The rapid evolution of eLearning technologies and multi-media content has been hampered by a general lack of correlation between UX design disciplines (interfaces, interactions, aesthetics) and traditional instructional design.  This disconnect carries important implications for learning engagement, and points to the need a cross-functional field of endeavor that University of Sidney researcher Dorian Peters terms learning experience design (LXD).  Building on the formative research of Richard E. Mayer and Ruth Colvin Clark in E-learning and the Science of Instruction, she writes:

In much of design, we aim to craft a user experience that meets business or communication goals.  In learning experience design (LXD), the goal is to help someone learn something.  It’s about improving outcomes and the quality of the learning experience.  A big part of LXD is designing a user interface in a way that supports and enhances the cognitive and affective processes that learning involves.

Learning experience design will necessarily be impacted by recent trends in personalized learning, including the upsurge of short video formats and nascent introduction of game mechanics to address intrinsic motivations.  This blog will explore the emergent influence of learning experience design upon learning engagement, adoption and evaluation using visual analytics tools.