This document summarizes a webinar about agile design for learning. It discusses that agile design is derived from agile software development and is a process for responding to complex learning environments. Agile design works best in situations with rapidly changing subject matter, diverse learners with different needs, and rapidly changing tools. Guidelines for effective agile design include having clear but broad learning goals set by instructors, sub-goals negotiated with learners, core materials chosen by instructors with other materials identified by learners, and assessment based on pre-defined criteria. Conditions for success include having confident instructors, clear skills goals for learners, proper learner preparation and orientation, accessible open resources, and flexible assessment methods.

1. ETUG Webinar
7 July 2015
A CHAT ABOUT AGILE DESIGN
Dr. Tony Bates,
Tony Bates Associates Ltd,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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2. Overview
Overview
• Brief intro
• What is agile design?
• Why agile design?
• Under what conditions does it
work best?
• Guidelines for effective agile
design?
© Rawsthorne, P., 2012

3. Introduction
• I’m not an expert on agile
learning design
• There is a literature on this
• Even this is not flexible enough
• Throw out some ideas then chat
with you
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© C. Adamson, 2012

4. What is agile design?
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• Derived from software development
• A process for responding to complex learning environments
• Many different approaches
© J. Huhn, 2013

5. Why agile design?
For designers in a VUCA
world:
• V olatile
• U ncertain
• C omplex
• A mbiguous
For learners to develop
survival skills in a VUCA
world
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© C. Adamson, 2012

6. When to use agile design?
1. Rapidly changing subject matter
2. Diverse learners with different learning needs
3. Rapidly changing or many diverse tools for teaching/learning
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7. 7
Guidelines for agile design
1. Clear, broad learning goals
predetermined by instructor
2. Sub-goals negotiated with
learners
3. Core learning materials/tools
chosen by instructor
4. Other learning
materials/tools
identified/evaluated/applied
by learners
5. Assessment based on pre-
defined criteria (negotiated -
or chosen by instructor?) 7
© P. Rawsthorne, 2012

8. Conditions for success
• Confident, skilled instructors
• Clear goals in terms of skills
development for learners
• Proper preparation/orientation
for learners
• Easily accessible and appropriate
open resources and learning tools
• Flexible assessment methods that
measure skills developed by
learners 8
There must be a strong pedagogical foundation
in the design team

9. Discussion
• Experience of agile design?
• What do you see as the main challenges?
• When do you think agile design is most appropriate?
• What would you add re conditions for success?
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Personalized Learning Tools was
designed and created by Bryan Bucci,
James Chen, Rebecca Harrison, Coral
Kennett, and Paula Poodwan

10. References
• Adamson, C. (2012) Learning in a VUCA world, Online Educa
Berlin News Portal, November 13
• Bertram, J. (2013) Agile Learning Design for Beginners New
Palestine IN: Bottom Line Performance
• Rawsthorne, P. (2012) Agile Instructional Design St. John’s
NF: Memorial University of Newfoundland:
http://www.rawsthorne.org/bit/docs/RawsthorneAIDFinal.pd
f
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