As part of my PhD journey, I’ve decided to document and share what I’m learning each week. This not only helps me process the ideas more deeply but also gives me a chance to connect with others who might be exploring similar topics in learning sciences, instructional design, or education.
For Week 2, I pulled together some of my notes and reflections into short explainer videos, plus a podcast episode that dives deeper into the readings and concepts. All of these were created with Notebook LM, which has been a great tool for turning text-based study materials into engaging, digestible formats.
🎥 Videos:
→ Explores how instructional design has evolved over the past century, the major learning theories (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism), and the rise of Learning Experience Design (LXD), which blends instructional design with UX principles to create more human-centered, engaging learning.
→ Unpacks the “training trap,” or the assumption that every performance issue can be solved with training. It introduces tools like performance assessments, needs assessments, and goal analysis to help identify whether the real issue is skills, systems, or environment—and how to design solutions that actually work.
🎧 Podcast:
Unlock_Learning__How_Instructional_Design_and_Learning_Sciences_Transform_How_We_Learn (1).m4a
→ A more detailed discussion of the week’s readings, how they connect to broader learning sciences concepts, and some questions I’m carrying forward.
I’ll be sharing more each week—sometimes summaries, sometimes questions that come up for me, and sometimes practical connections to real-world contexts. My hope is that these reflections spark conversations, inspire ideas, or simply give you a quick glimpse into what it’s like to live inside the learning sciences as a new doctoral student.
Stay tuned for Week 3!
Mahbub Amin 