Theory-generating practice. Proposing a principle for learning design

This contribution proposes a principle for learning design – Theory-Generating Practice (TGP) – as an alternative to the way university courses are traditionally
taught and structured, with a series of theoretical lectures isolated from practical experience and concluding with an exam or a project. The aim is to contribute to the development of theoretical frameworks for learning designs by suggesting TGP, which may lead to new practices and transpose the traditional dramaturgy for teaching TGP focuses on embodied experience prior to text reading and lectures to enhance theoretical knowledge building, and takes tacit knowledge into account. The article introduces TGP, contextualizes it to a Danish tradition of didactics, and discusses it in relation to contemporary conceptual currents of didactic design and learning design. This is followed by a theoretical framing of TGP. Finally, three empirical examples from bachelor and master programs involving technology are used to demonstrate three ways of practicing this alternative learning design.