1. The Design Process Lifecycle
Gather Assemble
Vision Run
Adapt Evaluate
Course Course Course
conception delivery refinement
Learning Block Course
Activity
The Resource ’What is learning design?’ talked about the term learning design
referring to ‘The process of planning’ and the ‘product of the design process’.
It is helpful to think of design (in general and learning design in particular) as a
process, i.e. a collection of related, structured activities or tasks that produce a
specific service or product that fulfils (i.e. it is ‘fit for purpose’) a particular customer
or customers’ requirements or needs. The above lifecycle diagram is just one
example of a design lifecycle which can be applied to developing a learning design.
This example has six stages each of which can be applied to the different levels at
which learning design can occur e.g.:
• The design of a learning activity
• The design of a unit or block of learning in a Module or Course
• The design of a complete Module or Course
Each stage contains a number of typical activities which define the stage.
1 Visioning
Typical activities during this stage might include:
• Identifying a need or an opportunity for an activity/block/module
• Visioning/brainstorming the idea/concept behind the need or opportunity
• Thinking about the feasibility of the idea/concept

2. • Developing support and sponsorship for the ‘shared’ idea
• Identifying what successful delivery of the idea or opportunity might look like
• Identifying the risks and constraints that would impact the idea or
opportunity
• Developing a statement of what the ‘future’ (activity/block/module) might
look like
• Producing an initial proposal
• Getting approval to proceed to the next stage
2 Gathering
Typical activities during this stage might include:
• Scoping the activity/block/module
• Collecting the learner’s view of what the activity/block/module might look
like
• Thinking about the learner experience and learner interaction
• Analysis of the requirements of the need or opportunity – learner, teacher,
technical, content
• Starting to construct the pedagogic approach for delivery
• Scoping the learning outcomes
• Scoping the assessment approach
• Planning the content
• Identifying possibilities for the re-usability of existing materials
• Thinking about designing for re-usability e.g. as an OER
• Thinking about how the need or opportunity might be delivered e.g. on-line,
face to face, a blended approach
• Identifying what standards you need to achieve e.g. for usability and
accessibility
• Thinking about how the learning design might be tested
• Defining the scope of the idea into a draft learning design specification
• Cost/benefit analysis of the need or opportunity
• Initial planning/time-tabling of how the specification might be delivered
• Getting approval to proceed to the next stage
3 Assembling
Typical activities during this stage might include:
• Developing the pedagogic approach for delivery
• Developing the content
• Developing the learning outcomes
• Developing the assessment approach
• Transforming the ‘gathering’ stage into a completed learning design
specification
• Building the activity/block/module from the learning design specification
• Testing and quality assurance of the activity/unit/module e.g. critical reading,
developmental testing, usability testing, accessibility testing

3. • Setting up the learning environment (technical and non-technical) for
delivery
4 Running
Typical activities during this stage might include:
• Presentation/delivery of the activity/block/module in a ‘live’ learning
environment
• Reviewing the presentation/delivery
5 Evaluating
Typical activities during this stage might include:
• Collecting learner feedback during and post presentation
• Collecting teacher feedback during and post presentation
• Analysing feedback data
• Evaluating if the activity/block/module was ‘fit for purpose’
• Proposing enhancements to the activity/unit/module
• Approving enhancements
6 Adapting
Typical activities during this stage might include:
• Changing the requirements of the activity/block/module
• Revising the original vision
Whilst the design process diagram shows a cycle of stages, in reality it is likely that
within each stage there are a number of iterations e.g. it may take a number of
iterations of Visioning before the specification of what is required is sufficiently
detailed enough for Gathering to start.