{"id":4690,"date":"2021-06-10T21:36:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T21:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/2021\/06\/what-is-learning-experience-design-and-how-can-it-prepare-for-challenges\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T11:36:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T18:36:22","slug":"what-is-learning-experience-design-and-how-can-it-prepare-for-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/2021\/06\/what-is-learning-experience-design-and-how-can-it-prepare-for-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Learning Experience Design (LXD) and How Can It Prepare Workers for Real-Life Challenges?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:85px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>LXD shifts focus from \u201cteaching content\u201d to designing meaningful learner experiences that drive behaviour and capability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simply delivering training is not enough, designing for experience, context and application increases the chances of real impact.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organisations that adopt LXD are better positioned to help employees apply what they learn in real work settings and adapt to change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to form a creative, effective workforce, companies spend a lot of their energy and budget on learning and development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But how do they know that their investments are paying off and making a measurable impact? Or that the learning will lead to greater advancement and skills? Will employees develop and apply skills that move the business forward? Quizzes and reviews might reveal if someone has a good memory, but they won\u2019t assure that an employee can integrate the new learning into their duties at work. Or that the employee finds value in the learning, and feels more engaged, therefore more likely to stay.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-putting-learners-not-instructors-at-the-center-of-lxd\"><strong>Putting learners, not instructors, at the center of LXD<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instructional designers are now, more than ever, focusing their energies on learners, and putting their interests at the heart of their training, in a newer discipline known as learning experience design (LXD).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LXD is a multidisciplinary approach to training that recognizes that most learning happens, not by instruction, but through experience. By intentionally combining learning science with the principles of human-centered design, as well as social and behavioral psychology, learning experience design results in contextualized, outcome-oriented experiences where the learner leaves with something to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its very best, LXD can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Develop capabilities to adapt to new situations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bridge the gap between concept and practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a safe space to experiment and fail<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allow accurate assessment of new skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paying attention to how employees learn and whether they\u2019re absorbing what they\u2019re taught pays important dividends: simply put, it is an investment in the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-employee-training-is-a-great-investment\"><strong>Employee training is a great investment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.royle.com\/publication\/?m=20617&amp;i=678873&amp;p=24\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.royle.com\/publication\/?m=20617&amp;i=678873&amp;p=24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2020 Training Industry Report<\/a>, created by <em>Training<\/em> magazine, says that the average company in the U.S. spent $1,111 per employee in 2020 on training costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is a decrease from prior years, due, no doubt, to the COVID-19 pandemic, but whether employees return to the workplace or continue to work remotely, online learning will be a prominent part of their onboarding, and learning and development.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If training is costly, employee attrition is even more so: According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average replacement cost of a salaried employee is <a href=\"https:\/\/mnwi.usi.com\/Resources\/Resource-Library\/Resource-Library-Article\/ArtMID\/666\/ArticleID\/782\/Cost-of-employee-turnover#:~:text=The%20Society%20for%20Human%20Resource,in%20recruiting%20and%20training%20costs.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">six to nine months of salary<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For someone earning $60,000 per year, the cost estimate is $30,000 to $45,000 in recruiting and training to hire a replacement.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some studies say that the cost can be twice the employee\u2019s annual salary, especially for higher level employees.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-long-history-of-id\"><strong>The long history of ID<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditional Instructional Design (ID) is a blend of psychology, education, and communication that creates teaching plans for specific groups of students, exploring how they learn and what methods will help them to reach their goals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The field emerged during World War II, when psychologists and education experts were asked to create training materials for thousands of soldiers. In the mid-1960s, educational psychologist Robert Gagne, who also developed the earlier curriculum, created research known as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instructionaldesign.org\/theories\/conditions-learning\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">The <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instructionaldesign.org\/theories\/conditions-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Conditions of Learning<\/a>,\u201d that sit at the core of ID practices today\u2014which is why the industry has a great foundation, but was also ready for an overhaul, given its age.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rise-of-online-learning\"><strong>The rise of online learning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the rise of the internet, online learning gained prominence in the corporate sector, and companies used it for onboarding and developing new skills. As a result of \u201cbig data\u201d and analytics, in the past few years, the focus is not just on learning outcomes but also the overall user experience of the learner, which enables them to achieve outcomes in a \u201chuman-centered and goal-oriented\u201d way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/content\/dam\/insights\/us\/articles\/5136_HC-Trends-2019\/DI_HC-Trends-2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deloitte\u2019s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends report<\/a>, organizations rank \u201cchanging the way employees learn\u201d as the No. 1 challenge they are currently facing. It\u2019s not enough to focus on creating \u201cinstruction,\u201d but instead focus on developing <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/transform-online-course-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">engaging and collaborative experiences<\/a> that extend outside the bounds of the course to elicit long-lasting change.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-learners-first-with-lxd\"><strong>&#8220;Learners first&#8221; with LXD<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WIthin the past five years, more educational experts are turning to <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/learning-experience-design-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learning Experience Design<\/a> to further their educational goals, keeping the learner experience at the forefront.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engaging employees with LXD allows them to share more of the company culture and to bond more with their peers. A culture that puts the learner first lets employees know they are valued, that their input matters. Experiential learning also helps advance the goals of diversity and inclusion. By encouraging people from all over the enterprise to work together in a learning environment, companies can help their employees to break down barriers that might otherwise exist between departments, or people of different races, ethnic groups, gender and sexual orientation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Margaret Weigel, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixredmarbles.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Six Red Marbles<\/a>, defines LXD as \u201ca synthesis of Instructional Design, educational pedagogy, neuroscience, social sciences, design thinking, and User Experience Design.\u201d It truly takes the best practices of each of these fields and combines them to create learning that is experiential, engaging, impactful, and designed with the learner (instead of the instructor) in mind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is exactly what employees want but are not getting in their training. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdx.ac.uk\/our-research\/centres\/work-and-learning-research-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Research coming out of Middlesex University<\/a> supports this \u2013 74% of employees feel like they aren\u2019t meeting their potential at work due to lack of meaningful development opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-learning-doesn-t-happen-through-instruction\"><strong>Real learning doesn\u2019t happen through instruction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Memorable learning doesn\u2019t come from a book, or from tests. If adults are asked their most vivid memories from high school, it is likely that they would remember conducting a science experiment, participating in a math tournament, or strutting with their trumpet in the marching band.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same is true for training in the corporate world, whether it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/design-engaging-onboarding-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">onboarding<\/a>, leadership, or executive education. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newswire.com\/press-release\/report-on-workplace-learning-released-by-24x7-learning-inc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">24\u00d77 learning study<\/a>, 88% of employees said they do not apply the skills from training to their jobs. LXD helps change that with its focus on the <a href=\"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/wiki\/content-development\/the-702010-model-for-learning-and-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">70\/20\/10<\/a> model of learning. This model suggests that only 10% of employee learning comes from traditional instruction, whereas 70% comes from experiential and 20% from social learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-getting-hands-on-experience-with-lxd\"><strong>Getting hands-on experience with LXD<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Experiential learning allows employees to explore and analyze content with their peers, and they have a shared experience. They can discuss and reflect, analyze what is important, and find what works for them, or applies to the work they do. The immersive experience can include workplace simulations, role-playing and guided discussions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With collaboration, social learning, active facilitation, project-based learning, and peer feedback\u2014the hallmarks of Learning Experience Design\u2014companies are not only able to improve the training designed for learners but also create <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paradigm shifts<\/a> within organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ready-to-make-the-switch-nbsp\"><strong>Ready to make the switch?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ready to leave Instructional Design behind? Enroll in our<a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/learning-experience-design-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> free 5-week Foundations of Learning Experience Design course<\/a> <strong>in Fall 2021<\/strong> to gain core competencies in creating high-impact learning experiences using digital pedagogy and best practices \u2014 and engage with 15,000+ alumni and peers from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!-- ClicktoTweet Embed Code Start-->\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/clicktotweet.com\/embed\/Pdb1i\/11\/n\">&lt;\/script>\n<!-- ClicktoTweet Embed Code Start--><\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4>Related Searches<\/h4>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/designing-effective-blended-learning\/\">Blended Learning<\/a>,\n<a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/elearning-corporate-strategies-for-millennials\/\">Elearning Strategies<\/a>,\n<a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-online-facilitation\/\">Online Facilitation<\/a>,\n<a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/elearning-effective-engaging-videos\/\">Create Elearning Videos<\/a>,\n<a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/team-based-learning-organizational-trend\/\">Team Based Organizations<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learning experience design is a multidisciplinary approach to training that recognizes that most learning happens, not by instruction, but through experience \u2014 so the learner leaves with something to remember.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":4691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[116],"class_list":["post-4690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-learning-experience-design"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4690"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10482,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4690\/revisions\/10482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}