Rob Lue on Innovations in Assignment Design Using Technology

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Technology has transformed the ways we deliver content to our students, both in the classroom and online. Similarly it now provides new ways for us to engage students through assignments that are more collaborative, self-paced and focused on the synthesis of ideas. When these possibilities are coupled with real-time analytics on student performance and behavior, we can develop assignments that are remarkably formative for students while also allowing us to evaluate their performance. I will discuss several approaches to assignment design that take advantage of software environments such as LaunchPad.

Robert Lue - Harvard University

Robert A. Lue is a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Richard L. Menschel Faculty Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University, where he is responsible for fostering innovative teaching in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and elevating its profile on campus. Rob earned his Ph.D. in biology from Harvard and has taught undergraduate courses since 1988, garnering recognition as one of Harvard’s foremost leaders in undergraduate education.

Rob has a longstanding commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research and serves as the director of Life Sciences Education at Harvard, where he led a complete redesign of the introductory curriculum that created some of the largest and most popular science courses on campus. As the faculty director of the Harvard-Allston Education Portal, Rob oversees the integration of undergraduate education with community outreach on Harvard’s Allston campus, and in 2012, Rob’s extensive work on using technology to enhance learning took a new direction when he became the faculty director of HarvardX. At HarvardX, Harvard’s university-wide initiative that includes the edX partnership in online education with MIT, Rob helps to shape the university’s engagement in online learning in a way that reinforces its commitment to teaching excellence and works to expand its reach and impact globally.

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• Understanding Multimodality: Multimodal design integrates various sensory inputs—visual, auditory, and tactile—to create a comprehensive user experience.
• Experiential Design Focus: This approach emphasizes the creation of immersive environments that resonate with users on an emotional and sensory level.
• Aesthetic Empathy: Designers need to cultivate aesthetic empathy, understanding how different design elements evoke specific emotional responses.
• User-Centric Approach: Successful experiential design prioritizes the user's perspective, ensuring the design is both functional and emotionally engaging.
• Context Awareness: Designers must consider the context in which the experience occurs, tailoring the design to suit the environment and audience.
• Interactive Elements: Incorporating interactive elements allows users to engage with the design, enhancing the overall experience.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Aesthetic empathy requires an awareness of cultural differences, ensuring the design resonates with diverse audiences.
• Ehall Integration: Incorporating (Subjective Global Patient Assessment) ehal can help gauge users' emotional responses to design elements, improving overall design effectiveness.
• Sustainability: Designers should consider the environmental impact of their work, opting for sustainable materials and practices.
• Technology's Role: Leveraging technology can enhance the sensory experience, from augmented reality to immersive soundscapes.
• Collaboration: Effective experiential design often requires collaboration across disciplines, including psychology, art, and engineering.
• Continuous Feedback: Regular user feedback is crucial for refining designs and ensuring they continue to meet the emotional and functional needs of users.