Explanation of designs and testing for a ‘pedagogic planning tool’

A User-oriented Planner for Learning Analysis and Design - Detail

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Review meeting23 January 2007

To template for ‘publishing’ to staff

and students

Learning Design Information Flow: Module Planner

Link Learning Outcomes to Topics and Assessment Methods

Resource Planning:Check assumptionsSelect and plan time on Teaching MethodsCheck learning experience, staff and student workloads

Calendar Planning:Plan Topics by WeekCheck distribution of Learning Outcomes and Ass’t Methods

Refine given definitions in terms of advice offeredGenerate known misconceptions

To template for ‘publishing’ plan to staff

for, workloads, assumptions, rationales

Enter Module Outline data from given initial conditions

Teaching Planning:Map Teaching Methods to weeksCheck link between TMs and LOsCheck staff and student workloads by week

Checks all Los, AMs and Topics are linked

Check workload for staff and students by week, and adjust if necessary

Adjust parameters as necessary

Link to Phoebe notes on:

- Pre-requisites

- Pre-existing skills and experience

Link to Phoebe Wiki here to discuss plans across the team?

Module outline prototype

Links to resources on project website

The project staff are collecting exemplars of definitions, case studies, learning objects, learning patterns, etc. that could be of use to project lecturers.

Eventually we would hope to do a search of repositories and especially D4L outputs.

Adapt and implement a learning pattern in LAMS

Output description to Word

Select a Week to design, given Topics, LOs, AMs and TMs

Learning Design Information Flow: Session Planner

Critique learning pattern using theory

Clarify learner needs

Select & use learning theory

Explanation of CF etc.

Select learner needs

Experience an existing learning activity in LAMS

Publish and test in LAMS

Adapt a learning pattern to Topic, LO, etc.

Director-driven activity in LAMS

Activity in Director

Director-driven activity in LAMS and other media

Activity in LAMS

Learner data, research findings

Select learning pattern

Week 2: Topics, Learning OutcomesLearners’ potential perceptions: (from Module Outline)Learners’ potential misconceptions: (from Module Outline)

Make notes on the naïve, common, or historical conceptions that might be present among your students? What are the standard types of error, omission, or misconception that occur in assignments, exam answers, student presentations and discussions?

Make notes on ways in which the internal logical structure of the main concepts can be distorted, over-simplified, over-generalised?

Makes notes on which technical or special terms have everyday meanings that could lead to their misinterpretation?

Make notes on which forms of representation used in this topic are difficult for studentsLinguisticNotationalDiagrammaticGraphicalSymbolicIconicNumeric

What does educational research say about learning needs in this field? Try entering your Topic keywords in Google Scholar and in education journals in your field. Make notes on key findings that would be helpful and record the source in Endnote for further reference.

Clarify learner needsClarify learner needs

Lecturer’s input …

Lecturer’s input …

Notes on nature of difficulties …

Lecturer’s input

Insert links to learner data, examiners’ reports, Google Scholar, and relevant education journals.

Select learner needs

Select from the list below those that correspond most closely to your analysis, and select the approaches you believe would be most suitable:Likely learner needs Understanding meaning of terms, special words Understanding, explaining processes within a system Understanding and applying a complex concept Motivation to do thorough research Understanding how properties of elements in a system relate to each other Justifications for key principles or relationships Seeing the familiar as problematic Understanding the value of new concepts

Possible learning designs - from Mod4L? CETIS? Provide a glossary online which can either display the matching terms and definitions, or display each term with all definitions and ask learner to select the matching one, and v.v. Provide a concordance tool for a relevant document respository, set a task to use this to generate their own definition of a term, submit it, and ask student groups to debate whose is best, alongside existing expert definitions Ask student groups to research and generate a ‘trivial pursuit’ style card on one term each, then challenge each other on the full set of terms Develop a set of inappropriate uses in context of each term, taken from student assignments and exams, ask students to ‘mark’ them alongside expert uses in context, and discuss results.

What taxonomy do we end up with for learning needs? - develop organically, via Wiki?

LecturesLectures

TutorialsTutorials

ReadingReading

Computer-based toolsComputer-based tools

Interactive Computer-Marked Assignments (ICMAs)Interactive Computer-Marked Assignments (ICMAs)

The mapping for Week 2 The mapping for Week 2

SummarySummary

Mapping Teaching Methods to Mapping Teaching Methods to

(a) The Conversational Framework(a) The Conversational Framework

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Mapping Teaching Methods for Week 2

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Questions

Questions, ideas, answers

Questions, ideas, answers

Feedback

Action

Practice attemptComment

Practice attemptComment

Adapt actions

Adapt actions

Adapt a Task practice environment Reflect ReflectReflect

Hints CommentsModel answers

ConceptsQuestions

Task goal

Revisions

This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by the combination of all the Teaching Methods used in Week 2 (the current Week/Session):

The coverage is good, but it may be worthwhile to consider how the remaining gaps could be addressed:

Answers

CSCL environment Synchronous online structured reading group Collaborative lab/fieldwork project Role-play simulation

Select learning pattern

Select from the list below those that correspond most closely to your analysis, and select the approaches you believe would be most suitable:

Likely learner needs Understanding meaning of terms, special words Understanding, explaining processes within a system Understanding and applying a complex concept Motivation to do thorough research Understanding how properties of elements in a system relate to each other Justifications for key principles or relationships Seeing the familiar as problematic Understanding the value of new concepts

These patterns would help students think through their initial thoughts for an unfamiliar area of study...• Related learning patterns• Related LAMS sequence• Related learning objects, learning design tools in CETL• Case study from CETL, JISC MLA, etc• Reusable learning objects from MERLOT, JORUM, etc.

- next stage for Director prototype

Work through a learning activity sequence

A sequence to elicit and compareA sequence to elicit and comparelearnerslearners’’ constructs for constructs for ‘‘XX’’

Voting: Which ofthe rest havethis propertyor feature?

Q&A: You have sorted theitems in the same wayfor these properties: A,C, F. What does that tellyou?

Forum: propose your ideas toothers, and compare yoursorts - are they thesame?

Voting: propose and vote onproperties that are themost interesting

Forum: here are the experts’definitions - how wouldyou sort using these?

Voting: Select anythree oftheseinstances ofthe concept‘X’

Repeat the last three steps,selecting threes for the

student until all instanceshave been covered at

least once

Q&A: Can you think ofa property ordescription thatapplies to two butnot to the third?

Link to separatewindowdisplayinginstances ofconceptdisplayed withaccess to zoom

A sequence to elicit and compareA sequence to elicit and comparelearnerslearners’’ constructs for constructs for ‘‘XX’’

Voting: Which ofthe rest havethis propertyor feature?

Q&A: You have sorted theitems in the same wayfor these properties: A,C, F. What does that tellyou?

Forum: propose your ideas toothers, and compare yoursorts - are they thesame?

Voting: propose and vote onproperties that are themost interesting

Forum: here are the experts’definitions - how wouldyou sort using these?

Voting: Select anythree oftheseinstances ofthe concept‘X’

Repeat the last three steps,selecting threes for the

student until all instanceshave been covered at

least once

Q&A: Can you think ofa property ordescription thatapplies to two butnot to the third?

Link to separatewindowdisplayinginstances ofconceptdisplayed withaccess to zoom

This sequence is designed to help learners think through their initial ideas for an unfamiliar field of study, and prepare for understanding the expert definitions and concepts.

Work through the sequence, to see how you experience it as a learning process.

“Start from a model that can be changed”“Keep it simple, but extensible - standard templates are good if they produce something”

Does it motivate learners toAccess the teacher/expert concepts?Ask questions of the teacher or their peers? Offer their own idea to teacher or peers?Act to achieve a clear task goal?Use feedback to improve practice/actions ?Compare outputs with their peers?Reflect on that experience?Discuss/debate ideas with their peers?Articulate their ideas? Produce an output?

Forum: here are the experts’ definitions - how would you sort using these?

No - needs to be adapted

Critique a learning activity sequence

Q&A: Can you think of a property or description that applies to two but not to the third?Not explicitly stated

Q&A: You have sorted the items in the same way for these properties: A, C, F. What does that tell you?

Forum: propose your ideas to others, and compare your sorts - are they the same?

No - needs to be adaptedForum: propose your ideas to

others, and compare your sorts - are they the same?No - needs to be adapted

“ a framework for thinking, offering reminders of what’s possible…”

Design principles Start with what is recognisable to lecturers

Aim for optimal use of technology, tools and resources

Build on existing practice to define categories and needs

Link to existing exemplars and findings wherever possible

Provide defaults and customisation

Rapid prototypes for rapid testing

Aim to implement as database with web front-end

Focus on planning learning and teaching, not logistics

Take lecturers to the point of analysing their ideas, then select an

example from a provided list

Scaffold lecturers in the gradual use of terminology of LD

Record decisions, notes, designs in lecturer’s portfolio file

Database designbuilt from Module and Session Planner prototypes

Future plansImplement tested prototypes as database with Web front-end

Link plans to Phoebe project - cross-refer, and share test-beds - develop joint spec for mainstream application and sustainability

Create direct supported links from LAMS design, and Ped Planner tool to contributions to LAMS community and Phoebe Wiki

Build closer links with Sharing the Load, ELIDA, SLED

Build in outputs from Mod4L, CETIS and other projects

Develop spec for the full range of users in FE, HE, ACL, WBL, and full range of content, functionality, and forms of design support

Begin testing with lecturers who are not currently engaged in e-learning

Begin looking at advice on logistics - could we build this in?

Implement glossary - global edit function, and link to a user-constructed ontology site

Initiate, articulate and disseminate a new way of conceptualising learning design in terms of outcomes and patterns of activity, and internal analysis of learning tasks, layers of learning

One obvious way is to connect the two levels - to put theory into practice, with each learner using what they know to adapt their actions to achieve the task goal, so they can share actions and ideas with other learners…

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Linking Learning Outcomes and Teaching Methods (4)

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Concepts Answers

Questions Productions

Ideas Comments

Ideas Comments

Task goalFeedback

Actions Revisions

Trial actions

Teachers have to do the same - adapt the Task Goals to those needed to help each learner put their understanding into practice

Adapt actions

Adapt actions

Adapt the Task practice environment

But there should also be a connection in the reverse direction, from practice to theory…

Trial actions

Discursive level

Experiential level

The connection back from practice to theory describes learning from experience, reflecting on how the practice makes sense of the theory, enabling each learner to share their reflections with other learners…

Linking Learning Outcomes and Teaching Methods (5)

Reflect

And again, teachers and lecturers have to do the same - reflecting on their learners’ performance in the Task environment so they can offer more elaborate or clearer descriptions of theory, or answers to questions

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Concepts Answers Ideas

Comments

Actions Revisions

Adapt actions

Adapt actions

Adapt the Task practice environment

Action ideas

ReflectReflect

This is the complete Conversational Framework:

Linking Learning Outcomes and Teaching Methods (6)

It is designed to describe the minimal requirements for supporting learning in education.

It means that, if the learning outcome is understanding, or mastery, the teaching methods should cover the whole Framework, motivating the learner to go through all these different cognitive activities.

So the Conversational Framework provides a way of checking that a teaching design motivates what it takes for students to learn.

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s)

Concepts Answers

QuestionsProductions

Ideas Comments

Ideas Comments

Task goalFeedback

Actions Revisions

Action ideas

Action ideas

Adapt actions

Adapt actions

Adapt the Task practice environment

Reflect ReflectReflect

1. access explanations and presentations of the theory, ideas or concepts?2. ask questions about their understanding of the theory, etc, by providing the opportunity for answers from (I) the teacher, or (ii) their peers?3. offer their own ideas and conceptual understanding, by providing comment on them from (I) the teacher, or (ii) their peers?4. use their theoretical understanding to achieve a clear task goal by adapting their actions in the light of their understanding, or in response to comments or feedback?5. repeat practice, by providing feedback on actions that enables them to improve performance?6. repeat practice,by enabling them to share their trial actions with peers, for comparison and comment?7. reflect on the experience of the goal-action-feedback cycle, by offering repeated practice at achieving the task goal?8. discuss and debate their ideas with other learners?9. reflect on their experience, by having to articulate or produce their ideas, reports, designs, performances, etc. for presentation to their peers?10. reflect on their experience, by having to articulate or produce their ideas, reports, designs, performances, etc. for presentation to their teachers?

This list will be available for consultation throughout the Session Planning process.

The Conversational Framework - A Summary

The Conversational Framework poses the following questions to the Teaching Methods planned for a Session/Week.

Do they motivate students to: