Updated 2000-01-01-concepts.markdown

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 title: Concepts
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-# Learning Design: Assignments, Content, Length 
+# Learning Design: Assignments, Length, and Tasty Theory 
 
 ## How to Design a Learning Experience that Works
 
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 - How do you develop content for an open online course?
 - How do you motivate learners to sustain their interest?
 
-
-[![Jim Groom - Learning Design](http://img.youtube.com/vi/T_1ONj1vFBk/0.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_1ONj1vFBkt=2s)
-
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/T_1ONj1vFBk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
 ## Learning Design: Motivation, Play and Styles
 
-### When Did Learning Get so Boring?
+**When Did Learning Get so Boring?**
 Imagine playing with Legos as a kid. You were probably relaxed, curious, and not particulary focused on what the final outcome might look like. You might have built a little bit, decided what whas working and what wasn't, and perhaps even lost track of time in the process.
 
 We strive to create learning experiences that are like playing with Legos. When we don't feel the pressure of time, of outcomes, of what other people are doing or the "right" answer, we imagine what's possible and we follow our passions. 
 
-For every learning module, think through:
+For every learning module, consider the following design principles:
 
-- Playful projects. 
-How could someone make a project where they fiddle, tinker and lose themselves in it? Open-ended projects and thematic prompts help learners find their own paths and ideas. These types of assignments nurture ["Flow"](http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow), where learners become completely engaged and [intrinsically motivated](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation#Intrinsic_and_extrinsic_motivation) to work on the activity.
+### Playful projects. 
+How could someone make a project where they fiddle, tinker and lose themselves in it? Open-ended projects and thematic prompts help learners find their own paths and ideas. These types of assignments nurture ["Flow"](http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow), where learners become completely engaged and [intrinsically motivated](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation#Intrinsic_and_extrinsic_motivation) to work on the activity. 
 
-- Low floors, wide walls. 
-We recommend  activities that can work for both beginner and advanced learners. Activities of this type have few barriers to entry (with easy-to-use tools Googledocs or Twitter) but that advanced folks can layer in more complex elements. That way beginners can learn from the projects of advanced learners, and more advanced students are still challenged by the project.
+### Design for all senses.
+We recall information best when it engages several of our senses. Take, for example, the abstract concept of "[social stratification](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stratification)." How else could someone learn this concept, and even further, display that they understand the concept?
+- display census data on a map
+- interview 5 people in a certain radius and share on a website
+- create a video documentary about grocery stores in an area
+- time lapse photography about the gentrification of a neighborhood
 
-## P2PU Example: Play With Your Music
+### Low floors, wide walls. 
+We recommend activities that can work for both beginner and advanced learners. Activities of this type have few barriers to entry (with easy-to-use tools Googledocs or Twitter) but that advanced folks can layer in more complex elements. That way beginners can learn from the projects of advanced learners, and more advanced students are still challenged by the project. For example, say an assignment is [to create a manifesto](https://speakerdeck.com/mozzadrella/learning-community-design-adult-learner-manifesto). Both novice and experienced writers can articulate their beliefs and share core values. Experienced writers could take it further with persuasive techniques or speechwriting.
+
+### Focus on Themes.
+Instead of encouraging learners to compete to solve a problem, select a thematic focus for a project. Instead of working deductively towards a “correct” solution, learners are free to follow their personal passions. In a more formal setting, the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia anchors each year with a theme: identity, systems, change and creation. The assignments map onto those themes which prompt learners to create their own understanding of the concepts.
+
+###Inspire with Diverse Examples. 
+Showcasing a range of work inspires learners to imagine what’s possible (as opposed to what’s correct). At the same time, an array of different projects models inclusivity, builds a broad community of learners. For instance, the homepage for the 3-D printing community [Shapeways](http://www.shapeways.com/) features projects that range from an egg-cup to accessories to bling out your Google Glass.
+
+## P2PU Examples 
+
+### Play With Your Music
 An example of a playful activity with low floors and wide walls is from our [Play With Your Music course](http://www.playwithyourmusic.org/). Learners were prompted to select their favorite song, and write down where they heard the various instruments in space. From there, they were asked to map on out a Googledoc graph where they perceived the instruments and sounds in the song. 
 
 ![Image of Play With Your Music project]({{site.baseurl}}/img/pwym.png)
@@ -39,6 +53,19 @@ An example of a playful activity with low floors and wide walls is from our [Pla
 At the same time, we didn't want learners to feel constrained by the structure of the activity. If learners wanted to try another tool, we welcomed that creativity. 
 
 >As you might have guessed, we encourage you to be creative in this course. If you find our Perceived Space Graph Template limiting, feel free to use your imagination and develop a different template than the one shared in Step 2, above. Some people prefer to work with pens, markers, and paper. For others, Google Charts is fine. If you decide to create multiple >space graphs for your song, we encourage you to edit them into a video using iMovie or the free web-based Mozilla Popcorn Maker11 synchronizing your graphs to the recording. Whatever method you use, be sure to either share a link or take a photograph of it and post a photo of it to your learning ensemble.
+ 
+>We want learners to feel comfortable and give them options for how to engage. Like the Play With Your Music course we mentioned above, we encourage folks to convey the information in different ways--visually (like mental maps), audially (like pronounciation clips), or via text (like readings or Wikipedia entries). We recommend that you offer content that appeals to different styles, and give learners options for what sorts of projects they might want to undertake.
 
-- Learning styles. 
-We want learners to feel comfortable and give them options for how to engage. Like the Play With Your Music course we mentioned above, we encourage folks to convey the information in different ways--visually (like mental maps), audially (like pronounciation clips), or via text (like readings or Wikipedia entries). We recommend that you offer content that appeals to different styles, and give learners options for what sorts of projects they might want to undertake. 
+### Story Hack Day
+With SoundCloud and MIT, P2PU hatched a plan to revamp the hackathon, peer-learning style. The event was [Story Hack Boston](http://storyhack.splashthat.com/), where 44 storytellers and hackers came together to tell stories. We offered 4 thematic tracks for the day-long event:
+
+- Heartbeat of MIT: Soundscapes
+- Arc of the API: How to Use APIs to Tell Stories
+- Beyond Vox Pop: Creative Ways to Engage Your Audience
+- Storyslamming
+
+The Vox Pop group wanted to showcase the different perceptions Hackers and Storytellers had about each other, and decided a series of interviews would surface those ideas. The result was an extended "chain" of conversations between the different groups:
+
+<iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users/25125652&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe>
+
+Full recap at [The Hackathon, Revamped: Recs for Mixing Hackers & Storytellers](http://info.p2pu.org/2012/10/01/the-hackathon-revamped-recs-for-mixing-hackers-storytellers/)