Iterative Teaching as Inquiry

Incorporating design-based research practices, the study implemented iterative teaching as inquiry, where each course offering became a mini research project (Kemmis, McTaggart, & Nixon, 2014). Over four different cycles (pilot, curriculum refinement, course scaling, and global launch), the methodology followed a four-stage planning, teaching, observing, and reflecting cycle. Each stage included specific practices:

• Planning
  • Establish learning objectives and key inquiry questions (e.g., "How does adding peer-review assessments improve critical thinking?").
  • Select or revise curriculum artifacts to test new ideas (e.g., adding visuals and short demonstration videos).
• Teaching
  • Deliver the module to a defined cohort (approximately 25 creative technology and design majors in Iteration 1, approximately 25 mixed-discipline engineering students in Iteration 2, 411 registered participants with 129 attending live in Iteration 3, and 4,731 registered participants with 2,654 attending live on Day 1 in Iteration 4).
  • Use consistent facilitation protocols to support comparability across cohorts.
• Observing
  • Collect data through surveys, reflections, and assignments.
  • Record how students interacted with course materials, where they struggled, and which activities engaged creativity.
• Reflecting
  • Analyze data to identify successes and challenges.
  • Document curriculum changes in slide decks and module revisions.
  • Plan the next lesson and course iteration's improvements.

This ongoing cycle positioned research into everyday teaching, generating a strong dataset of curriculum artifacts and student and learner responses. Continuously, patterns appeared that revealed which design strategies consistently supported learning and engagement.