Calm Design
A philosophy that aims to reduce the noise and clutter in user interfaces, creating more peaceful and less overwhelming digital experiences.
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Trying a Post-Digital Lens
Most of the language we use to talk about technology in education assumes a line between the digital and everything else. We talk about technology integration, as if the technology arrives from…
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Low-Bandwidth Course Design
When I work with rural districts across the Great Plains, the same frustration comes up in different words: the course is built, the content is good, and a good share of the…
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The Hidden Cost of EdTech Complexity
There’s a habit in educational technology of celebrating how many tools we can chain together. The lesson lives in the LMS, the collaboration happens in a shared document, the reflection gets recorded…
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Glossary Term Processor for Canvas LMS Accessibility
When designing an atomic design system for Canvas, I encountered a dilemma that resonates with educators everywhere. How do you support learners who need quick access to terminology without overwhelming your content…
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Better Notifications in Online Learning and Ed Tech
Most teachers I work with are not asking for a better notification system. They are asking for fewer interruptions, and most have given up on getting them. The LMS pings, the email…
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Calm Technology in Educational Settings
Walk into most classrooms that have gone through a recent technology initiative, and you will notice something familiar. There are interactive whiteboards requesting firmware updates, tablets pinging with notifications, an LMS that…
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Audio-Only Options: Do You Really Need Instructional Videos?
Ask most people building a course how to make it better and the answer usually involves more video: a welcome video, a video per module, a recorded walkthrough of every page. Video…
