence to Muriel Garreta-Domingo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Science Gallery Dublin, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Evangelos Kapros

  2. School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Maria Koutsombogera

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Garreta-Domingo, M., Hernández-Leo, D., Sloep, P.B. (2018). Education, Technology and Design: A Much Needed Interdisciplinary Collaboration. In: Kapros, E., Koutsombogera, M. (eds) Designing for the User Experience in Learning Systems. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94794-5_2

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