Episode 139 | Saturday February 11, 2023, 5:30 pm Eastern
Many job roles and responsibilities are rapidly changing here in the third decade of the twenty-first century. According to a December 19, 2022 article in the Evolllution, A Time for Learning Experience Designers, Mark Milliron, President of National University and Kim Round, Associate Dean in the Teacher’s College of Western Governors University (WGU) argue that we need to better engage students in the learning process by rethinking the instructional approaches and supports that can be provided for learners. Milliron and Round point to the need to craft richer and more meaningful learning experiences. They argue that these new approaches are more empathy-based and sensitive to student wellness. Among those jobs in the midst of transformation is that of instructional designer and educational technologist. It is time for the learning experience designer (LED) to lead us into this new learning age.
In addressing this concern, in this episode of Silver Lining for Learning, Drs. Milliron and Round will discuss a new Master of Science in Learning Experience Design and Education Technology (MSLxDET) from Western Governors University that will launch in the summer of 2023. As they sagely write in the Evolllution, “25 years of advancements in competency-based education, personalized learning, its commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, support for Social Emotional Learning, advanced use of data, and innovation with skills-based learning are working to help our diverse array of students—particularly historically underserved students—successfully navigate personalized pathways to possibility.” In a personal conversation (January 20, 2023), Milliron further observed that we need to talk about “the new possible,” not “the new normal.” Attend Episode #139 of SSL and hear about the new possibilities of learning experience designers and the types of learning that they might design. You can find out whether “Is it Time to Lead or About Time We LED.”
More about our guests below the video.
December 19, 2022, A Time for Learning Experience Designers, Mark Milliron, National University, Kim Round, WGU, The Evolllution
https://evolllution.com/programming/program_planning/a-time-for-learning-experience-designers-2/
Dr. Mark David Milliron is an award-winning leader, author, speaker, and consultant, who works with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, foundations, corporations, associations, and government agencies across the country and around the world. He serves as President & CEO of National University (NU), one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States. NU is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and has a 50-year history of innovating around the needs of military, working, and nontraditional students.
In addition to his work with NU, Dr. Milliron helps catalyze positive change in education through his service on the boards and advisory councils of leading-edge education organizations, including the Trellis Foundation; Bennett College; the Global Online Academy; Civitas Learning; the Mastery Transcript Consortium; and ISKME/Open Education Resource Commons. He also holds an appointment as a Professor of Practice in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin.
Regardless of his activities and accomplishments, he will quickly tell you that the most important job and the greatest blessing in his life are serving as Julia’s husband and father to Alexandra, Richard, Marcus, and Max. Read Full Bio.
Dr. Kim Round is an Associate Dean at WGU’s School of Education. Kim leads the strategic vision for the school’s higher education and workforce development portfolio, including key initiative launches such as the M.S. in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology. Kim has deep expertise in design thinking and learner-centered education models. Her early background in engineering has strongly influenced her approach to problem-solving. However, Kim’s passion for learning experience design was first sparked by her family’s educational experiences through a neuro-diversity lens. Her work now focuses on how empathy-based leadership and design can increase access and opportunity for all learners. Previously, Kim led the Instructional Innovation Center at Saint Anselm College and spent twenty years in higher ed technology leadership. Also, Kim has served on the faculty at Harvard University Extension School and Brandeis University. Her Harvard course, “Empowering Adult Online Learning: Theory and Best Practices” attracted learners from around the world. Kim holds a Ph.D., Computing Technology in Education from Nova Southeastern University. On the home front, Kim lives in rural New Hampshire and has been married to her best friend for over thirty-five years. Together, they have two wonderful grown sons, a daughter-in-love and a sweet golden retriever.