Learning Reflection
Coming into EDCI 337 as a Computer Science student, I viewed “design” in a very literal, technical way. If a program ran without errors and did its job, I considered it successful. I initially thought storytelling and design thinking were more like “soft skills” rather than core parts of learning design. But as I look back at the course objectives now, I see how much my thinking has changed. I realized that even the most perfectly coded software is ineffective if it doesn’t consider the learner’s cognitive experience.
I think I met the course goals around design thinking and storytelling, but this required unlearning my habit of prioritizing features over learning outcomes. For example, in Challenge A, my original idea was to list facts about sleep cycles. After reading about how narrative supports memory and emotional engagement, I redesigned the whole piece around “Alex,” a character the viewer could relate to. That shift wasn’t just creative; it was instructional. Anchoring content in a story helped made the science easier to understand. This helped me see storytelling as a teaching tool rather than decoration.
Where Things Got Difficult
The hardest part of the course was learning how to iterate — especially in a group. In Computer Science, we usually follow a strict specification. Here, the “specification” — basically, the learners’ needs — kept evolving as we worked, which created tension and moments of uncertainty. Challenge C taught me this lesson clearly. My group — Kushank, Khushi, and I — tried to use AI tools to quickly finish the website. I assumed the AI would handle the technical side perfectly, but instead it produced text that was overly complex and full of jargon. It went against the Coherence Principle, so we had to manually rewrite and simplify large sections. This was the moment I realized I had to switch from thinking like a developer to thinking like a learning designer. Challenge A also revealed my blind spots around inclusive design. When Gemini automatically generated a white, Eurocentric student, it made me think about the “default settings” of AI. It pushed me to stop treating AI outputs as neutral and to think critically about representation.
Growth
One of the clearest signs of my growth is how differently I now think about Mayer’s multimedia principles. Early in the course, I treated them like rules to follow so I wouldn’t lose marks. By Challenge B, our group used them to shape the entire structure of our videos. For example, when explaining concepts like “brand trust,” we applied the Signaling Principle by emphasizing key words on screen as they were spoken. We also avoided unnecessary transitions because they would only add to extra Cognitive Load. Instead of simply “following the principles,” we used them to justify every design decision.
Another big shift came from understanding what “active learning” actually means. I used to think it meant clicking buttons or adding interactions. Through readings on the ICAP model, I learned that the most meaningful learning happens when the learner is constructing or generating something. This pushed us, in Challenge C, to go beyond simple explanations and instead apply Merrill’s First Principles through activation, demonstration, and guided practice. It changed my thinking from “what content should I include?” to “how do I give the learner a structure to make sense of this?”
Looking Ahead
What I’ve learned in EDCI 337 will directly impact how I design technology in the future. I now see UX through a learning lens. For example, the Segmenting Principle applies just as well to software design: introduce complexity gradually, and don’t overwhelm the user. If users struggle with a system, it’s usually because of poor design, not poor ability. The accessibility module also shifted my mindset. “Solve for one, extend to many” is now a guiding principle for me. Accessibility isn’t about checking WCAG (Web Content Accessibilty Guidelines) boxes at the end, it’s about designing in a way that makes the experience easier and more intuitive for everyone from the start. Whether I’m designing a website, an interface, or a learning resource, accessibility is now built into my workflow rather than added as a patch.
Overall, this course taught me something simple but powerful: communication is an algorithm. When we design multimedia, we are creating instructions for the human brain. If we combine cognitive principles with thoughtful, inclusive design, we create learning experiences that are clearer, kinder, and more meaningful. That is something that I will carry with me long after this course.