Designing compelling learning experiences

Learning is always more than the acquisition of knowledge; it also comprises an experience filled with the tangible qualities present in all life experiences. More than intellectual exercises, learning experiences are propelled by significant emotional energy and shaded by personal meanings that sometimes impact how people see themselves and the subject matter. The portfolio of work comprising this dissertation represents a developing inquiry into the aesthetic nature of learning and instructional design. Three chapters take a theoretical approach in exploring the nature of learning experiences and developing a rationale for applying the concept of aesthetic experience in striving toward engaging and compelling instruction. They draw primarily from the philosophy of John Dewey, and culminate in a framework for understanding factors contributing to the quality of a learning experience. Two chapters describe empirical research into how instructional designers and learners interpret learning experiences. One study takes a grounded theory approach to describe how educators apply aesthetic principles in their work and develops a generalized model of the aesthetic experience of learning. The second study examines the learning experiences of a set of learners engaged with an online learning module, focusing on the developing patterns of engagement and those factors influencing engagement. The final three chapters provide practical guidance for considering the learning experience---offering a set of aesthetic principles for instructional designers and narrative tools for designing with learning experience in mind.