ABSTRACT

This chapter explores some of these tools: especially the concept of "centers". At the core of Alexander's general design theory is a deep concern with the effects of natural and man-made "things" on people's general wellbeing and the harmonious life of communities. The chapter suggests that the combination of Alexander's "older" and more recent ideas about design can help educational designers understand how designs for networked learning materialize in the world. It examines how a secondary design element an event that takes place only once a year helps to sustain and expand a wider learning network. The chapter presents the case study of a learning network and a place-based component of this learning network: the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) 2014 Dublin Student Day. The Activity-Centred Analysis and Design (ACAD) framework focuses on how designed elements and their relationships to pedagogy and context influence what learners do and the quality of their learning outcomes.