Content and Activities Overview
The Learning by Design Playground is a hands-on, immersive studio where educators experience how to nurture belonging, guide curiosity, and empower agency through design. The playground features two live stages and six interactive stations, offering both inspiration and practical takeaways.
Participants explore at their own pace, listen to powerful educator stories, engage in creative design experiences, and collect a digital toolbox of projects, strategies, and templates to bring joyful learning into their classrooms.
Structure and Flow:
Stage Presentations (3 sessions per stage, 30 minutes each)
Ignite Stage: Vision & Inspiration
High-energy talks that focus on why joyful, authentic learning matters. Speakers share visionary ideas, design mindsets, and examples of classroom transformation rooted in belonging, curiosity, and agency.
Design Stage: Impact & Stories
Story-driven presentations highlighting how educators implemented the Transformational Learning Principles in their practice. These sessions showcase real projects, outcomes, and reflections from diverse classrooms and contexts.
Interactive Stations (6 stations 2 per principle; 2 slots of 1 hour each)
At the heart of the playground experience, the interactive stations invite participants to engage in hands-on discussions where educators showcase tools, projects, and ideas aligned with the Transformational Learning Principles.
Participants rotate freely through six stations organized by principle:
The Nurture Workshop (2 stations): Hands-on experiences and interactive discussions focused on building classroom culture, empathy, and inclusive design practices.
The Guide Gallery (2 stations): Hands-on experiences and interactive discussions exploring inquiry models, curiosity-sparking routines, and visible thinking tools.
The Empower Studio (2 stations): Hands-on experiences and interactive discussions centered on project prototyping, student voice, and design for agency and authentic impact.
Each round runs for one hour. During each round, every station will host two 15–20 minute interactive sessions. At the hour mark, a new group of presenters will begin, allowing for a total of 12 interactive station sessions across the playground. Attendees move freely between stations, engaging in brief design challenges, meaningful dialogue, and exploring digital resources.
Closing Call-to-Action (10 minutes)
The experience concludes with a collaborative reflection and invitation to continue the conversation beyond the event. Participants are encouraged to contribute to the Learning by Design Wall, a collaborative mural (both physical and digital) where they share one brief reflection and an actionable step to apply in their teaching practice.
A digital version of the Learning by Design Wall will remain accessible after the conference, allowing participants to reconnect, exchange ideas, and sustain collaboration within the transformational learning community.
After this session, participants will be able to:
- Design inclusive learning experiences that foster a sense of belonging and ensure learners feel valued and supported.
- Implement strategies that spark curiosity and guide students toward deeper understanding through authentic, inquiry-based approaches.
- Apply evidence-based design principles and digital tools to create learning environments that promote creativity, reflection, and agency.
- Utilize adaptable frameworks and templates to plan for intentional engagement, accessibility, and learner empowerment.
- Leave with a toolbox of ideas, resources, and templates gathered from each station to bring joyful learning by design into their classrooms.
- Commit to an actionable step that translates the playground experience into meaningful improvements in their teaching practice.
ISTE & ASCD (2023). Transformational Learning Principles. https://iste.org/learn/transformational-learning-principles
Foundational framework for this playground, aligning evidence-based practices to the principles of Nurture, Guide, and Empower.
- Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2019). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Synthesizes research showing how environments that promote safety, belonging, and relationships nurture student well-being and achievement. (Supports Nurture)
- Hattan, C., Alexander, P. A., & Lupo, S. M. (2023). Leveraging what students know to make sense of texts: What the research says about prior knowledge activation. Review of Educational Research, 94(1), 73–111.
https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543221148478
Demonstrates how connecting new content to learners’ interests and experiences enhances curiosity, comprehension, and engagement. (Supports Guide)
- Zhang, L., & Ma, Y. (2023). A study of the impact of project-based learning on student learning effects: A meta-analysis study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1202728.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202728/full
Meta-analysis confirming that real-world, project-based learning significantly enhances motivation, critical thinking, and academic performance. (Supports Empower)
- Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. Jossey-Bass.
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Thinking-Visible-Understanding-Independence/dp/047091551X
Provides strategies to make student thinking visible and foster reflective inquiry that deepens learning. (Supports Guide and Empower)
- Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008). The effects of choice on intrinsic motivation and related outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 270–300.
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.134.2.270
Shows that giving students meaningful choices increases motivation, engagement, and agency. (Supports Empower)
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