Things that might be useful
The form a principle has to take before anyone can use it.
A guide is the working version of a domain. Same material, numbered, sourced and short enough to keep open while you build. A position I can argue in a meeting is no use to the person who has to make the thing.
What a guide is
A domain page sets out what I’ve come to believe and what I’d still argue about. That’s the right form for a position and the wrong form for someone with a deadline. A guide turns the same material into something you can work from: numbered items, each stating what it claims and where the claim comes from, arranged so you can find the one you need without reading the rest.
Every guide keeps the same rules. Each item names its source. Where the source is narrower than the advice usually drawn from it, the guide says so. A body of knowledge that can’t grade itself is a reading list with ambitions. Nothing is in because it’s well known. Several well-known things are missing, and a few are here to be corrected.
Each guide is one file that opens in a browser. It reads as a document and presents as a deck, so it can be handed on, projected, marked up or argued with by someone I’ll never meet.
Why I make them
Research becomes a principle, a principle becomes a tool, and a tool becomes a changed practice. The last step is the one that fails, and I’ve written about why. The step most often skipped is the middle one. A principle tells you what to optimise for and leaves you to work out what to do. Making it usable is unglamorous, so it usually goes undone. What gets passed around instead is the principle, on the assumption that conviction travels. It doesn’t.
These guides are that middle step, done on purpose. Each takes a body of evidence I could otherwise only gesture at and puts it in a form that survives being handed over. That means it has to be specific, easy to find and honest about what it stands on.
They’re also a discipline on me. Writing sixty items down with a source attached to each is a reliable way to find out which of your convictions have anything behind them. Not all of mine did.
Pathways
Find a path through the guides
Any guide can be read on its own. Some work better in order. Each path below starts from a different kind of job.
Path 1 · 8 steps
Designer entering education
You can design a product. Learn what changes when its job is learning.
Start here if you know digital design and want to know what changes when the product has to teach.
- How learning worksPedagogy: the approaches and the evidence (opens in a new tab)
- Learning-science foundationsPrinciples for designing learning materials (opens in a new tab)
- Discovery researchDiscovery research: interviews, observation and context (opens in a new tab)
- Interaction designUX foundations and design systems (opens in a new tab)
- AccessibilityInclusion, diversity and special educational needs (opens in a new tab)
- Designing learning activitiesInteractive learning experiences
- ExperimentationExperimentation and product analytics (opens in a new tab)
- Learning analyticsLearning analytics (opens in a new tab)
Path 2 · 7 steps
Educator entering product development
You know how learning works. Learn how products get made.
Start here if your expertise is teaching, curriculum or pedagogy and you’re starting to work with digital product teams.
- Product managementDigital product management (opens in a new tab)
- Design thinkingDesign thinking, used honestly (opens in a new tab)
- User researchDiscovery research: interviews, observation and context (opens in a new tab)
- Interaction designUX foundations and design systems (opens in a new tab)
- Agile deliveryAgile and Scrum in practice (opens in a new tab)
- AnalyticsExperimentation and product analytics (opens in a new tab)
- Adoption and implementationAdoption and change in schools (opens in a new tab)
Path 3 · 8 steps
Product leader
You decide what gets built. Learn to know whether it worked.
Start here if you’re accountable for what a learning product is for, and whether it’s working.
- Product strategyDigital product management (opens in a new tab)
- Service designService design and systems thinking (opens in a new tab)
- Systems thinkingThe Atlas & Loom framework
- ResearchEvaluative research: usability testing, surveys and UX metrics (opens in a new tab)
- ExperimentationExperimentation and product analytics (opens in a new tab)
- Data governanceData strategy and governance (opens in a new tab)
- AdoptionAdoption and change in schools (opens in a new tab)
- MeasurementBasic statistics for educational technologists (opens in a new tab)
Path 4 · 7 steps
School or system leader
You decide what a school adopts. Learn how it lands.
Start here if you decide what a school or system adopts, and have to live with how it lands.
- Learning sciencesPedagogy: the approaches and the evidence (opens in a new tab)
- Service designService design and systems thinking (opens in a new tab)
- Systems thinkingThe Atlas & Loom framework
- Professional learningProfessional learning that changes practice (opens in a new tab)
- AdoptionAdoption and change in schools (opens in a new tab)
- Evidence of learningEvidence of learning
- Feedback loopsSupport and feedback loops (opens in a new tab)
Path 5 · 7 steps
Curriculum or resource developer
You write what teachers teach from. Learn to know it works.
Start here if you write the lessons, units or national resources teachers pick up and use, on paper or on a platform.
- Designing learning materialsPrinciples for designing learning materials (opens in a new tab)
- How learning worksPedagogy: the approaches and the evidence (opens in a new tab)
- Formative assessmentFormative assessment and feedback (opens in a new tab)
- Accessibility and inclusionInclusion, diversity and special educational needs (opens in a new tab)
- PrototypingDesign methods II: sketching, prototyping and critique (opens in a new tab)
- Evaluative researchEvaluative research: usability testing, surveys and UX metrics (opens in a new tab)
- AI in learning productsAI in learning products (opens in a new tab)
Path 6 · 7 steps
Teacher-leader or coach
You change practice from inside. Learn how change holds.
Start here if you lead change inside one school (a department, a programme or colleagues’ practice) without a product team behind you.
- Design thinkingDesign thinking, used honestly (opens in a new tab)
- Thinking tools for changeThe Atlas & Loom framework
- Professional learningProfessional learning that changes practice (opens in a new tab)
- Adoption and changeAdoption and change in schools (opens in a new tab)
- Communicating changeCommunicating change to schools (opens in a new tab)
- Evidence of learningEvidence of learning
- Feedback loopsSupport and feedback loops (opens in a new tab)
The craft map
Educational technology as a craft
What forms of judgement does the work repeatedly require? Six regions of judgement, each linked to the guides that teach it.
Explore the craft mapA series of twenty-two
Craft guides for educational technologists
Twenty-two short, sourced guides to the practices behind learning products, for the people who fund, build and run them in schools. All twenty-two are written. The introduction sets out how the series is organised and where to start; the glossary is the quick way to look up a term and find where the guides use it.
Strategy and value
Why build
Discovery and design
What to build
- 03Design thinking, used honestlyAre we solving the right problem? (opens in a new tab)38 terms in the guide's glossary
- 04Discovery research: interviews, observation and contextWhat do people actually do, and why? (opens in a new tab)47 terms in the guide's glossary
- 05Evaluative research: usability testing, surveys and UX metricsDoes what we made work for the people using it? (opens in a new tab)48 terms in the guide's glossary
- 06Design methods I: making sense of researchWhat did we learn, and what does it mean for the design? (opens in a new tab)49 terms in the guide's glossary
- 07Design methods II: sketching, prototyping and critiqueWhat is the cheapest way to find out if this idea works? (opens in a new tab)44 terms in the guide's glossary
- 08UX foundations and design systemsWhy do interfaces help or hinder? (opens in a new tab)47 terms in the guide's glossary
Delivery
How to build
- 09Agile and Scrum in practiceHow do we deliver value in small, safe steps? (opens in a new tab)51 terms in the guide's glossary
- 10Lean product developmentWhat is the smallest thing we can do to learn whether we are right? (opens in a new tab)48 terms in the guide's glossary
- 11Software development for non-engineersWhat is actually happening when engineers build? (opens in a new tab)46 terms in the guide's glossary
- 12DevOps and continuous deliveryHow do we release often without breaking a school day? (opens in a new tab)48 terms in the guide's glossary
- 13Experimentation and product analyticsDid this change do what we hoped? (opens in a new tab)45 terms in the guide's glossary
Governance, analytics and models
How to improve
- 14Data strategy and governanceWhat data do we need, and who is responsible for it? (opens in a new tab)50 terms in the guide's glossary
- 15Learning analyticsWhat can logs tell us about learning? (opens in a new tab)40 terms in the guide's glossary
- 16AI in learning productsWhere does AI help learning, and how do we know? (opens in a new tab)44 terms in the guide's glossary
- 17Privacy, security and ethicsWhat could go wrong with student data, and for whom?Not yet online
Evidence, change, communication and support
How to measure & scale
- 18Basic statistics for educational technologistsWhat can a number tell you, and how far should you trust it? (opens in a new tab)50 terms in the guide's glossary
- 19Adoption and change in schoolsWhy do good tools go unused? (opens in a new tab)48 terms in the guide's glossary
- 20Communicating change to schoolsDoes the right person know what changed, why, and what to do? (opens in a new tab)45 terms in the guide's glossary
- 21Professional learning that changes practiceWhat kind of training actually changes what teachers do? (opens in a new tab)47 terms in the guide's glossary
- 22Support and feedback loopsWhen something goes wrong, how fast do we hear and fix it? (opens in a new tab)49 terms in the guide's glossary
A series of twenty-four
Understanding the Context of Education
Twenty-four short, sourced primers on the professional knowledge of education, for anyone who works in or on it. All twenty-four are written. The introduction sets out how the series is organised and where to start; the glossary is the quick way to look up a term and find where the primers use it.
Part I
Purposes and foundations
- 01Aims of education: what schools are for“Education's job is to transmit content efficiently.” (opens in a new tab)27 terms in the primer's glossary
- 02A short history of schooling and its technologies“This technology will transform education.” (opens in a new tab)27 terms in the primer's glossary
- 03Learners: development, motivation and wellbeing“Learners are just younger users.” (opens in a new tab)31 terms in the primer's glossary
Part II
Teaching and learning
- 04Pedagogy: the approaches and the evidence“Pedagogy is a style choice between traditional and progressive.” (opens in a new tab)39 terms in the primer's glossary
- 05Teachers' work and professional knowledge“Teachers resist technology.” (opens in a new tab)31 terms in the primer's glossary
- 06Classroom realities: orchestration and differentiation“A good tool works the same in every classroom.” (opens in a new tab)26 terms in the primer's glossary
- 07Inclusion, diversity and special educational needs“Inclusion is an accessibility checklist.” (opens in a new tab)28 terms in the primer's glossary
Part III
Learning environments
Part IV
Curriculum and assessment
- 10Curriculum: intended, enacted and attained“The curriculum is the syllabus document.” (opens in a new tab)39 terms in the primer's glossary
- 11Curriculum development: design, review and enactment“A syllabus is written once, then implemented.” (opens in a new tab)30 terms in the primer's glossary
- 12Subject disciplines and their pedagogies“One design pattern fits every subject.” (opens in a new tab)37 terms in the primer's glossary
- 13Formative assessment and feedback“Formative assessment means frequent quizzes.” (opens in a new tab)34 terms in the primer's glossary
- 14Assessment systems: validity, reliability and high stakes“A score measures what the item says it measures.” (opens in a new tab)42 terms in the primer's glossary
Part V
Schools and systems
- 15How schools work: leadership, organisation and culture“A school decision is made by the principal.” (opens in a new tab)27 terms in the primer's glossary
- 16Beyond school: early years to lifelong learning“Edtech means school edtech.” (opens in a new tab)34 terms in the primer's glossary
- 17Education policy: making it and enacting it“Policy is announced, then implemented.” (opens in a new tab)34 terms in the primer's glossary
- 18Governance, funding and accountability“The system is one organisation with one owner.” (opens in a new tab)32 terms in the primer's glossary
- 19Equity and educational disadvantage“Access to devices closes gaps.” (opens in a new tab)24 terms in the primer's glossary
- 20Comparative education and international benchmarks“Copy the top-performing system.” (opens in a new tab)23 terms in the primer's glossary
Part VI
Evidence and change
- 21Reading education research“Evidence-based means a randomised trial says so.” (opens in a new tab)39 terms in the primer's glossary
- 22Programme evaluation“Evaluation is research done on a programme.” (opens in a new tab)30 terms in the primer's glossary
- 23Education reform: why change is slow and what scales“Good innovations spread on merit.” (opens in a new tab)35 terms in the primer's glossary
- 24Futures of education“The future of education is a technology forecast.” (opens in a new tab)30 terms in the primer's glossary
A set of five
The field guides
Five catalogues of the ways reasoning fails, in the order the trouble arrives: inside one mind, inside a group, inside a discussion, inside the rules chosen to prevent it, then inside one field’s beliefs about learning. Each opens in its own tab, and each guide’s own index is a page of its own. The fifth, and its index, ask for a password.
- Vol. 01Cognitive bias
- Vol. 02Collective fallacies
- Vol. 03Faulty arguments
- Vol. 04Working defaults
- Vol. 05False certainties
Five volumes, in the order the trouble arrives
Volume 01
Individual pitfalls
Volume 02
Collective pitfalls
Volume 03
Discussion pitfalls
Volume 04
Deliberate defaults
A set of nine
The phrasebooks
Four toolkits of working vocabulary, cut into nine volumes: the words, the page, the software and the screen. For people who brief and review work they were never trained to make. Each volume opens in its own tab, and each toolkit’s A to Z is a page of its own.
Instruments and Moves
Marks and Measures
Stacks and Sprints
Shots and Cues
Four toolkits, 9 volumes
The words
Instruments and Moves
- 1Diagnosis and dictionThe instruments that explain why communication works, and the moves of situation, economy, clarity and register. (opens in a new tab)73 terms in Instruments and Moves’s index
- 2Cadence and candourThe moves of arrangement, emphasis, delivery, candour and logic, and the seven-pass review. (opens in a new tab)76 terms in Instruments and Moves’s index
- 3Papers and protocolsDocument genres, paper labels, attribution rules, levels of editing and workplace shorthand. (opens in a new tab)56 terms in Instruments and Moves’s index
The page
Marks and Measures
- 1Glyphs and gridsWords for judging a page, and for its letters, lines, layout, images and colour. (opens in a new tab)210 terms in Marks and Measures’s index
- 2Proofs and pixelsDecks, charts, design process, print production, sign-off, editorial marks, publishing and interface components. (opens in a new tab)330 terms in Marks and Measures’s index
The software
Stacks and Sprints
- 1Builds and branchesWords for judging software, and for how it is built, versioned, tested, shipped, connected and secured. (opens in a new tab)208 terms in Stacks and Sprints’s index
- 2Runbooks and roadmapsHow software is run, fixed, planned and delivered, the patterns behind it, and the words that mean something else to engineers. (opens in a new tab)268 terms in Stacks and Sprints’s index
The screen
Shots and Cues
- 1Frames and footageWords for judging, then the camera, the edit, light, sound, photography, animation, production and live events. (opens in a new tab)264 terms in Shots and Cues’s index
- 2Curtains and criticsTheatre, music and sound design, scripts, Foley and performance, the words for analysis, and the pairs most often confused. (opens in a new tab)264 terms in Shots and Cues’s index
A set of four
The playbooks
One toolkit of design methods for education and edtech, cut into four volumes on the stages of a project. Each method comes with its steps and a template to copy, and every template prints as an A3 worksheet. Each volume opens in its own tab, and the methods’ A to Z is a page of its own.
- Vol. 1Scopes and Soundings
- Vol. 2Clusters and Concepts
- Vol. 3Props and Pilots
- Vol. 4Handoffs and Habits
Briefs and Blueprints
Briefs and Blueprints, 4 volumes
Design methods
Briefs and Blueprints
- 1Scopes and SoundingsFraming the work and finding out: the methods of the frame and discover stages. (opens in a new tab)60 methods in this volume’s index
- 2Clusters and ConceptsMaking sense of what was found, and generating options: the methods of the define and ideate stages. (opens in a new tab)65 methods in this volume’s index
- 3Props and PilotsMaking ideas real enough to test, and testing them: the methods of the prototype and test stages. (opens in a new tab)50 methods in this volume’s index
- 4Handoffs and HabitsDelivering, sustaining and running the practice: deliver and sustain, the three tracks, and the software. (opens in a new tab)48 methods in this volume’s index
Beyond the series
Guides from the domains
Each domain gets a guide when its argument is settled enough to work from.
To take away
A guide that changes nothing has failed, however well it reads.
Start with the pathway for your role. Read one guide to the end, then change one thing in the next piece of work you hand over. That’s the test every guide here is written to pass.