Toolpack C – Align Learning Design with How Students Think

Prompt

“What if learning felt more tangible, memorable, connected, and engaging—something students could see, touch, explore and shape with others?”

Purpose

Show you how to combine Dettmer’s Four Domains (thinking, feeling, doing, collaborating) with the 4E Cognition lens (Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, Extended) so every task taps multiple modes of learning—even in lecture‑based courses.

Why it matters

• Small gestures or posture shifts anchor abstract ideas in physical experience.
• Room layout, seating, or online breakout setups cue meaning beyond words.
• Real choices and actions (e.g. case simulations) turn knowledge into skill.
• When you build AI prompts, mind‑maps, or collaborative docs into tasks, you enlarge students’ mental workspace—making learning more powerful and transferable.

When to grab it

• You want to enrich a standard “talk and text” session with easy, high-impact tweaks.
• You’re curious how simple tools—like AI chat, shared Google docs, annotation apps—can become part of the cognitive process.

What’s inside

1. Cognition‑Domains Alignment Matrix (MS Word doc)

   • A 4×4 grid showing one concrete design idea for each pairing of Dettmer’s Domain × 4E Cognition factor (e.g. Cognitive × Extended: use mind‑maps, digital archives).

2. Cognition in Context Reflection Tool (MS Word doc)

   • Guided prompts for observing Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, and Extended cues in any learning scenario.

3. 4E Quick Guide (MS Word doc)

   • A one‑page reference defining each “E” with straight‑forward classroom examples.

4. “Same Target, New Design” Worksheet (MS Word doc)

   • A simple template for taking one learning target and redesigning it through a different E (e.g. from Embedded to Enacted).

5. Equity Considerations Prompt Sheet (MS Word doc)

   • Four quick‑check questions—one per E—to ensure your movement, space, actions, and tool designs work for all learners.