Understanding by User Experience

In the spring, I took a course on Instructional Design.  We explored Understanding by Design, a framework developed by Wiggins and McTighe (2005).  In the readings and discussions, I found the distinctions between understanding, knowing, and applying to be incredibly useful, especially as I reflect upon my own experiences as a student – what did I use solely to succeed in my classes, and what was of use to me in my life later?  Why did I spend time learning it, and why were my teachers teaching it?  Too often, my learning was temporary and rewarded me for the correct answer, not for understanding the material.  As Wiggins and McTigue (2004) showed, “[A student’s error] signifies an attempted and plausible but unsuccessful transfer” (p. 51), while a correct answer that simply repeats what information was given in class, despite not being able to apply that knowledge anywhere else, was rewarded.  Learning, therefore, is only as good as its context.  “To understand is to make connections and bind together our knowledge into something that makes sense of things (whereas without understanding we might only see unclear, isolated, or unhelpful facts)” (p. 7).    What this taught me was ways that I could make learning user-based and useful, as well as the importance of creating a context for a positive learning experience.

This has many connections to User Experience, or UX.  The importance of feedback and testing show the library’s willingness to understand user’s experiences, as well as to make sure the users were having a useful experience and deep connection with the library.  UX is not about correct answers, it is about “creating positive emotional interactions with various services” (Schmidt & Stephens, 2011).  It’s not about data, it’s about understanding users: “Libraries need to go deeper, meet real community needs, and deliver amazing experiences. The key to all of this is empathy, and user interviews are a great first step” (Hadro, 2010).  UX is an exciting new venue for transforming how we build and use our libraries, as well as connecting to current revolutions in education.

There are lots of intersecting ways to create a context for UX, and I believe it’s both an attitude shift and an action.  It has to be both internal and active to truly take root and not be a flimsy initiative that passes.

Sources cited

Hadro, J. (2010, March 1). Learn by asking [Web log post]. Library Journal. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2010/03/opinion/aaron-schmidt/learn-by-asking-the-user-experience/

 

Schmidt, A., & Stephens, M. (2011, July 15). Putting the UX in education [Web log post]. Library Journal. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2011/07/library-education/putting-the-ux-in-education-the-user-experience-office-hours/

 

Wiggins, G., & McTigue, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (Expanded 2nd Edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.