Background Digital access and flexible delivery approaches have become increasingly important in higher education, particularly with advances in blended and online learning. In the last decade, Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have emerged as essential platforms that facilitate adaptable, resilient, and learner-centered environments (Pozo-Sanchez et al. 2022; Olszewski & Crompton, 2020). Our institution has recently transitioned to an innovative LMS, powered by Canvas, Microsoft Teams, and integrated with complementary digital tools, entitled ‘MyLearn Ecosystem’. The ‘MyLearn-My Experience’ study was established to explore the educators’ experience in using the MyLearn Ecosystem. Method A mixed method approach was employed to gather reflections from academic staff during the first year of MyLearn implementation through an anonymous online survey. The study measure user experiences in different domains and the key focuses of this paper are reflections on functionality, communication tools and support of MyLearn. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and thematic analysis was conducted for qualitative data. Findings Overall, there were 28 respondents with 17 completing all the questions. All respondents were aged between 36-55 years and 93% were females. Most participants (80%) held permanent employment status. Slightly over 80% of participants never used Canvas software prior to the MyLearn ecosystem; however, just under 80% of them reported that they were proficient in using digital technology. Some functions and tools for teaching and learning activities were commonly used by 60% of participants. There were some functions and tools that were never used by most of the respondents, including the Discussion Forum (40%); New Analytics (53%); and MyLearn Calendar (60%). The reliability of the system was rated as poor function by 80% of respondents followed by MS Teams meeting as an online class (60%). By contrast, 80% of the respondents rated ‘access to classes and ‘access to resources’ as acceptable or good functions in MyLearn system. Most of the reflections in using MyLearn system were negative experiences due to the poor reliability of the system and additional workload to cope with adaptation to the new system. Some quotes from reflections: “It has increased my workload”; “… add many administrative work”; “MS Teams has never worked well”; and “I was blocked from the online chat forum”. Outcomes and Implications This study revealed the user experience in adaptation to digital transitions in LMS platforms that could influence adaptability, teaching quality, and stakeholder satisfaction among educators. These findings recommend ongoing improvements to ensure that MyLearn Ecosystem continues to support the quality of teaching and learning based on the evolving needs of educators while sustaining positive learning outcomes.
In an era of continuous change in digital education, we need educators who can not only respond to complexity but design for it. This poster reflects on my personal and professional shift from performing arts (stage acting and directing), and how that creative foundation has shaped my work as a curriculum and learning designer in higher education. It highlights the value of cross-disciplinary experience, particularly from the creative arts, as a driver of innovation, adaptability, and human-centred learning design. It is increasingly common for educators to transition from other professional fields into education, bringing with them diverse experiences and perspectives. Even when those fields appear unrelated, they can offer rich conceptual and practical tools for designing better learning experiences. These transitions are not detours. They can strengthen our contributions to education and broaden our capacity for innovation (Anyichie, Butler, Perry, & Nashon, 2023). Importantly, leaving the performing arts was never a failure or fallback, as I once thought. The creative skills and understanding of story and narrative that I developed are not lost but continuously repurposed in service of teaching and learning, particularly in digital contexts. For example, I use narrative mapping and visual storyboarding to co-design online learning experiences with academic staff, and apply storytelling principles to structure emotionally engaging, technology-enhanced learning environments. As an actor, I learned early the importance of failure as feedback; opportunities to reflect, adjust, and grow. This embodied experience of iterative, collaborative learning aligns closely with constructivist and social constructivist theories of education, where knowledge is actively co-created through experience, dialogue, and reflection (Powell & Kalina, 2009). However, it was directing that most significantly shaped how I now approach learning design. A director must maintain a holistic vision of the production. This involves ensuring coherence across narrative, staging, character, and tone, while also creating space for actors to explore, improvise, and contribute their own interpretations. Similarly, in curriculum design, I work to maintain a consistent narrative and conceptual structure across a course, while also leaving space for learners to personalise, question, and construct their own meaning. This practice aligns with constructive alignment, which ensures that learning activities and assessments are purposefully linked to intended learning outcomes (Biggs & Tang, 2011). However, my approach extends beyond alignment as a checklist. It involves crafting a throughline: a conceptual and emotional arc that connects outcomes, assessments, and activities into a meaningful and engaging learner journey (Cutting, 2016). This approach is particularly powerful in digital learning environments, where coherence and engagement can be harder to sustain. Tools such as narrative mapping, branching scenarios, and visual storyboarding support this process and foster collaborative dialogue with academic colleagues (Yusoff & Salim, 2014). This future-focused perspective requires adaptability. Just as a live performance adjusts to audience energy and technical constraints, learning environments must remain responsive to learner needs, shifting technologies, and broader social change. Drawing on rehearsal-based practices such as iteration, experimentation, and feedback, I design learning that is structurally coherent, emotionally engaging, and open to ongoing evolution. This poster invites fellow educators to reflect on how their diverse pathways can enrich digital education, promote creativity, and cultivate resilience in a rapidly evolving landscape. The poster will visually map the throughline metaphor, connecting performing arts practices with key learning design principles, supported by examples of narrative mapping and curriculum architecture. It will also include an interactive activity inviting participants to map their own professional journeys and identify how these experiences can inform technology-enhanced learning design. This journey traces a personal and professional trajectory across disciplines, highlighting how diverse experiences can shape innovative and human-centred digital education. At its core, learning design is an act of storytelling, crafting meaningful, coherent, and engaging journeys that help learners make sense of complex ideas and find their place within them.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to evolve and influence higher education, ensuring that Assurance of Learning (AoL) frameworks remain both robust and adaptable, is vital. This paper presents a qualitative document analysis of Australian university AoL frameworks, examining their readiness for AI integration. The findings reveal a sector in early adaptation, marked by a tension between foundational AoL principles and AI's disruptive pace. We observe strategic AI acknowledgement often confined to policy, a nascent reform of graduate attributes to encompass AI literacy, and innovative practices largely isolated at the course or program level. Consequently, core AoL components such as curriculum mapping and assessment design, often remain disconnected from AI-assisted learning, limiting their reliability. This highlights significant conceptual and operational gaps, including varied institutional maturity, fragmented approaches, and a lack of sector-wide consensus or explicit guidance on ethical, observable AI-enhanced assessment. This paper calls for a shift from static quality assurance, defined by periodic compliance checks, to dynamic and systems-aware learning assurance. It proposes a future-focused AoL approach that embeds AI literacy, inclusive assessment design and stronger sector collaboration. As the first in a series, it contributes to ASCILITE 2025 by exploring how human expertise and AI can uphold academic standards.
