Learner Experience Design

ELTjam LXD Session: Nick Robinson

On the evening of the 13th April, amidst the noise and tomfoolery of the 50th IATEFL Conference, we hosted an underground ELTjam Session on Learner Experience Design (LXD). We invited four speakers to share their thoughts on the subject, while the audience supped on craft ales. First up was our very own Nick Robinson. Here is his opening salvo from that night …

we need to talk about learner experience design

We need to talk about LX

Frustration, anger, confusion, boredom and repetition are all hallmarks of bad user experience (UX); unfortunately, they’re often hallmarks of language learning too, especially when it takes place digitally. But bad UX is not the only reason digital language learning products fail – sometimes it’s the content, sometimes it’s the pedagogy, sometimes it’s the lack of human interaction. Bad UX alone fails to address the complexities of language learning. We need to start talking about bad learner experience (LX). Bad LX could be defined in a number of ways, but at its most basic it’s this: not only did you fail to learn something; you had a horrible time trying.