The role of representations for the development of a participatory culture of Learning Design among educators

This paper proposes an analysis of current research research in learning design (LD), a field aiming to improve the quality of educational interventions by supporting their design, and in particular by focusing on the development, among educators and designers, of a participatory culture concerning the educational use of digital media. The paper draws upon the history of the field to advocate not only the importance of the objective of creating a participatory culture of LD, but also the need for a slight shift of emphasis in LD research, from the current approach focused on the quest for ways to represent the results of the design of an educational process to one where the focus is on supporting also the decision making process taking place during design.