Digital Learning Experiences: The Good, the Bad, and the Well-Designed

 Learning in the Digital Age: My Best and Worst Experiences

    Digital learning, especially at the collegiate level, was a foreign concept to me when I entered college in 2008. Yes, I was aware that online courses were offered, but I didn’t see the appeal at the time. I recall in my junior year, a required course was only offered online, and I did not enjoy it. I was, and still am, one of those individuals who prefer in-person learning over digital learning. That statement may appear confusing since I am enrolled in an online graduate program, but 17 years later, I now understand the appeal.

    Digital learning has become such a regular part of our daily lives that I often forget how frequently I engage in it. I have taken professional learning courses as a teacher and as a learner. More often, I am required by my school district to participate in training modules on current educational trends or new programs the district has adopted. Then, I’ve relied on YouTube and video tutorials to help me figure out problems when I needed assistance. Some of these experiences have been engaging, rewarding, and informative, while others have felt like a waste of time. Entering year 2 of the Instructional Design and Technologies program at ASU, I have come to realize the importance of course design and how principles like Mayer’s Multimedia Principles and Merrill’s First Principles can shape a digital learning experience.

My Best: Mini Digital Learning Experiences

    When reflecting on my digital learning experiences, no single experience stands out as being particularly outstanding. However, throughout this program, I have encountered memorable mini digital learning experiences that have supported my growth as an instructional designer. I entered this program with no background in learning design, which created some anxiety. However, in most of my courses, instructors have included YouTube tutorials or tutorials they made themselves to support various projects.

    For instance, in EDP 540: Learning Theories and Instructional Strategies, we explored a specific theory and/or instructional design framework each week and then applied that theory in a digital learning experience. This course was the first in the program that really forced me to step out of my comfort zone and create instructional materials using unfamiliar tools. Fortunately, we worked primarily within Google Workspace, which I found to be user-friendly. However, what also eased my anxiety were the tutorial videos made by our instructor, Dr. Angelica Morgan. The videos she created showed her creating a project within the Google Workspace app, accompanied by narration. She provided basic, yet necessary steps for designing our project, and the tutorials support Mayer’s Modality Principle of Multimedia Learning. The voiceover complimented the tutorials when describing the steps and settings necessary to complete our project (Digital Learning Institute, n.d.).

    Another similar experience occurred this past spring while taking LDT 506: Evaluation of Learning System. In Dr. Steve Salik’s introductory course video, he explained that we would be using statistical analysis software called JASP. Upon learning this, I became nervous that I would not be able to perform the required tasks properly because I hadn’t used JASP before; however, Dr. Salik created tutorials that modeled each week’s statistical task step-by-step. By the end of the course, I had become independent of the tutorials and was able to conduct fundamental analyses for the final project.

The Worst: Microsoft Teams Crash Course   

    In March 2020, I never imagined that when I entered spring break, that would be the last time I’d teach in my classroom until August. Like all districts across the country, we patiently waited to learn what the plan was for teaching during the pandemic. Just a few days before we were supposed to resume school, I was informed I would be teaching remotely using Microsoft Teams. Thankful to still have a job, I was also extremely anxious that I would not be able to serve my students to the best of my ability, given the circumstances.

    Upon learning we’d be responsible for teaching via Microsoft Teams, the district required us to take remote training on how to use the program. This included conducting lessons, creating assignments, uploading content, and providing materials. It was entirely self-paced and lasted several hours. Additionally, it was entirely text-based, with no accompanying pictures or videos to illustrate the explanations. The pressure to be an “expert” on something I was introduced to only a few days prior was incredibly overwhelming and felt nearly impossible. The only comforting aspect of the situation was that my fellow teachers were in the same position, and we could support one another.

    Merrill’s First Principle of Instruction states that “learning is promoted when new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner” (LDT 504, 2025). The Microsoft Teams training was not demonstrated with videos or images; instead, it was strictly described in text. We were allowed to provide feedback on the training, and I included a comment about the lack of demonstrations. I understand that there was no playbook on how to teach during a worldwide pandemic; however, Microsoft Teams was released years before the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing demonstrations to be created beforehand and distributed to us.

Design Matters

    A similarity between my best and worst digital learning experiences is that I had no prior knowledge of each software. The significant difference between the experiences is the design. Despite feeling overwhelmed initially, I found confidence because my instructors intentionally included demonstrations to accompany text descriptions. The tutorials provided an opportunity for learners to apply what they had learned and highlighted its relevance, which Merrill’s First Principles ensure. This design helped prevent cognitive overload, which Mayer’s Multimedia Principles support.

    In the future, I plan to implement these principles and pay closer attention to the design of digital learning. When I am the learner, I notice that these principles lead to retention, not just completing a course. Digital learning will only continue to grow, and intentional design choices are what lead to meaningful learning.

References:

LDT 504 eLearning Design & Development. (2025). Module 1: Theory: Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction. Arizona State University. [Unpublished course material].

Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning: DLI. Digital Learning Institute. (n.d.). https://www.digitallearninginstitute.com/blog/mayers-principles-multimedia-learning