Informed design for learning with digital technologies

There are many prescriptive learning design models, which attempt to guide teachers to design for learning by taking advantage of digital technologies. This paper argues that more emphasis could be put on design for learning as an informed practice. Four principles are suggested: Designs for learning should be (1) informed by available, relevant and recent resources, (2) continuously reflected upon and evaluated, (3) iteratively improved, and (4) shared, while also emphasizing lessons learned. Teachers should be encouraged to address questions that encourage them to inform their designs for learning, such as: What is known about the learning activity that you are designing? How can resources and your previous experiences be used to inform the design? How can you evaluate the design in order to know how it can be improved? How can your designs and lessons learned be shared with others?