Many institutions provide learners with large amounts of information, digital content, and support resources. Yet information alone rarely leads to engagement, connection, navigation, or action. Learners often experience fragmented systems, competing technologies, information overload, and passive learning experiences that make it difficult to sustain participation and meaningful interaction. This hands-on workshop explores how Design Thinking, Creative Problem-Solving (CPS), and learner-centered design strategies can be used to create engaging, high-impact learning experiences using simple, free, and low-cost tools. Participants will learn practical approaches for identifying learner engagement challenges related to onboarding, communication, instruction, navigation, support, participation, and student success. Using divergent and convergent thinking techniques drawn from CPS and human-centered design, attendees will move from problem identification to actionable experience design. The workshop introduces an adaptable engagement framework that combines centralized content, short learner-facing media, and interactive activities such as scavenger hunts, escape rooms, branching scenarios, reflective prompts, and scenario-based challenges. Participants will map a real engagement challenge from their own institutional context and begin designing a reusable activity or interaction that can be adapted for courses, orientation, advising, student support, faculty development, or campus initiatives. Attendees will leave with these strategies and techniques to create engaging, high-impact learning experiences: a practical framework for identifying and redesigning learner engagement challenges; hands-on experience applying Creative Problem-Solving (CPS), Design Thinking, and divergent and convergent thinking strategies; examples of high-impact, budget-friendly engagement techniques; and a draft engagement concept ready to adapt within their own institutional environment. Upon successful completion of this preconference workshop, participants will be eligible to receive an EDUCAUSE microcredential. To earn this digital badge, participants must complete a brief workshop evaluation and share two key learning outcomes from their experience. On October 5, all registered participants will receive an email with instructions for completing these steps. Completion of both is required. To learn how to accept and make the most of the microcredential, visit the EDUCAUSE
Microcredential website.
