Definition
Learning develops over time as students engage in cycles of action, feedback and reflection.
This is the spirit of designing for iteration–creating cumulative connective experiences in which your students can experiment with ideas, take risks, course-correct in real time, prototype solutions and collect input just as business leaders do in real-world settings. Designing for iteration invites you to develop learning cycles in which your students can try out different concepts and actions, make mistakes, give and receive feedback, and revise. These iterative learning experiences ask learners to show the courage to fail to reveal insights to help them improve. Such activities build healthy lifelong skills of learning how to learn and persevere through trial and error.
Research Ties
Read more about this method’s ties to literature on teaching, learning and responsible leadership
Signature Moves
Exploring
Designing open-ended, sometimes ill-structured, learning experiences where students are encouraged to mess about, experiment with ideas, and take calculated risks.
Prototyping
Embedding cycles of ideation, development, drafting, feedback and revision into assignments and learning experiences.
Revisiting
Going back to artifacts of students’ thinking about a topic over time to reveal the progression of their understanding throughout a learning experience.
Compassing
Decentering testing and summative grading to focus more on the student learning journey.
Case Studies
Real-life examples from educators around the world.
Dynamic Models build complex thinking skills
Jigsaw puzzles make learning management ideas engaging and enjoyable
“I used to think... now I think” exposes shifts in thought and perspective
Professor rethinks final exams in France
Simulations are a risk-free environment for students to explore and practice
Professors use different feedback cycles to help students understand their work
Solving the Climate Crisis in 15 minutes