Learning Design and the art of how to learn: a reflection on modern education
How to learn—how to achieve deep, transformative learning—is something I find myself reflecting on more and more. With all the Learning Design research, data, tools, and platforms at our fingertips, you'd think we'd be getting better at it. But are we really?
Hi, I'm Bianca Raby—Learning Designer, educator, and chronic overthinker about all things education. And today, I want to share a few thoughts straight from my book Online Learning: So, you want to be a Learning Designer? because I think they're more relevant than ever.
I've also done this in a video that I'll leave here, in case you prefer to watch:
How to learn in the modern world
Let's start with this uncomfortable truth: many students struggle to carve out space and focus to actually start learning. Yes, even the most motivated ones sometimes forget how to learn. In a world designed to distract, learning requires an unusual amount of discipline—and that discipline isn't taught often enough.
When I wrote this passage back in 2021, I was knee-deep in Learning Design projects. I watched the education sector grapple with decisions on how to learn and teach in the age of digital transformation. And despite all the buzzwords and tools, one thing became clear: no technology can replace the need for students to engage deeply, reflect, and sit with discomfort.
It got me wondering—have we forgotten how to learn?
Is learning a 50/50 responsibility? The Learning Design responsibility
Working in Learning Design, I constantly think about the balance of responsibility between teacher and student. Should it be 50/50? I'm not so sure anymore. I think Learning Design should guide and inspire, but without the learner stepping up and leaning in, even the best-designed course can fall flat.
Many of us grew up in systems where memorising, repeating, and moving on was how to learn. Unfortunately, that's not learning—that's surviving a test. Using our Learning Design knowledge, we must create environments that demand more. But that also means teaching people to focus on how to learn again. Not just what to do, but how to manage their time, focus their attention, and stay motivated when things get tough.
Technology's double-edged sword
As much as I love digital tools (and I do!), we must admit they come with baggage. Every ding, ping, and notification drags us out of the flow. And yet, many learning experiences now rely entirely on screens. So we're asking people to learn while surrounded by the very things that make learning harder.
This is why Learning Design must be intentional. Not just pretty or functional, but human. It needs to account for the context people are learning in—and often, that context is chaos.
It's your turn…
So, when was the last time you learned something really new? How did it feel? Was it exciting, hard, frustrating, all of the above?
Let me know. Let's talk about the student's side of the equation—because the future of education and Learning Design isn't just about what we teach, but how we help people re-learn how to learn.
Until next time, stay awesome—and keep learning.