Learning Environments by Design

Introduction: Designing Environments for Learning

One of the most exciting aspects about working in learning and development is that the field is constantly changing. But that can also be deeply unsettling. Many years ago, I attended a learning industry conference that featured a number of thought leaders in panel discussions and keynote presentations. A recurring theme of their remarks was that “instructional design is dead.” This was not something I wanted to hear—instructional design was the basis for a substantial portion of my livelihood. I taught instructional design in graduate courses. I managed a team of instructional designers. And I loved the part of my work that was instructional design—crafting graduate courses and professional workshops. ...