Why Empathy Mapping?

We begin the design process by imagining how students will interact with our course and with each other. If our goal is for students to fully grasp the ideas and concepts presented, then we need to understand the context of their lives, their competing commitments, their anxieties and other aspects that can get in the way. This doesn't always mean huge course design changes. Sometimes this can be as simple as making sure students with the same scheduling conflicts are placed in the same group for a group project.

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Before You Begin

Before you begin the empathy mapping exercise on the next page, we want you to start thinking about your students. We acknowledge that there are probably several different types of students that might need your help to do better in a course. However, for this exercise, choose the type of student you are most worried about in the online learning environment. For example, one type of student is conscientious but keeps getting tripped up by key concepts in your course. Maybe this student runs out of steam at exactly the wrong time. Thinking deeply about this particular type of student will help you tell the story of your course from the student's perspective. Once you have the type of student firmly in your mind, proceed to the Empathy Mapping Exercise on the next page.