Designing a Learning Journey Before and After FIRST-ADLX Framework
Meet the author:
My name is Mohammed Fawaz, and I work as an engineer and instructional designer. Within my role as an instructional designer, I have worked on several projects designing learning journeys. I have prepared facilitator guides, designed activities, and ensured that facilitators have everything they need in their toolkits to facilitate suitable and interactive learning journeys. However, my design approach shifted to another stage after experiencing FIRST journeys and being exposed to its five domains.
Design Background
I will specifically share a design for a learning journey addressing “Financial Awareness” for a group of housewives.
I had designed this journey before becoming familiar with SeGa and experiencing FIRST-ADLX Framework. At that time, my focus was solely on the content. Back then I composed and designed 12 activities, focused on the content, meaning they were purely knowledge-based learning activities.
However, after experiencing FIRST-ADLX Framework, I revisited the design and realized that most of the outcomes of my activities could be achieved by learners through any informational source on the internet. The activities were completely distant from the concept of the Active Deep Learner eXperience that I experienced with FIRST, and they did not consider the skill-based and attitude outcomes (ASK). They did not have a sustainable deep impact contributing to positive change or transforming learning into tangible real-world performance.
Therefore, after experiencing FIRST-ADLX Framework, I decided to modify the design, taking into account the five domains of the framework, in order to design Active Deep Learner eXperience with a sustainable deep impact.
About the Topic, Learners, and Learning Outcomes
My journey addressed the topic of “Financial Awareness,” with 20 learners consisting of housewives aged between 25 and 45. Their educational levels varied, as did their knowledge of the subject. The learning outcomes were as follows:
Attitude Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the journey, the learners will…:
- Feel confident and capable of managing family expenses
- Sense the importance of managing the family budget
Skill Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the journey, the learners will be able to…:
- Distinguish between types of expenses (needs/wants)
- Apply steps to prepare a budget
- Differentiate between spending, expense management, and saving
Knowledge Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the journey, the learners will be able to…:
- Identify family spending priorities
- Define spending, economizing, and saving
- List ways to earn and invest money
- List the benefits of expense management and saving
- Identify the pros and cons of wholesale purchasing, banking services, and installment systems.
Performance Outcome:
In a couple of weeks, the learner will be able to..:
- Wisely manage family expenses.
Implementing the Domains of FIRST-ADLX Framework
As mentioned earlier, my design in its pre-FIRST form included 12 educational activities with knowledge-learning outcomes only. However, with respect to FIRST-ADLX concepts and adherence to its five domains, I made several modifications. I will share with you the most prominent changes I made to transform the journey into an Active Deep Learner eXperience.
Focusing on the Learner Behavior (F-Domain)
The first change was adding a pre-meeting activity to the journey. I designed an asynchronous activity where learners would prepare a file outlining the main reasons that motivated them to seek educational content on financial awareness. I also ensured to maintain privacy and a safe positive learning environment by informing learners that the files would only be shared with the facilitator only. In line with the F-Domain, I wanted each learner to feel that this journey caters to their unique needs and desires as individuals.
Continuing to apply the F-Domain, I ensured everyone’s participation in the pre-opening activity where learners shared the names they preferred to be called by, and I made sure to use these names throughout the session. Those who arrived late were promptly invited to share their names upon arrival and after welcoming them.
In other activities, I encouraged everyone to participate in fun and enjoyable ways, avoiding embarrassment. I provided multiple opportunities for them to lead activities and share their experiences and knowledge. Of course, I didn’t forget the preferred names they wanted to be addressed by and made an effort to use them throughout the session. For those who were late, I invited those present to summarize what we were doing and help them catch up. I even ensured that most of the mini-presentations started with the learners themselves sharing problems and proposing solutions (pull and push).
Interacting within Positive Group Dynamics (I-Domain)
After creating a safe environment through the pre-opening activity, the first session began with an ice-breaking activity (opener). Cards containing common problems faced by most housewives were distributed, and learners were asked to identify the issues they encountered. Learners then moved around to identify common problems, which greatly helped in removing fears and barriers among them. They felt that they were not alone in facing these problems but rather shared universal challenges experienced by many housewives. This activity also facilitated social interaction, making them feel like friends on a trip.
To further implement this domain, I designed various activities that required different tools to stimulate learner participation and respect their diverse learning styles and intelligences. For example, to facilitate the learning outcome of identifying family priorities, I designed an activity where the facilitator distributed cubes labeled with various expenditure items. Learners worked in groups to sort these items by priority, and a spokesperson from each group shared their work for discussion. Then, I provided a brief presentation to help learners identify spending priorities.
Another learning outcome was “listing methods of earning and investing money.” To facilitate this, I designed an activity where random cards with monetary amounts (ranging from 1000 to 200,000 Saudi Riyals) were distributed, and learners were tasked with proposing investment ideas for these amounts in new groups. After the discussion, I provided a brief presentation for probing, assessing, linking, and summarizing.
To facilitate the learning outcome of “identifying the pros and cons of banking services,” I designed an activity where the facilitator sent several consecutive messages on WhatsApp, each containing the name of a banking service (e.g., loans, installment plans, investment certificates, credit cards). Learners responded with emojis (like/angry) to express their views on each banking service, then described and justified other learners’ perspectives.
I ensured to diversify groupings by changing members within each group between activities to increase interaction, and diversity, and allow all learners the opportunity to benefit from each other’s experiences and knowledge.
Reviewing Activities within RAR (R-Domain)
In all my learning activities, I ensured to respect the three stages of RAR model (Readiness Increase – Activity Facilitation – Reviewing Actively). In the beginning, I included a set of motivational phrases to increase readiness and motivation among learners. Additionally, I simply provided instructions, ensuring their understanding of the requirements, distributed tools, and divided groups. I made sure to address different aspects (emotional, cognitive, physical, ….) since the learners’ readiness encompasses not only the readiness of tools but also psychological, cognitive, emotional, and physical readiness.
For example, to facilitate one of the learning outcomes (distinguishing between spending, economizing, and saving), I designed an activity where the facilitator holds a sum of money (500 Riyals) and asks learners how they would manage this amount if given by their spouses, emphasizing their freedom to decide. This activity helped in preparing and motivating learners for learning.
In the activity facilitation stage, I moved among learners, encouraging them to interact and facilitating their work. For instance, I designed an activity to achieve the learning outcome of “pros and cons of bulk buying,” where learners used a mobile shopping application to execute a bulk shopping model by adding items to the shopping cart and then sending a screenshot of the items added to the WhatsApp group. This was followed by a discussion among learners and concluded with the induction (pulling) of the learning outcome (the pros and cons of bulk buying).
To apply the third stage of the RAR model, which is Reviewing Actively, I invited learners to share what they did during the activity, what they learned, how they related it to their reality, and to share lessons and insights. They also shared how and what they would change about themselves after this journey.
Sequencing within Session Flow (S-Domain)
To apply this domain, avoid boredom and distraction, respect the energy level of the learners, and ensure that the experience remained deeply engaging at all stages, I differentiated between experience activities (pre-opener, energizers, etc.) and learning activities. I also added a mission activity to be done after each synchronous session. For example, at the beginning of one synchronous session, I designed an activity to review what was covered in the previous session by creating a mind map on the board and inviting learners to complete it.
In another session, I prepared cards containing keywords related to the learning outcomes that had been experienced in previous sessions and invited each learner to choose a card and explain its content. Additionally, I utilized energizer activities to maintain and stimulate learners’ enthusiasm.
Transforming Learning into Performance (T-Domain)
I designed a set of short-term and long-term activities (mission activities and asynchronous interactions) to monitor changes in the learners’ financial behaviors.
For example, I designed an activity in which learners prepare a monthly budget and implement it in real life during the learning journey as a project presented at the end of the journey.
I also designed an activity in which learners explain one of the previous learning outcomes to a relative and follow up on its application in real life to achieve greater benefit and monitor the results from the facilitator’s perspective rather than just the learners’ perspective.
Furthermore, I designed a rubric of assessment containing the learning outcomes that learners fill out once a month. They rate the implementation of each learning outcome on a scale of 1 to 10 and explain the reason for giving this rating. They also track the improvement in implementing the outcomes from month to month through the rubric.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I can say that FIRST-ADLX Framework enabled me to design a learning journey built on clear foundations and principles for each activity I designed. It also changed the concept of the learning journey from merely focusing on academic content, knowledge learning outcomes, and designing activities focusing on the knowledge to focusing on the learner, making them the central focus of the educational process, and considering each learner individually. In other words, the framework helped me design an Active Deep Learner eXperience that leaves a deep and sustainable impact on the hearts and minds of the learners, an impact that changes them for the better and helps in changing and developing their communities for the better, something I would not have achieved without experiencing the framework and applying it.