Perspective Article
The interplay of instructional design with aesthetic, didactic, and technological functionalities for a learning landscape as an educational material
More Detail
1 Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, COSTA RICA* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 7(2), July 2025, e2515, https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/16896
Submitted: 18 December 2024, Published: 10 September 2025
OPEN ACCESS 22 Views 8 Downloads
ABSTRACT
This article explores the interplay of instructional design with three key components—aesthetic, didactic, and technological functionalities—in the creation of a learning landscape as an innovative educational material. The study highlights how thoughtful integration of these elements enhances engagement, inclusivity, and the overall learning experience. Aesthetic functionalities, such as pedagogical metaphors, cohesive color palettes, and visual balance, foster emotional and cognitive connections, transforming materials into visually harmonious and impactful narratives. Didactic principles ensure the instructional content is logically structured, addressing diverse learning needs through a variety of methods and strategies that encourage active participation and critical thinking. Meanwhile, technological functionalities, exemplified through tools like Genially, bridge the digital divide by offering interactive and multimedia-rich environments that promote accessibility and engagement. The Pedagogical Praxis module from the Master’s in Education program at Universidad Nacional serves as a model, showcasing the successful implementation of these components to create a dynamic, reflective, and learner-centered learning landscape as an educational material. This approach not only enhances knowledge retention and motivation but also serves as a guide for educators to design effective, adaptable, and transformative instructional resources in today’s digital learning landscape.
CITATION (APA)
Saborío-Taylor, S. (2025). The interplay of instructional design with aesthetic, didactic, and technological functionalities for a learning landscape as an educational material. International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 7(2), e2515. https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/16896
REFERENCES
- Abdulrahaman, M. D., Faruk, N., Oloyede A. A, Surajudeen-Bakinde, N. T., Olawoyin, L. A., Mejabi, O. V., Imam-Fulani, Y. O., Fahm, A. O., & Azeez, A. L. (2020). Multimedia tools in the teaching and learning processes: A systematic review. Heliyon, 6(11), Article e05312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05312
- Abuhassna, H., Alnawajha, S., Awae, F., Mohamed Adnan, M. A. B., & Iyiade Edwards, B. (2024). Synthesizing technology integration within the Addie model for instructional design: A comprehensive systematic literature review. Journal of Autonomous Intelligence, 7(5), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.32629/jai.v7i5.1546
- Agudelo, M. (2009). Importancia del diseño instruccional en ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje [Importance of instructional design in virtual learning environments]. In J. Sánchez (Ed.), Nuevas ideas en informática educativa (pp. 118–127). Universidad de Chile. https://www.tise.cl/volumen5/TISE2009/Documento15.pdf
- Alharbi, A. (2016). Balance as a principle of interior design. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 7(4), 325–326.
- Andrée, M., Anderhag, P., Björnhammer, S. & Salomonsson, N. (2024). Aesthetic experience in technology education–The role of aesthetics for learning in lower secondary school robotic programming. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1291070
- Avendaño-Cruz, W. A., del Carmen Herrera-Sánchez, S., Cajigal-Molina, E., & Jiménez-Izquierdo, S. (2024). Diseño instruccional ADDIE en el aprendizaje de vocabulario en inglés en estudiantes de nivel primaria [ADDIE instructional design for English vocabulary learning among primary school students]. Revista Eduscientia. Divulgación de la Ciencia Educativa, 7(14), 93–110. https://eduscientia.com/index.php/journal/article/view/499
- Barraza, G. (2021). The role of aesthetics in classroom design: Implications for engagement and equity (Publication No. 1385) [Master’s thesis, The University of San Francisco]. https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/1385
- Campbell, P. (2024). The power of white space: Creating visual harmony through negative space. Artversion. https://artversion.com/blog/the-power-of-white-space-creating-visual-harmony-through-negative-space/
- Castagno-Dysart, D., Matera, B., & Traver, J. (2012). The importance of instructional scaffolding. Teacher Magazine. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/the-importance-of-instructional-scaffolding
- Catya, K., Marsudi, M., Kusumandyoko, T. C., & Ratyaningrum, F. (2023). The importance of aesthetics in design education. In A. Mustofa et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Arts and Humanities 2023 (IJCAH 2023) (pp. 535–541). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-152-4_50
- Costley, J., Hughes, C., & Lange, C. (2017). The effects of instructional design on student engagement with video lectures at cyber universities. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 16, 189–207. https://doi.org/10.28945/3728
- Criollo-C, S., González-Rodríguez, M., Guerrero-Arias, A., Urquiza-Aguiar, L. F., & Luján-Mora, S. (2024). A review of emerging technologies and their acceptance in higher education. Education Sciences, 14(1), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010010
- Cunningham, M. (2017). The value of color research in brand strategy. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 5, 186–196. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2017.512014
- De la Peña Frade, N. (2023). Yep, Genially really is an authoring tool. Genially Blog. https://blog.genially.com/en/authoring-tool/
- DesignDiscourse. (2022). How to balance text and graphics for the greatest impact. Themewagon. https://themewagon.com/blog/how-to-balance-text-and-graphics-for-the-greatest-impact/
- Díaz, L. F., Sandoval, A. M., Hernández, D., & Badilla, M. (2008). Metáfora pedagógica [Pedagogical metaphor]. Observatorio de Tecnología en Educación a Distancia. https://observatoriotecedu.uned.ac.cr/metafora-pedagogica/
- Djeki, E., Dégila, J., Bondiombouy, C., & Alhassan, M. H. (2024). Data protection in digital learning space: An overview. AIP Conference Proceedings 3109(1), Article 030007. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0204895
- España, O. (2024). Aplicación del diseño instruccional en el aprendizaje activo para el nivel superior [Application of instructional design in active learning for higher education]. Revista Guatemalteca de Educación Superior, 7(2), 23–39. https://doi.org/10.46954/revistages.v7i2.134
- Freepik. (2024). Multicultural and interrratial community. Amigos de ángulo bajo en sillas con burbujas de chat [photograph]. https://www.freepik.es/serie/5965437/2
- García-Tudela, P., & Rodríguez-Ferrán, M. (2021). Los paisajes de aprendizaje como una herramienta para atender a la diversidad: Análisis cualitativo de propuestas didácticas [Learning landscapes as a tool to address diversity: Qualitative analysis of teaching proposals]. In A. B. B. Martín, M. del Mar Molero Jurado, Á. M. Martínez, M. del Mar Simón Márquez, J. J. G. Linares, & M. del Carmen Pérez-Fuentes (Eds.), Innovación docente e investigación en educación: Nuevos enfoques en la metodología docente (pp. 549-558). Dykinson, S.L. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2gz3vbd
- González, M. (2020). Guía para crear paisajes de aprendizaje digitales [Guide to creating digital learning landscapes]. Instituto para el Futuro de la Educación. https://observatorio.tec.mx/edu-bits-blog/guia-para-crear-paisajes-de-aprendizaje-digitales/
- Hernández-Silvera, D. I., & Ghilardelli, M. A. (2022). Paisajes digitales de aprendizaje en la universidad huellas vivenciales e inserción comunitaria [Digital learning landscapes at the university: experiential traces and community integration]. Revista Panamericana de Pedagogía, (35), 135–151. https://doi.org/10.21555/rpp.vi35.2727
- Kumar, J. A., Muniandy, B., & Yahaya, W. A. J. W. (2018). Exploring the effects of visual aesthetics in e-learning for engineering students. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 10(3), 250–264. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2018.10.015
- Kumar, L. (2024). The role of technology in education: Enhancing learning outcomes and 21st century skills. International Journal of Scientific Research in Modern Science and Technology, 3(4), 5–10. https://doi.org/10.59828/ijsrmst.v3i4.199
- Lee, D. Y. (2016). Cross-cultural design (CCD) learning model: The development and implementation of CCD design education in South Korean higher education [Doctoral Thesis, University of London]. https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/19468/6/DES_thesisappendix_LeeDY_2016.pdf
- Marius-Costel, E. (2010). The didactic principles and their applications in the didactic activity. Sino-US English Teaching, 7(9), 24–34. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED514739.pdf
- Mduwile, P., & Dulumoni, G. (2024). Enhancing student engagement: Effective strategies for active learning in the classroom in secondary schools. MULTIPLE: Journal of Global and Multidisciplinary, 2(5), 1746–1757. https://journal.institercom-edu.org/index.php/multiple/article/view/350
- Nilüfer, H. (2020). Art and aesthetics in higher education. European Journal of Education Studies, 7(6), 335–350. https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejes/article/view/3156
- Oakley, J. (2024). 5 new instructional design trends of 2024. Evolve Solution Group. https://evolve-sg.com/5-new-instructional-design-trends-of-2024/
- Parrish, P. (2021). The role of beauty in learning. World Meteorological Organization. https://etrp.wmo.int/mod/page/view.php?id=16809
- Reza, A. R., Paucar, E. I., Tapia, M., & Sánchez, V. (2024). Uso de paisajes de aprendizaje como recursos de enseñanza de reglas ortográficas en estudiantes de básica superior [Using learning landscapes as teaching resources for spelling rules in upper elementary students]. AlfaPublicaciones, 6(4), 24–40. https://doi.org/10.33262/ap.v6i4.541
- Riskulova, K., & Yuldashova, U. (2020). The role of didactics in teaching process. Theoretical & Applied Science, 5(85), 786–792. https://doi.org/10.15863/TAS.2020.05.85.146
- Ruiz, S. (2024). Paisajes de aprendizaje II: Cómo diseñar una aventura digital en 5 pasos [Learning landscapes II: How to design a digital adventure in 5 steps]. Universidad Isabel I. https://www.ui1.es/blog-ui1/paisajes-de-aprendizaje-ii-como-disenar-una-aventura-digital-en-5-pasos
- Saborío-Taylor, S. (2025). Multisensory strategies to foster autonomous language learning through digital landscapes. European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 6(1), Article e02503. https://doi.org/10.30935/ejimed/16045
- Saborío-Taylor, S., & Rojas Ramírez, F. (2023). Methodological guide for the creation of educational materials based on patterns of needs and design. International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 5(2), Article ep2313. https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/13686
- Sharif, A., & Gisbert, M. (2015). The impact of culture on instructional design and quality. International Journal of Instruction, 8(1), 143–156. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2015.8111a
- Trabaldo. S. (n.d.). Los diseñadores instruccionales creativos son personas apasionadas por la didáctica, la estética y las funcionalidades tecnológicas que aplican a sus producciones [Creative instructional designers are people who are passionate about teaching, aesthetics, and the technological functionalities that they apply to their productions]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/net-learning_creatividad-innovacion-innovaci%C3%B3n-activity-7029829861611298816-JFrs/?originalSubdomain=uy
- University at Buffalo. (n.d.). Teaching methods. University at Buffalo. https://www.buffalo.edu/catt/teach/develop/design/teaching-methods.html
- Vallis, C. J., Nguyen, H. T., & Norman, A. (2024). Cross-cultural adaptation of educational design patterns at scale. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 16(2), 253–268. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-10-2023-0106
- Wang, Y. (2024). The influence of cultural factors on learning styles. Journal of Education, Humanities, and Social Research, 1(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.70088/ra42wn16
- Watawat, M. V., Labbot, V. R., Villasi, B., & Valdez, R. J. T. (2023). Navigating the digital landscape in education: A comprehensive analysis of factors influencing learning outcomes and teaching practices. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, 6(12), 63–67. https://journal.ijresm.com/index.php/ijresm/article/view/2882
- Zúñiga, M. P., & Alvarado, J. P. (2023). The importance of considering the different learning styles in students of English as a foreign language. Revista Ensayos Pedagógicos, 18(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.15359/rep.18-2.16