ABC (Arena Blended Connected) curriculum design By Natasa Perovic, on 9 April 2015 The ABC curriculum design method is a ninety-minute hands-on workshop for module (and programme) teams. This rapid-design method starts with your normal module (programme) documentation and will help you create a visual ‘storyboard’. A storyboard lays out the type and sequence learning activities required to meet the module’s learning outcomes and how these will be assessed. ABC is particularly useful for new programmes or those changing to an online or a more blended format. The method uses an effective and engaging paper card-based approach based on research from the JISC* and UCL IoE**. The team starts by writing a very short ‘catalogue’ description of the module to highlight its unique aspects. Next the team plan the distribution of each learning type by arranging the postcard-sized cards along the timeline of the module. The type and range of learner activities soon becomes clear and the cards often suggest new approaches. Refererences:
CELT | Manchester Metropolitan University What are they? These cards were produced to support course planning activity in workshops or meetings. The format makes them portable and easy to use in a variety of contexts. The cards cover teaching activities (things organised by the course team – orange cards), learning activities (things students do outside timetabled sessions – blue cards), assessment types (A4 cards) and the MMU employability and sustainability outcomes (green cards). The basic idea is to lay out the teaching activities in the intended sequence and then to add in the intended learning activities around them, to get a visual overview of how the course works and what students need to do to prepare for the different parts and whether they have enough time for this, and to check that the teaching activities lead up logically to assessment points. How can the cards be used? They can be used in a variety of ways; some suggestions might be:
The Design Studio / Viewpoints project Viewpoints was a Jisc-funded project supported by the Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design programme (2008-2012). The project was led by the University of Ulster and outputs were disseminated by the follow-on Panorama project (2012-2013) The following is a summary and background to the Viewpoints project as it developed. Our Project The Viewpoints project will provide practitioners with a series of simple, user-friendly reflective tools that promote a creative and effective approach to the curriculum design process. See our Curriculum Design Institutional Story Our Dissemination Project blog/website Viewpoints Project NING community (by invite) Information Skills NING community (by invite) Slideshare (copies of presentations, documents, printable files) YouTube channel - Viewpoints YouTube videos/digital stories with closed captions for accessibility Twitter - links about current Viewpoints activity Webinar recordings: Other project outputs tagged with 'Viewpoints' A1Poster.pdf Our Cluster
Connected Curriculum Connected Curriculum A distinctive approach to research-based education Connected Curriculum is an institution-wide initiative which aims to ensure that all UCL students are able to learn through participating in research and enquiry at all levels of their programme of study. Educating through dialogue and active, critical enquiryCreating an inclusive research and learning communityMaking connections across modules, programmes and beyond the classroomCreating assessments that mirror ‘public engagement’ in researchEquipping students to address interdisciplinary challengesExploring critically the values and practices of global citizenship Engaging students as partners in their education, and as co-producers of knowledge Improving the experiences of both students and staff A word from UCL’s President and Provost, Professor Michael Arthur “At University College London, our top strategic priority for the next 20 years is to close the divide between teaching and research.
RADAR Toolkit: Resources for Assessment Design, Alignment and Review - Support for students and staff - University of Exeter The RADAR toolkit is a collection of Resources for Assessment Design, Alignment and Review, a set of thinking tools designed to support academic staff in analysing how existing assessments align with good practice according to educational research. They provide concrete ideas as to what changes might be made to assessment and feedback in order to improve it The toolkit has been designed to be flexible. What's in the toolkit? The core of the toolkit comprises: a dimensions model for evaluating assessment & feedback to help visualise and redesign current assessment practicenine practical advice cards aligned with the dimensions model with useful, proven ideasa choice of two chronological assessment matrices to visualise assessment timinga digital set of student assessment & feedback questions to gather student opinion Using the toolkit in practice: an itinerary Download the RADAR Itinerary Diagram A3 (pdf, 592kb)
Design Develop Implement: a team based approach - teche The Design Develop Implement (DDI) initiative is a “fantastic team-based approach and an exemplar for how learning innovation and design should happen at MQ” (Professor Sherman Young-PVC LTD). DDI Learning Design Process This year a team lead by Dr Panos Vlachopoulos and Deidre Seeto from the Learning and Teaching Centre piloted an evidence-based collaborative approach to program learning design and development. The DDI series draws from the Carpe Diem approach and the 3E Framework. During Session 1 of 2014 three academic teams from Arts, Science and Human Sciences and a team from the Library successfully completed the DDI Series. This Session, three academic teams from Arts and FBE have started the process of transforming their programs. Contact Panos Vlachopoulos if you are interested in participating in future DDI programs. Related
Engaging academics in collegial online professional development during a course renewal process: Intent and reflection. | Vikki Pollard Research and Development in Higher Education: Higher Education in a Globalized World Volume Refereed papers from the 37th HERDSA Annual International Conference 7 - 10 July 2014 Hong Kong Baptist University Hong Kong SAR, Peoples Republic of China Savage, J. & Pollard, V. (2014). Higher Education: Higher Education in a Globalized World, 37 (pp 274 - 283). Published 2014 by Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Inc PO Box 27, MILPERRA NSW 2214, This research paper was reviewed using a double blind peer review process that meets requirements. reviewed the full paper devoid of the authors’ names and institutions in order to ensure objectivity and anonymity. conference theme and sub-themes, originality, quality and presentation. acceptance, this full paper was presented at the international conference. Copyright © 2014 HERDSA and the authors. research or private study, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act, accordance concerning above.
International Learning Design Challenge: Summary | Building Community Knowledge Sign up on We launched the International Learning Designs Challenge on 10th February. You can still sign up and catch up with the activities.If you missed our Big Launch today, you can watch the recording of it below. We keep on responding to your questions on Twitter #LDChallenge and via email: learningdesignercommunity@gmail.com Professor Diana Laurillard launching the International Learning Designs Challenge: Aim Can we build a library of One Hundred Learning Designs that are effective, shareable, and editable, in just five days, using a dedicated online tool – the Learning Designer. Our aim is to engage the teaching community from across the globe to join in designing, sharing, and discussing how to create great learning designs for transforming education. Schedule What is the Challenge? We have set three learning design challenges for current and future teaching and learning, for any sector or subject area: What will you get out of the design challenge?
E-learning essentials (genuinely) | UCL E-Learning Environments team blog By Matthew S B Smith, on 7 August 2014 Last month I attended a 3 day JISC Netskills workshop at Newcastle University entitled ‘e-learning Essentials’. Based on this particularly uninspiring title, I was prepared for the course to cover already well-trodden ground. However, I quickly found it to be the antithesis; within the first hour the unexpectedly inspiring trainer Danny McAtominey was making me think about e-learning in a way I had not considered in some time. The course focussed heavily on learning theory and rationale with the first day spent entirely away from technology (in fact during the three days I did not learn about a single new tool or piece of software). We looked at educational taxonomies, instructional design cycles and pedagogical frameworks (the kind of diagrams I do not doubt we all have copies of but so rarely dig out and consult) and how these align with and inform course design.
Using technology to improve curriculum design Introduction The process of curriculum design combines educational design with many other areas including: information management, market research, marketing, quality enhancement, quality assurance and programme and course approval. The curriculum must evolve to meet the changing needs of students and employers. Considered use of technology as part of the curriculum design process can help you to We have identified eight stages in the curriculum design cycle from engaging stakeholders to ensuring the curriculum continues to be reviewed and enhanced in response to feedback and changing circumstances. This guide will help you to work through these eight stages and suggests strategies, ideas and resources to improve your own curriculum design. Each stage includes examples of how others are taking advantage of new technologies to enhance the student experience and to develop agile and responsive curriculum to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of students and employers in the 21st century.
Evidence of the month: "Scaling up" learning design Each month, we highlight one of the new additions to the LACE Evidence Hub, which brings together evidence about learning analytics. You are welcome to add to the Hub site, which you can visit via a tab at the top of this page. The evidence of the month for January 2016 is a paper from Rienties, Toentenel and Bryan (2015): “”Scaling up” learning design: impact of learning design activities on LMS behavior and performance”. This paper is the first empirical study linking learning design information for a substantial number of courses with Learning Management Systems (LMS)/Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) data and with learning performance. The paper used hand-coded learning design data for 87 modules: the amount of time learners were expected to spend on each of seven types of learning design activity: assimilative; finding & handling information; communication; productive; experiential; interactive/adaptive; assessment. : Bart Rienties, Lisette Toetenel, and Annie Bryan. 2015.
ABC has reached 21 | UCL Digital Education team blog By Natasa Perovic, on 24 March 2016 Digital Education has now run 21 of our popular rapid learning design workshops. ABC uses an effective and engaging paper card-based method in a 90 minute hands-on workshop. To find out if ABC is for you this short video captured one of our workshops earlier this year. Participants feedback remains encouragingly positive “I thought the ABC session was really helpful. For questions and workshops contact Clive and Nataša For more information see : ABC Curriculum Design 2015 S ABC workshop resources and participants’ feedback ABC beginnings ABC News: