‍Designing the LXD Academy: Scaling Knowledge for Collective Flourishing in Ethiopia‍

In Ethiopia, the first Learning Experience Design Academy guides technologists and educators to turn complex farming research into accessible, interactive tools—democratizing knowledge, advancing sustainable agriculture, and enabling farmers to thrive.

Partners:

• GIZ
• ReDI School
• Kaospilot Denmark

Project Duration: 2022

Capabilities Delivered:

Seeing Systems - Systems and Social Research, Cross sector Learning lab,

Designing Change - Learning Experience Design, Experience Design, Service Design Leadership and Capacity Development, Weaving Experiences of Place & People.

The Landscape

In Ethiopia, critical research on sustainable farming remained out of reach for 89 million farmers, buried in dense digital texts. To bridge this gap, GIZ partnered with ReDI School and Kaospilot, with KindMind’s support, to establish the Learning Experience Design (LXD) Academy. The program equips technologists and educators to transform complex research into scalable, interactive digital experiences—democratizing knowledge and enabling better farming outcomes nationwide.

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The Challenge

How might we equip digital professionals with learning experience design skills that not only strengthen their role in the ed-tech space but also transform grassroots education into more accessible and empowering experiences?

Three main challenges emerged:

• Capacity Gap: Professionals lacked practical LxD frameworks and faced technological barriers.
  
  
• Motivation: How to foster self-driven, lasting behavior change.
  
  
• Scalability: Behavioral change needed to grow—from individuals to communities to systems.

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The KindMind Lens

Using KindMind’s Braver Learning by Design systemic approach, the project translated abstract goals into actionable roadmaps focused on trust, inclusion, and lasting impact. Human-centered design and behavioral science guided initiatives:

• Intrinsic Motivation Design: Applied Organismic Integration Theory to create autonomous, meaningful learning experiences.
  
  
• Systemic Scaling Framework: Embedded “Scaling Deep” (personal mindset) as the foundation for “Scaling Out” and “Scaling Up.”
  
  
• Co-Designed Curriculum: Hands-on peer-learning, digital prototyping, and experiential modules from fundamentals to applied LxD.

Guiding Transformation

Across both contexts, the teams translated these frameworks into action. Specifically, they:

• Internalization & Integration Frameworks: Use meaningful reflection tools (e.g., pre-workbooks, structured reflection cycles) to embed behavior change.
  
  
• Reflective & Relational Curriculum Design: Reflection and relational design engagement activities such as “pair, square, and share” embedded behavior change through structured tools and peer interaction. The curriculum covers learning experience design, project management, leadership, and entrepreneurship, preparing participants for employment in Ethiopia’s digital sector.
  
  
• Scaling Impact Model: Each student developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) digital learning application, showcased at Demo Day.
  
  
• Applied frameworks such as Organismic Integration Theory, Scaling Impact, and Transformational Learning to structure behavior change: Layered scaling goals fostered individual growth, broader community impact, and system-level change.

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The Systemic Impact

• Behavior Change Design: Frameworks for embedding intrinsic motivation and reflection became repeatable methods for sustainable impact.
  
  
• Skill Building & Capacity: 200+ digital professionals across two cohorts gained practical LxD skills and learned to prototype and pitch solutions.

• Cultural Shift: Participants evolved from consumers to creators of experiential learning. The LXD Ethiopia Association was established and now sustains innovation and systemic adoption, collaborating with institutions like the Ethiopian Development Institute adopting LXD principles in their training programs.

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The Systemic Agenda

KindMind’s work with the LXD Academy moves learning and behavior change beyond one-off interventions into lasting, systemic transformation. By combining motivational psychology with participatory curriculum design, the program equips digital professionals—not just organizations—with the tools to ignite, scale, and sustain meaningful change through experience, fostering innovation, capacity, and equitable access to learning across Ethiopia’s EdTech and agricultural sectors.

About the Program

The three-month, full-time LXD Academy equips young Ethiopian digital professionals with skills in learning design, project management, leadership, and entrepreneurship, empowering them to create, scale, and sustain impactful digital learning experiences.

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