Designing the curriculum: from innovation to
enhancement
Rebecca Galley Open University (UK), Dr Phil Alberts and Natalie Parnis Brunel UniversityMaria Papaefthimiou, University of Reading
“Specifically, we need to shift from the traditional craft-based teacher-design (where design draws on belief-based practice and is essentially implicit) to a more systematic, explicit design approach, drawing on empirically derived and validated tools and methods for design”.
Conole (2010)
Project aims
• a conscious process
• a dialogue with materials
• a creative process• a communicative
process• a social activity
Key aspects: Design as...
juhansonin http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2250554147/
How, when and who with?
The OULDI project sees ‘learning design’ as an all encompassing term to cover the process, representation, sharing and evaluation of designs from lower level activities, right up to whole curriculum level designs.
We are interested in providing support for the entire design process; from gathering and sketching out initial ideas, through consolidating, producing and using designs, to sharing, reuse and community engagement.
Scope...
• Workshops• Recruiting
champions• Facilitation/
mentoring• Guidance materials• Communities and
networks• Case studies
• Detailed curriculum process mapping and feedback
• Identification of process ‘touch points’
• Engagement in curriculum process review
• Recruiting and training support units
to support and influence shifts in professional practice and institutional process
Implementing change
Establish a sense of urgency
Create a vision
Communicate the vision
Empower others to act on the vision
Institutionalise the new
approaches
Consolidate improvement
and keep change moving
Plan for and create short term
wins
Kotter’s 8-step change model http://www.kotterinternational.com/KotterPrinciples/ChangeSteps.aspx retrieved Feb 25, 2011
Recruiting champions
Workshops
Facilitation and mentoring
Guidance materials
Communities and networks
Case studies
Curriculum process mapping and feedback
Identification of process ‘touch points’
Curriculum design process review
Recruiting and training support units
Form a powerful guiding coalition
Evidencing and communicating impact
Awareness
Effects on student learning
Individual Practice Institutional Process
Curriculum maps
Focus groups
Process documents
Staff surveys
Interviews
Process documents
Curriculum maps
Staff surveys
Workshop feedback
Workshop mid-term surveys
Interviews
Student satisfaction
Student satisfaction
Case studies
Designs and representations
Reactions
Application
Engagement
Learn and develop
Aims of Brunel’s Learning Design Initiative
• Blending face-to-face teaching with e-learning within the context of student needs, the programme, the teaching style of the lecturer and available technologies
• Encouraging lecturing staff to think profoundly about the best blend at the initial stages of the design process
• Detailed consideration of pedagogic principles in programme design
Mapping the Curriculum Design & Review processes
Use of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)
Learning Design Initiative
Cloudworks Social Networking site for Learning & Teaching
Learning Design Tools : Cloudworks & Compendium LDBlended Learning Design
Workshops
A visualisation map (using Compendium LD) of a new course designed during the workshop by one of the Business School Teams
Brunel University
Compendium LD Learning Design Visualisation Tool
‘A process of enquiry that leads to action’ to enhance the situation (Rosenhead & Mingers (2002))
Blended Learning Design Workshops
Purpose: Introduce staff to a new methodology for learning design, providing support and guidance for creating blended learning modules / learning activities
Objectives1. Awareness of range of resources / tools / methods available
to support learning design 2. Experience of thinking about the blended design process
from different perspectives3. Transferring the experience gained from the design
challenge to participants’ own context
Scope…
Course design teams were given the opportunity to reflect on the design of their programmes and their personal design practice
Workshop Recommendations
• Organise workshops at times when School teams are developing or modifying a programme to allow the workshop activities to be more focussed on the development of the programme.
• Retain the format of the workshop components that the participants found most useful, namely:– The opportunity to ‘try out’ more creative or unorthodox
ideas – Working with colleagues on an activity – Having support staff on-hand to answer questions– Learning about support and advisory services at Brunel
• Follow the teams up after a workshop
Curriculum Mapping @ Brunel
Aim
To review existing curriculum processes at Brunel to discover how best to ensure in-depth consideration of technologies during quality approval and review; namely the ‘Programme Approval, Review, Monitoring and Audit’ processes.
Method
Adaptation of Soft System Methodology
Source documents and semi-structured interviews, to identify ‘touch points’ within Brunel’s quality life cycle - for the provision of consultation to staff in relation to blended learning
Curriculum Mapping @ Brunel
Brunel’s Adaptation of SSM
Define project requirement
Define project requirement 1.
1.
2.
3. 4.
Compare models with real-world
processes
Compare models with real-world
processes
Define possible changes which
are both desirable and
feasible
Define possible changes which
are both desirable and
feasible
Recommend action plan to
areas for improvement
Recommend action plan to
areas for improvement
5.
6.
7.
Real World
Systems Thinking about the Real
WorldBuild revised visual model to reflect proposed systems
Build revised visual model to reflect proposed systems
Express current situation
Express current situation
Formulate definition of
proposed systems
Formulate definition of
proposed systems
2.
3. 4.
Data Gathering Approach
Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders
Institutional Level Pro Vice Chancellor for Student Experience Director of Academic Programme DevelopmentSenior Assistant Registrar for Quality and StandardsAdministrative Officer in Quality & Standards School & Programme Level5 Deputy Heads (Learning & Teaching)3 Programme LeadersModule Level2 Module Leaders
Mapping the Current System
Proposed ‘Touchpoints’
Recommendations...
• Establish the principle of design teamwork within School context
• Involve the Learning Technology Team in the provision of guidance and advice to programme teams within Schools
• More detail in relation to innovation, creativity and delivery in the design strategy document (for approval purposes)
• More detailed section on alternatives for course delivery within the module specification outline
• Offer induction sessions and workshops on any aspect of the curriculum process, as well as resources
• Schools to invite their Learning Technology adviser to participate in the annual monitoring process, or alternatively make reports available to the person
• Schools to invite their Learning Technology adviser to be an observer during their Academic Process Review events, or be involved in preparation for it, or alternatively make reports available to the person
• Strengthen the communication channels between the course development teams in Schools and their Learning Technology advisers
Recommendations…(Cont)
OULDI @ Brunel project website
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/acad/apdu/researchprojects/ouldi
Project AimsUniversity of Reading
• Does the Learning Design methodology promote thinking, reflection and discussion
• Do representations and visualisations of courses or modules promote sharing and collaboration?
• Does a Learning Design approach meet academic needs in a changing context (e.g. feedback, managing workload etc)?
How?
• Change process– Research culture– Bottom up– Champions
• Selection of pilots
Selection
• Identifying academics– Championing technology, innovations in teaching
• School e-L coordinators, Directors of T&L– New enthusiastic staff
• engaged in a project/committed to a project• PGCAP• Reward
– Identified a particular area for engagement with each.
Collecting evidence
• Encouraging thinking and reflection – Reflective account proforma around evaluation questions sent to pilots
• Case study proforma– to present evidence collected by project– gaps
• Interviews– semi-structured
Case Studies
• Following workshop participants• Following individuals academics
Angela
• Angela (Workshop participant)– Used tools on her own– Communicating course
designs to stakeholders using visualisations• colleagues teaching
the same course• learners
Joe
• Visualisations aid the thinking process of the course team– Framework to refine
existing design practice– Focus minds of staff on
key benefits to students– Aided collaboaration– Positive feedback
received from students at the end
Andrew
• Module redesign to include PBL– Visualisations identified gaps in the design– Promoted thinking and reflection on course design
• Video diaries
Kleio
• Design of a module that would be delivered by a team of tutors– Identifying the tutors’ different conceptionalisations
– Communicating the teaching concept
– Share understandings about content and process• rather than micro-
management focus is on students learning
– Reflections and evaluations
Summary of findings
• Thinking, reflection and discussion• Sharing and collaboration• Meeting challenges
Success Factors
• An existing team work and collaborative ethos within groups of academics teaching together
• Positive attitudes to technology, design and educational innovation
• Levels of pedagogic competence within the school level
• New enthusiastic staff• Championing the use of technology in T&L• Structured Opportunities for course design• Time and resource available to lecturers to invest in
their teaching
Further readingProject blog: http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/OULDI/Reading University (2010) OULDI Pilot Interim Project Update, 32pp Brunel University (2010) OULDI Pilot Interim Project Update, 6ppAlevizou, P., Galley, R. and Conole, G., (forthcoming) Collectivity, performance and self-
representation: Analysing Cloudworks as a public space for networked learning and reflection in Exploring the Theory, Pedagogy and Practice of Networked Learning. Ed. Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L., Hodgson, V. and McConnell, D. London: Springer
Cross, S. and Conole, G. (2008), Learn about learning design, Learn about guides series, The Open University: Milton Keynes, available http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/OULDI/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Learn-about-learning-design_v7.doc
Conole, Grainne (2010). Facilitating new forms of discourse for learning and teaching: harnessing the power of Web 2.0 practices. Open Learning, 25(2), pp. 141–151.
Conole, G. (forthcoming). Designing for learning in an open world. New York: Springer Conole, G. and Jones, C. (2010). ‘Sharing practice, problems and solutions for institutional
change – comparing different forms of representation’. In P. Goodyear and S. Retalis (Eds) Technology-enhanced learning: Design Patterns and Pattern Languages. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.: Sense Publishers B.V.
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