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Her Words, Her World
Empowering women's voices, one story at a time
Show Notes
Episode 2: Design for Transformation
Type: Solo Episode
Host: Jaime Dugan, EdS
Estimated Runtime: 25–28 minutes
Episode DescriptionWhat separates a literacy program that transforms a woman's life from one that leaves her frustrated and discouraged? In this solo episode, host Jaime Dugan explores four powerful educational frameworks — Bloom's Taxonomy, Webb's Depth of Knowledge, Understanding by Design, and Learning Experience Design — and shows how each one can reshape the way we design learning experiences for adult women. Drawing on her doctoral studies and years of experience in the classroom, Jaime breaks down how these frameworks move women beyond basic recall into the kind of deep, meaningful thinking that builds confidence, develops agency, and prepares them to navigate the real complexities of their lives. Whether you're an educator, a program designer, a funder, or simply someone who believes women deserve more than a seat in a classroom, this episode will change how you think about literacy education.
Timestamps[00:00] Intro music and welcome
[00:46] Learner disclaimer — Jaime's approach to curriculum frameworks as a fellow learner, not an expert
[01:26] Recap of Episode 1 — the global landscape of women's literacy and why 500 million women still can't read or write
[02:58] Overview of the four frameworks: Bloom's Taxonomy, Webb's DOK, Understanding by Design, and Learning Experience Design
[03:45] Section 1: Bloom's Taxonomy — Building from the Ground Up
[07:39] Section 2: Webb's Depth of Knowledge — How Deep Does the Learning Go?
[13:17] Section 3: Understanding by Design — Starting with the End in Mind
[18:46] Section 4: Learning Experience Design — Putting the Learner at the Center
[21:49] Practical applications: starting with conversation instead of a textbook; incorporating storytelling, music, and visual arts; flexible and modular pathways; rethinking assessment
[23:14] Section 5: Bringing It All Together
[25:51] Section 6: Looking Ahead — how these frameworks will thread through future episodes and guest interviews
[27:01] Section 7: Call to Action — share the episode, especially with literacy educators, curriculum designers, and international development professionals
[27:49] Closing
Key Takeaways1. Opening a classroom door is not enough. The design of the learning experience inside that classroom determines whether a literacy program transforms a woman's life or leaves her frustrated and discouraged.
2. Bloom's Taxonomy reminds us that literacy instruction must move beyond rote memorization. Women need to analyze, evaluate, and create with their literacy skills — not just decode words on a page.
3. Webb's Depth of Knowledge ensures we're not just moving up Bloom's ladder in name only. The tasks we design must require genuine depth and complexity — the kind of thinking that builds confidence and agency.
4. Understanding by Design challenges us to start with the end in mind. A program designed backward from meaningful, life-changing outcomes looks very different from a one-size-fits-all textbook march.
5. Learning Experience Design puts the learner at the center. For women who may have been told school was not for them, the experience of learning — how it feels, whether it respects their identity and realities — is as important as the content itself.
6. Together, these four frameworks offer a comprehensive, human-centered approach to designing literacy programs that don't just teach women to read — they empower them to lead.
Frameworks at a GlanceBloom's Taxonomy (1956; revised 2001)
Classifies thinking into six levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. Developed by Benjamin Bloom and colleagues; revised by Anderson and Krathwohl. Widely used across all levels of education to ensure instruction moves beyond basic recall into higher-order thinking.
Podcast application: Are women's literacy programs pushing learners beyond memorization and decoding into critical thinking, evaluation, and creation?
Webb's Depth of Knowledge (1997)
Describes four levels of cognitive demand: Level 1 (Recall and Reproduction), Level 2 (Skills and Concepts), Level 3 (Strategic Thinking), and Level 4 (Extended Thinking). Developed by Norman Webb to align standards and assessments. Complements Bloom's by measuring depth and complexity rather than type of thinking.
Podcast application: Are the tasks in women's literacy programs genuinely demanding, or do they only look rigorous on the surface?
Understanding by Design (UbD)
A backward design curriculum planning framework developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. Three stages: (1) Identify Desired Results, (2) Determine Acceptable Evidence, (3) Plan Learning Experiences. Emphasizes "enduring understandings" — big ideas learners carry with them long after the program ends.
Podcast application: Are programs designed backward from meaningful, context-driven outcomes — or forward through a generic textbook?
Learning Experience Design (LXD)
A human-centered approach to designing learning experiences that draws on education, user experience (UX) design, psychology, and neuroscience. Shifts the focus from what the teacher does to what the learner experiences. Prioritizes motivation, relevance, cultural responsiveness, and learner agency.
Podcast application: Does the learning experience respect, engage, and empower the woman going through it — or does it treat her as a passive recipient?
DisclaimerJaime is a Reading Specialist and doctoral student, not a curriculum design expert. The frameworks discussed in this episode are shared from her perspective as a learner exploring these ideas in her doctoral studies — not as definitive guidance on curriculum design. Listeners working in curriculum development are encouraged to consult the original sources listed below and to seek training from qualified curriculum design professionals.
ReferencesAnderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives (Complete ed.). Longman.
Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. David McKay Company.
Floor, N. (2023). This is learning experience design: What it is, how it works, and why it matters. LXD.org. https://lxd.org
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2025). Literacy [Fact sheet]. https://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/literacy
Webb, N. L. (1997). Criteria for alignment of expectations and assessments in mathematics and science education (Research Monograph No. 6). National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Suggested Further ReadingBloom's Taxonomy: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/
Webb's Depth of Knowledge: https://www.edutopia.org/article/webbs-depth-of-knowledge-framework
Understanding by Design (ASCD): https://www.ascd.org/books/understanding-by-design
Learning Experience Design (LXD.org): https://lxd.org
UNESCO Adult Literacy Data: https://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/literacy
Connect with Her Words, Her WorldHost: Jaime Dugan, EdS
Website: https://herwordsherworld.buzzsprout.com
Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2628298/support
Share the episode: If this episode gave you a new way of thinking about education and empowerment, share it — especially with anyone who works in literacy education, curriculum design, or international development.
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Music CreditsMusic by Calum Graham. Used under license.
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