A Multi-Dimensional Space for Learning Design Representations and Tools

One of the core activities teachers perform as part of their professional practice is conceptual preparation of educational interventions of whatever type and at whatever level of granularity: single learning opportunities and activities, sequences, lessons, units, modules, courses or even whole programmes. A longstanding pillar in the constant quest for didactical efficacy, this preparation and planning is a field of study in its own right that is attracting renewed attention. This is thanks in large part to innovation brought about by the use of digital technologies throughout the educational sphere. The field is known by various names but perhaps the most commonly adopted, at least in Europe, is learning design (LD). This fast evolving field has become quite broad in scope and is now characterised by considerable diversity and complexity. For many, this rapid development is disorienting, making the field somewhat difficult to get to grips with. In an effort to address these challenges, and to contribute to a more systematic view of the field and its multitude of facets, this contribution illustrates and explains learning design in terms of one of its central tenants, namely design representations and tools. The chapter illustrates a set of different representation types and tools and proposes a multidimensional framework for positioning different approaches to learning design.