Human-Centered Design in Learning: Bridging Realities and Effective Curriculum for Marginalized Youth

• In Event: Reimagining Education in a Digital World: Human-Centered Design as a Blueprint to Create Sustainable Global Learning Experiences

Proposal

In an increasingly digital world, the challenge of designing impactful learning experiences is more complex than ever. Human-Centered Design (HCD) offers a robust framework for crafting programs that resonate deeply with learners, especially in both formal and non-formal educational settings. By prioritizing the lived realities of learners, HCD facilitates the creation of curricula that not only engages but empowers participants to navigate their digital and physical environments effectively.

At Making Cents, we use HCD principles to virtually collaborate with local teams to develop curricula, treating each iteration as an experiment to ensure it reflects young learners' needs, context, and resources. Technology enables us to maintain a collaborative process where curricula are tested with learners and refined based on implementer feedback, making them adaptive and impactful.

We have leveraged HCD to design a curriculum aimed at youth in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean who are at high risk of engaging in crime and violence. These youth, many of whom have had negative experiences with traditional education systems and interactions with the judicial system, face a range of challenges. They often view violence as a norm, are influenced by negative peers, lack positive adult attachments, and struggle with low self-worth. Traditional educational approaches often fail to address these complex realities, leading to disengagement and further marginalization.

Through the HCD process, we engaged with these young people to understand their unique needs, aspirations, and the digital contexts that shape their lives. This deep understanding allowed us to design a curriculum that speaks directly to their experiences. For example, we incorporated sessions on self-regulation that includes discussions about managing social media interactions—a significant aspect of their daily lives. We explore scenarios such as responding when seeing a significant other comment on an ex-partner’s post or dealing with reactions to one’s social media presence. These conversations are not just about social media etiquette but are crucial for fostering emotional intelligence and self-control in a digital age where online and offline realities are intertwined.

The success of this curriculum underscores the importance of HCD in creating relevant and effective learning experiences. By placing the learner at the center of the design process, we have developed content that addresses the immediate educational needs of these young people and equips them with the soft skills necessary to navigate a complex, often harsh world. This approach has proven particularly effective in reaching niche audiences who traditional educational models may otherwise leave behind.

In our presentation, we will explore how HCD can be applied to diverse learning contexts, emphasizing its critical role in designing curricula that resonate with targeted, often marginalized populations. We will share insights from our work in the Caribbean, demonstrating how a deep understanding of learners’ realities—both digital and physical—can lead to transformative educational experiences.

Author

• Hillary Proctor, Making Cents International