I appreciated how you connected your example of studying to the principles of backward design. It shows so clearly how defining a clear end objective, such as mastering DFA and NFA. I have had the same experience myself where studying without an end outcome lost hours, so I could appreciate your experience. It’s a pleasant reminder that learning design, whether for a friend or an entire class, is most effective when it is deliberate.

My favorite section was your design thinking section too. I liked how you set up empathy to be the basis of innovation, especially in your co-op experience where you created a training app. That indicates that design isn’t always about being efficient but also about people, which I think is so easy to forget in technical fields.

I also agree with your interpretation of SOLO taxonomy. Bloom’s is helpful, but SOLO’s emphasis on progression is more representative of the way learning actually occurs. Your example of reinforcing the DFA/NFA result showed how minor wording changes can lead learners toward deeper understanding.