Learning Systems Design — accessible version of the area map

Section 1

About this area

The design of learning as an organizational system — its analysis, infrastructure, evaluation, and change — rather than as isolated programs. This area gathers the contributions that situate learning inside institutions and help them move.

Grounding. Systems thinking; organizational learning

This area at a glance
Resources in this area	14
With a live page	7
In development	7
Shared with another area	3, whose home area is Learning Experience Design

See this area in the context of the whole practice.

Section 2

The 14 resources in this area

Each entry states what the resource contributes, what grounds it, whether a live page exists, the resources most like it within this area, and the connections that run beyond it.

Learning Design at the Systems Level

How learning functions across a whole organization

In development

Designing learning as an organizational system — governance, infrastructure, and sustainment — rather than as a set of isolated programs. It is the capstone that situates every other contribution inside the institution.

Grounding. Systems thinking; organizational learning

Sources

Reference 1: Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Organizational Learning Design — Systems · 1 shared source
Change Management Through Learning Design — Systems · 1 shared source
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Systems
Learning Design for Emergent Learning — Systems
Equity Evaluation Framework Design — editorially linked

Connected contributions

Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation
Change Management Through Learning Design

Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation

Diagnosing the problem before proposing a solution

Published resource

Entering an organization by asking the right diagnostic questions first — where intentions and outcomes have drifted apart — so design addresses the real problem. It is the organizational scale of learner research.

Grounding. Needs analysis; gap analysis

Read the Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation resource

Sources

Reference 2: Rossett, A. (1987). Training Needs Assessment. Educational Technology Publications.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learning Design at the Systems Level — Systems
Organizational Learning Design — Systems
Learner Research: Human-Centred Design — Learner research
Change Management Through Learning Design — Systems
Learning Design for Emergent Learning — Systems

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level
Learner Research: Human-Centred Design

Where this work leads

Implementation Science Learning Design, on the Knowledge Mobilization page
Policy & Public-Sector Knowledge Design, on the Knowledge Mobilization page

Change Management Through Learning Design

Moving organizations, not just running courses

Published resource

Designing learning as the mechanism of organizational change, for institutions navigating transformation with limited capacity to manage it well. It is a frequent, legible need in higher education and the public sector.

Grounding. Change management; implementation

Read the Change Management Through Learning Design resource

Sources

Reference 3: Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press.
Reference 1: Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learning Design at the Systems Level — Systems · 1 shared source
Organizational Learning Design — Systems · 1 shared source
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Systems
Learning Design for Emergent Learning — Systems
Learning Evaluation Framework Design — Systems

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level

Where this work leads

Closing the Knowing–Doing Gap, on the Universal Design for Learning page
Implementation Science Learning Design, on the Knowledge Mobilization page

Equity Evaluation Framework Design

Measuring equity, not only designing for it

In development

Frameworks that measure whether a design advanced equity, extending evaluation into territory organizations are increasingly accountable for. It belongs to the shared evaluation family across the practice.

Grounding. Equity evaluation; measurement

Sources

Reference 4: Mertens, D. M. (2009). Transformative Research and Evaluation. Guilford Press.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learning Evaluation Framework Design — Evaluation
Learning Design at the Systems Level — editorially linked
Wellness-Integrated Learning Environment Design — Equity

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level

Where this work leads

Equity-Centered Learning Design, on the Universal Design for Learning page
Evaluating Whether Design Reduced Barriers, on the Universal Design for Learning page
KMb Evaluation Design, on the Knowledge Mobilization page

Scenario-Based Learning Design for Complex Practice

Designing for judgment under real conditions

In development

Designing learning around realistic scenarios so practitioners build judgment for complex, ambiguous situations. It is widely applicable across professional practice in every target sector.

Grounding. Situated learning; case-based design

Sources

Reference 5: Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Experiential Learning Infrastructure — Experiential
Learning Design at the Systems Level — editorially linked
Organizational Learning Design — Capacity
Learning Community Design & Facilitation — 1 shared source

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level
Experiential Learning Infrastructure

Storyboarding for Learning Design

Making the design visible before it is built

In development

A craft method for planning and communicating a learning experience before production, so decisions are deliberate and shared. It shows how the work is done, not only what it concludes.

Grounding. Storyboarding; design process

Sources

Reference 6: Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and Expanded ed.). Basic Books.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learner Research: Human-Centred Design — 1 shared source
Curriculum Mapping Design — Alignment
Learning Design at the Systems Level — editorially linked

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level

Where this work leads

Backward Design in Practice, on the Learning Experience Design page

Wellness-Integrated Learning Environment Design

Designing for the conditions learning depends on

In development

Designing learning environments that account for the human conditions — including wellbeing and the social determinants of participation — that shape whether learning can happen at all.

Grounding. Wellbeing; social determinants of learning

Sources

Reference 7: Fancourt, D., & Finn, S. (2019). What Is the Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Well-Being? WHO Regional Office for Europe, Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67.
Reference 8: WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008). Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity Through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. World Health Organization.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learning Design at the Systems Level — editorially linked
Equity Evaluation Framework Design — Equity

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level

Where this work leads

Equity-Centered Learning Design, on the Universal Design for Learning page

Learning Design for Emergent Learning

Structure for learning that cannot be fully pre-planned

In development

Designing for contexts where outcomes genuinely cannot be specified in advance, providing structure for learning that emerges through the work itself. It is the most exploratory contribution in the systems line.

Grounding. Complexity; emergent design

Sources

Reference 9: Snowden, D. J., & Boone, M. E. (2007). “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making.” Harvard Business Review, 85(11), 68–76.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learning Design at the Systems Level — Systems
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Systems
Change Management Through Learning Design — Systems
Organizational Learning Design — Systems
Learning Evaluation Framework Design — Systems

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level

Where this work leads

Designing for Reflection & Transfer, on the Learning Experience Design page

Organizational Learning Design

Learning as an organizational capability

Published resource

Designing the structures, roles, and routines through which an organization learns as a whole — so capability is built into how the institution works, not left to individual programs.

Grounding. Organizational learning (Senge)

Read the Organizational Learning Design resource

Sources

Reference 1: Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Learning Design at the Systems Level — Systems · 1 shared source
Change Management Through Learning Design — Systems · 1 shared source
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Systems
Scenario-Based Learning Design for Complex Practice — Capacity
Learning Design for Emergent Learning — Systems

Connected contributions

Learning Design at the Systems Level
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation

Where this work leads

Learning Systems Design, on the Learning Systems Design page

Learning Evaluation Framework Design

Knowing whether learning worked

Published resource

Designing frameworks that measure whether learning achieved what it set out to — outcomes and impact, not only satisfaction — so decisions rest on evidence. It belongs to the shared evaluation family across the practice.

Grounding. Evaluation design (Kirkpatrick)

Read the Learning Evaluation Framework Design resource

Sources

Reference 10: Kirkpatrick, D. L., & Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2006). Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels (3rd ed.). Berrett-Koehler.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Equity Evaluation Framework Design — Evaluation
Learning Design at the Systems Level — Systems
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Systems
Change Management Through Learning Design — Systems
Learning Design for Emergent Learning — Systems

Connected contributions

Equity Evaluation Framework Design

Where this work leads

Learning Systems Design, on the Learning Systems Design page
KMb Evaluation Design, on the Knowledge Mobilization page
Evaluating Whether Design Reduced Barriers, on the Universal Design for Learning page

Curriculum Mapping Design

Coherence across a whole program

Published resource

Mapping outcomes, assessments, and experiences across an entire curriculum so a program holds together as a coherent whole rather than a set of disconnected courses. It is the program-scale companion to backward design.

Grounding. Curriculum alignment; backward design

Read the Curriculum Mapping Design resource

Sources

Reference 11: Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (Expanded 2nd ed.). ASCD.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Storyboarding for Learning Design — Alignment
Learning Design at the Systems Level — Systems
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Systems
Change Management Through Learning Design — Systems
Learning Design for Emergent Learning — Systems

Connected contributions

Storyboarding for Learning Design

Where this work leads

Learning Systems Design, on the Learning Systems Design page
Backward Design in Practice, on the Learning Experience Design page

Experiential Learning Infrastructure

Learning by doing, built to last

Published resource

The conditions and structures that let adult learners practise, make consequential mistakes, and build capability through experience rather than exposure. It treats error as a designed source of feedback, not a failure of instruction.

A resource in two areas. Its home is Learning Experience Design, and it is also part of the Learning Systems Design set.

Grounding. Experiential learning (Kolb); retrieval practice & desirable difficulties (Bjork)

Read the Experiential Learning Infrastructure resource

Sources

Reference 12: Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall (2nd ed., Pearson, 2015).
Reference 13: Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2011). “Making Things Hard on Yourself, but in a Good Way: Creating Desirable Difficulties to Enhance Learning.” In Psychology and the Real World. Worth Publishers.
Reference 14: Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). “Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention.” Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Scenario-Based Learning Design for Complex Practice — Experiential

Where this work leads

Learning Experience Architecture, on the Learning Experience Design page
Designing for Reflection & Transfer, on the Learning Experience Design page
Inclusive Facilitation & Capacity Building, on the Accessibility page
Learning Systems Design, on the Learning Systems Design page

Learning Community Design & Facilitation

Peer learning and communities of practice

Published resource

Designing the social layer of learning — structured peer exchange, collaborative sense-making, and communities of practice that let expertise circulate rather than sit in silos. It is also the capability that sustains evidence use in knowledge mobilization.

A resource in two areas. Its home is Learning Experience Design, and it is also part of the Learning Systems Design set.

Grounding. Zone of proximal development (Vygotsky); communities of practice (Wenger)

Read the Learning Community Design & Facilitation resource

Sources

Reference 15: Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
Reference 16: Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
Reference 5: Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Scenario-Based Learning Design for Complex Practice — 1 shared source

Where this work leads

Learning Experience Architecture, on the Learning Experience Design page
Co-Production & Participatory Design, on the Knowledge Mobilization page
Research-to-Practice Learning Systems, on the Knowledge Mobilization page
Inclusive Facilitation & Capacity Building, on the Accessibility page
Learning Systems Design, on the Learning Systems Design page

Learner Research: Human-Centred Design

Understanding learners before designing for them

In development

UX research applied to learning — interviews, empathy mapping, personas, journey mapping, and synthesis — so programs are grounded in who learners actually are rather than who they are assumed to be. At organizational scale, the same inquiry becomes needs analysis.

A resource in two areas. Its home is Learning Experience Design, and it is also part of the Learning Systems Design set.

Grounding. Human-centred design; UX research methods

Sources

Reference 6: Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and Expanded ed.). Basic Books.

Most related, by shared theory and theme

Storyboarding for Learning Design — 1 shared source
Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation — Learner research

Connected contributions

Needs Analysis for Organizational Transformation

Where this work leads

Learning Experience Architecture, on the Learning Experience Design page
Designing for Learner Variability at Scale, on the Universal Design for Learning page
Learning Systems Design, on the Learning Systems Design page

Section 3

References and resources

The theory and knowledge underpinning the resources in this area, cited by number above. Peer-reviewed and institutional sources link directly. Books and reports are cited in full so they can be found in any library catalogue.

Organizational learning1. Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday.
Needs analysis2. Rossett, A. (1987). Training Needs Assessment. Educational Technology Publications.
Change management3. Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press.
Equity evaluation4. Mertens, D. M. (2009). Transformative Research and Evaluation. Guilford Press.
Social learning5. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press.
Human-centred design6. Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and Expanded ed.). Basic Books.
Creative health7. Fancourt, D., & Finn, S. (2019). What Is the Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Well-Being? WHO Regional Office for Europe, Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67.
Social determinants8. WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008). Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity Through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. World Health Organization.
Complexity9. Snowden, D. J., & Boone, M. E. (2007). “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making.” Harvard Business Review, 85(11), 68–76.
Evaluation10. Kirkpatrick, D. L., & Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2006). Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels (3rd ed.). Berrett-Koehler.
Instructional design11. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (Expanded 2nd ed.). ASCD.
Learning theory12. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall (2nd ed., Pearson, 2015).
Learning sciences13. Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2011). “Making Things Hard on Yourself, but in a Good Way: Creating Desirable Difficulties to Enhance Learning.” In Psychology and the Real World. Worth Publishers.
Learning sciences14. Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). “Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention.” Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255.
Social learning15. Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
Learning theory16. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

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