Guiding Principles of Frugal Education
Things to consider when designing education in a frugal way
So, what are you waiting for? Get stuck in!
Design with an Open Mind
It’s time to get creative. Collaborate with those you’re designing for, taking the time to view your learning designs from their perspective. Now zoom out, take a holistic view of your design, and address any student needs that you might have missed. The more accessible the design, the more engaging it will be for students, and the more useful it will be to other educators.
Creative
Seek inspiration from disparate sources when creating or expanding upon your design. Combine ideas, techniques, and concepts from different disciplines in innovative ways. Foster experimentation, creative thinking, and problem-solving within your participants and incorporate their insights into future iterations of your design.
Collaborative
Great learning design is achieved through collaboration. Include your audience in the design process; the earlier the better! Listen to your audience, encourage participation, and be empathetic to their needs, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. Use what you learn to co-create the learning design with those it is designed to serve.
Open
Leverage Available Resources
Don’t just think outside the box, use the box! Seek out available materials, repurpose trailing-edge technologies, and reuse existing resources in new and novel ways. Leverage what you have at your disposal to enable and often improve your designs. Consider the cost of delivery, ease of access, and practicality from the perspectives of both educator and student.
Resourceful
Leverage available resources that can be sourced from your local environment and wider community. Recycle, upcycle and combine materials and trailing-edge technologies in new and inventive ways, extracting untapped value and extending their lifespan. Inspire your students by promoting a culture of resourcefulness.
Practical
The latest gadgets and educational fads are great and everything… but, are they the best tools for the job? Consider the practically of your design; the technologies and materials required; the physical and virtual spaces you inhabit; the intellectual and physical accessibility; and the financial and human resource costs of delivery.
Resilient
Sometimes technology fails, spaces are unavailable, and global pandemics grind life to a halt. Equip your designs with the flexibility to adapt gracefully to unforeseen circumstances.
Build at the Speed of Need
Embrace a circular pedagogy. Start small, build quickly, and keep it lean, through an iterative cycle of prototyping and refinement. Design teaching and learning with sustainability in mind to deliver environmentally responsible education, both locally and globally. Finally, review and amend your learning design on a regular basis to keep it fresh and relevant with each iteration.
Minimal
Be economical with the resources that constitute your design. Look to reduce administration, streamline processes, and minimise costs. The simpler your design, the easier it will be to build, deliver, and manage. Freeing up valuable resources that can be used to better serve your learners.
Sustainable
Whether designing from scratch or adapting existing practice, consider the wider impact of your design on the environment. Think about the first-order effects of your design decisions and how they might impact the local environment. Now zoom out, and consider the second-order effects of your design from a global perspective.
Iterative
Don’t overthink it. Start small and iterate often. Test the effectiveness of your design through rapid prototyping, giving you the flexibility to respond quickly and effectively to the needs of your audience. Design, resource, build, and deliver quality education through a continuous cycle of improvement and refinement.
