Designing Learning Remixes

I was recently talking about the new year with a friend. She said “I really despise this whole ‘new year, new you!’. What if I like who I am already and just want to tweak a few things, kinda like a remix?”

That concept stuck with me (especially as a side hustle DJ) and got me thinking, what if change in life, work, and everything in between is all a remix? What if we already have the tools and the materials we need, we just need to reimagine how we use them? 

And then, of course, my mind wandered to applying this remix idea to learning design and design thinking. In this work, I wonder if we are always building on and remixing experiences. While exhilarating and inspirational for some, this infinite loop of never getting a design perfect can feel overwhelming and discouraging to others.

This can be especially true on the journey of Inclusive Learning Design where the constant shifts and adapting to new learning audiences while trying to maintain support for your existing learners can make your mind spin (see what I did there? ;). 

So how do you strike a balance between embracing that sense of freedom and exploration in remixing while giving yourself some structure to work within? Here are a few thoughts:

At the beginning of a remix:

• Re-ask the why- Even if this does not require a revision, ground yourself in the purpose of the learning experience before you revise. 
• Be open to change your goals and destination- If your “why” has changed, don’t be afraid to update your roadmap. This will help chart your success to your current vision instead of an outdated one. 
• Review your data- Unearth the qualitative and quantitative metrics you gathered from past course runs to determine what needs to be remixed based on learner feedback. 
• If it’s not broken, don’t fix it- If you like the current version, maybe there is no need for a remix. Put it on the shelf and remember to give it a future listen. 

While redesigning a remix:

• Test with new learners- Get this remix out to a new audience and ask for feedback to explore how it is landing. 
• Revisit older versions- Don’t just focus on the remix of the most recent version. Go back further and pull in aspects that worked from any previous designs. This is when remixing can get really fun. 

When releasing a remix:

• Revise your post assessment surveys- Update these to reflect any changes you have made in your remix. 
• Ask if this is good enough for now- No mix is ever perfect. If it meets your goals, step away until you need to iterate again. 

Remember, learning design is always iterative. And that’s the beauty of it all. You can either go back to tweak a remix or mix it all over again. Just like with music, “Everything old is new again.” Keep this mantra top of mind when you approach design learning remixes. And don't forget to dance along the way.