Benjamin L. Stewart

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tagsteachingmoves, curriculum

8 min read

Learning Experiences Template

Learning Experience Template

Purpose

Use this template to design a purposeful, student-centered learning experience aligned with course and unit learning outcomes. The design incorporates Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and responsible GenAI use while maintaining clear alignment among:

Learning Outcomes → Content → Learning Experience → Evidence of Learning → Assessment

A learning experience should require students to actively use knowledge and skills, make meaningful decisions, produce evidence of learning, receive feedback, and reflect on their learning.

1. Learning Experience Overview

Title:
[Concise, action-oriented title]

Course:
[Course]

Unit:
[Unit]

Module / Week:
[Module or week]

Estimated Time:
[Minutes / class sessions]

Grouping:
[Individual / Pairs / Trios / Groups / Whole class / Flexible grouping]

2. Learning Outcomes

By the end of this learning experience, students will be able to:

  • [Observable learning outcome]

  • [Optional additional outcome]

Alignment Check

Ask:

What should students know, understand, or be able to do as a result of this learning experience?

The learning experience should require students to demonstrate the intended learning rather than simply complete an activity.

3. Learning Context and Content

Essential Content

Students will draw upon:

  • [Concept, theory, procedure, language feature, etc.]

  • [Assigned reading, video, lecture, demonstration, etc.]

  • [Previous knowledge or skills]

Prior Knowledge

Students should already know or be able to:

  • [Prerequisite knowledge/skill]

  • [Prerequisite knowledge/skill]

Connection to Learning

Explain briefly why this experience matters:

[How does the experience connect course content with meaningful academic, professional, personal, or real-world application?]

4. Learning Experience Sequence

A. Engage & Activate

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge, establish relevance, generate curiosity, or prepare students for the central task.

Students will:

[Predict, brainstorm, discuss, recall, classify, respond to a problem, examine an example, interpret a stimulus, etc.]

Instructor will:

[Introduce the problem, activate prior knowledge, provide context, model thinking, clarify expectations, etc.]

Time: [ ] minutes

B. Explore & Develop

Purpose: Allow students to engage directly with the content and develop the knowledge or skills needed for the central task.

Students will:

[Read, listen, observe, investigate, compare, annotate, discuss, practice, identify patterns, ask questions, etc.]

Instructor will:

[Model, scaffold, question, clarify, provide examples, monitor, coach, etc.]

Time: [ ] minutes

C. Apply & Create

Purpose: Require students to use their learning through meaningful application, analysis, problem solving, decision-making, or creation.

Central Task

[Describe what students must do.]

Students will:

  1. [Action]

  2. [Action]

  3. [Action]

  4. [Action]

Interaction:

  • Individual

  • Pairs

  • Trios

  • Groups of four

  • Small groups

  • Whole class

  • Flexible grouping

Time: [ ] minutes

D. Feedback & Revision

Purpose: Give students information they can use to improve their understanding or performance.

Students will receive feedback through:

  • Instructor feedback

  • Peer feedback

  • Self-assessment

  • Checklist

  • Rubric

  • Model/exemplar comparison

  • Automated/digital feedback

  • Other: __________

Revision

Students will use the feedback to:

[Revise, reconsider, correct, expand, reorganize, defend, or improve their work.]

Time: [ ] minutes

E. Reflect & Connect

Students individually reflect on their learning.

Possible prompts:

  • What did I understand more clearly as a result of this experience?

  • What evidence supports my conclusions?

  • What was most challenging?

  • What strategy helped me?

  • What feedback caused me to reconsider something?

  • What did I change, and why?

  • How could I apply this learning in another context?

  • What is my next learning step?

Time: [ ] minutes

5. Evidence of Learning

Student Evidence

Students will produce or demonstrate:

[Annotated text / analysis / written response / discussion / recording / presentation / concept map / performance / solution / revised draft / reflection / other]

Evidence Check

Ask:

Does this evidence actually demonstrate the stated learning outcome?

Completion alone should not constitute evidence of learning.

6. Assessment & Feedback

Assessment purpose:

  • Diagnostic

  • Formative

  • Summative

Success Criteria

Students demonstrate successful learning when they can:

  1. [Criterion directly connected to the learning outcome]

  2. [Criterion]

  3. [Criterion]

  4. [Optional criterion]

Assessment Instrument

  • Rubric

  • Checklist

  • Rating scale

  • Observation protocol

  • Peer-feedback guide

  • Self-assessment

  • Instructor conference

  • Other: __________

7. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL should increase access to the learning without changing the essential learning outcome or lowering expectations.

Multiple Means of Engagement

Consider how students can engage purposefully with the experience.

Possible supports include:

  • meaningful or authentic contexts;

  • appropriate student choice;

  • flexible grouping;

  • collaboration;

  • clearly stated goals;

  • manageable levels of challenge;

  • opportunities for autonomy;

  • connections to prior knowledge and experience;

  • opportunities for reflection and self-regulation.

UDL choices for this experience:

[Describe.]

Multiple Means of Representation

Consider different ways students can access and make sense of essential information.

Possible supports include:

  • written and oral instructions;

  • models and exemplars;

  • visuals or diagrams;

  • demonstrations;

  • captions or transcripts;

  • vocabulary support;

  • graphic organizers;

  • chunked instructions;

  • worked examples;

  • accessible digital materials.

UDL choices for this experience:

[Describe.]

Multiple Means of Action & Expression

When the learning outcome permits, consider different ways students can participate, organize their thinking, and demonstrate learning.

Possible options include:

  • written responses;

  • oral explanations;

  • diagrams or concept maps;

  • audio/video;

  • presentations;

  • collaborative products;

  • structured templates;

  • digital artifacts.

UDL choices for this experience:

[Describe.]

Preserve the Construct

Before providing an alternative, ask:

Does this option provide another pathway for demonstrating the same learning, or does it change what I am assessing?

UDL should remove unnecessary barriers without removing the productive difficulty necessary for learning.

8. Responsible GenAI Use

GenAI should have an explicit pedagogical purpose. It should support learning without replacing the thinking, decision-making, or performance students are expected to demonstrate.

AI Use Level

Select the appropriate level:

  • No GenAI — Students complete the experience without GenAI.

  • Optional GenAI Support — Students may use GenAI for specified supporting purposes.

  • Structured GenAI Use — Students use GenAI at designated stages and according to specific instructions.

  • Critical GenAI Engagement — Students analyze, evaluate, verify, challenge, or revise AI-generated material.

  • Required GenAI Collaboration — Interaction with GenAI is itself part of the intended learning experience.

Permitted Uses

Students may use GenAI to:

  • Brainstorm

  • Generate questions

  • Clarify concepts

  • Receive formative feedback

  • Compare alternatives

  • Practice language

  • Generate an alternative perspective

  • Revise after producing an initial version

  • Critique AI-generated content

  • Other: __________

Restricted Uses

Students may not use GenAI to:

[Identify tasks or cognitive processes that students must perform independently.]

Cognitive Ownership

Identify the thinking that must remain the student’s responsibility:

[Interpretation / analysis / evaluation / argumentation / problem solving / decision-making / original drafting / reflection / other]

Ask:

If GenAI performs this part of the task for the student, can I still determine what the student understands or can do?

If the answer is no, AI should not perform that part of the learning experience.

Critical AI Engagement

When GenAI is used, students should move beyond simply accepting its output.

Students may be asked to identify:

  • What did the AI produce?

  • What was useful?

  • What was inaccurate, weak, incomplete, or questionable?

  • What did I verify?

  • What did I accept?

  • What did I modify?

  • What did I reject?

  • Why did I make these decisions?

  • What evidence supports my judgment?

  • How did AI affect my thinking or final product?

9. GenAI Transparency / Learning Trace

When required, students document meaningful GenAI use through an AI Appendix, disclosure statement, or learning trace.

Students record:

Tool used:
[ ]

Purpose:
[ ]

Key prompt(s) or interaction:
[ ]

Relevant AI output:
[ ]

What I accepted:
[ ]

What I modified:
[ ]

What I rejected:
[ ]

What I verified and how:
[ ]

How GenAI affected my thinking or learning:
[ ]

This documentation should provide evidence of student judgment and critical thinking, not merely proof that an AI tool was used.

10. Resources & Materials

  • [Required reading]

  • [Lecture / presentation]

  • [Video / audio]

  • [Worksheet]

  • [Graphic organizer]

  • [Model or exemplar]

  • [Digital platform]

  • [GenAI tool, if applicable]

  • [Rubric / checklist]

  • [Other]

11. Learning Experience at a Glance

PhaseStudent ActionEvidenceUDL SupportGenAI RoleTime
Engage & Activate[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Explore & Develop[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Apply & Create[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Feedback & Revision[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Reflect & Connect[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

12. Instructor Reflection

After implementation, consider:

  • What evidence indicates that students achieved the learning outcome?

  • Where did students struggle?

  • Which UDL supports increased meaningful access?

  • Were any supports unnecessary?

  • Did students have sufficient productive challenge?

  • Did the evidence actually measure the intended learning?

  • If GenAI was used, did it support or replace student thinking?

  • Did students demonstrate critical judgment about AI-generated content?

  • What should be changed before using this learning experience again?

Final Design Check

Before using the learning experience:

  • Learning outcomes are clear and observable.

  • Activities align with the learning outcomes.

  • Students actively use the required course content.

  • The central task requires meaningful thinking or performance.

  • Evidence of learning is clearly identified.

  • Assessment criteria align with the intended learning.

  • Students have opportunities for feedback and improvement.

  • UDL addresses learner variability without lowering expectations.

  • Multiple means of engagement are considered.

  • Multiple means of representation are considered.

  • Multiple means of action and expression are provided when appropriate.

  • Alternative pathways preserve the assessed construct.

  • GenAI use has an explicit learning purpose.

  • AI permissions and restrictions are clear to students.

  • Essential cognitive work remains the student’s responsibility.

  • Meaningful GenAI use is transparent and documented.

  • Students critically evaluate AI output rather than automatically accepting it.

  • Reflection provides evidence of learning, decision-making, or metacognition.

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