Learning design: making practice explicit

Gráinne ConoleConnectEd ConferenceSydney, 28th June 2010

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/4001

A little context…My background:Science & Arts: PhD ChemistryProfessor of e-learning

Learners’ and teachers’ experiences of using technologiesNew approaches to designOpen Educational ResourcesLearning theoriesStrategy and policy

OutlineThe changing context of

educationand technology paradoxes

A look at design practices

Learning design:Foundations,

representations, collaboration

New technologies

Globalisation

Massification

Privatisation

The changing context of education

Learner expectations

Industry requirements

Facultyroles

Technology paradoxesParadoxes

Technologies not fully exploitedLittle evidence of use of free

resources Media sharingBlogs & wikis

ReasonsTechnical, pedagogical,

organisational…“Lack of time, research vs. teaching, lack of skills, no rewards, no support….”

Solutions?Case studies, support networks

Learning DesignVirtual worlds &online games Social networking

A look at design practice

Design as…conscious processdialogue with materialscreative processcommunicative processsocial activity (Winograd)

Languageto communicate information & ideas

Design languageto communicate design plans, and intentions

Design Languages…To generate designsMeans of interpreting and discussing

MusicMusic notation relatively recent Captures key factors to enable reproductionWorks across multiple instruments

Chemistry‘Atoms’ = alphabet, ‘Molecules’ = wordsRange of representations – 2D & 3DDrawing and modeling tools

Design in education

FindingsDifficult to represent

designsNot systematic

Predominately content focused

Teacher interviewsFive aspects: design

process, ideas, support, sharing, evaluation

Wish listExamples of good practice

Others to talk to

The OU Learning Design Initiative

Shift from belief-based, implicit approaches to design-based, explicit

approaches

Encourages reflective, scholarly practices

Promotes sharing and discussion

Learning DesignA design-based approach to

creation and support of courses

Andrew Brasher, Paul Clark, Simon Cross, Juliette Culver, Rebecca Galley, Paul Mundin

Aspects of learning design

Tools

Resources

Activ

ities

Tools

Resources

Activities

Tools

Reso

urce

s

Activities

Foundations

Representation

Collaboration

Mediating artefactsAffordances

Cloudworks

Excel templateCompendiumLDCourse

views

DesignChallenge

Foundations: Mediating Artefacts

DesignHas an inherent

Mediating artefacts

Design Mediating Artefacts1. Concepts2. Tools3. Dialogues4. Activities

Can now use or repurpose

Learning activityor Resource

Creates

Vygotsky, Activity Theory

Foundations: affordancesPositive affordances, promotes…

Interaction

Collaboration

Reflections

Dialogue

Creativity

Organisation

Inquiry

Authenticity

Costly to produce

Time consuming (development)

Difficult to use

Time consuming (support)

Assessment issues

Lack of interactivity

Difficult to navigate

New literacy skills

Negative affordances, think about…

A blog for reflective practice

Affordances (Gibson)All "action possibilities" latent in an environmentt… but always in relation to the actor and therefore dependent on their capabilities.For instance, a tall tree offers the affordances of food for a Giraffe but not a sheep.

Representation The Open University, UKKE312

Working together with children

What’s the problem?Text-based/focus on content

Doesn’t show what the course is really like or what it consists of

Moving beyond content

The power of representations Shift emphasis away from

content Helps articulate designs Supports effective design Provides focus at different levels Acts as a dialogic mediating

artefact Provides a design record Encourages reflective practice Enables sharing of designs

Visualisation tools

Meaning making tools - Cohere

Pen, paper and stickers

Mind mapping tools

Excel templates

Guidance & SupportCourse structure and

timetablee.g. course calendar, study

guide, tutorials

Reflection & DemonstrationInternalization and

reflection, e.g. in-text questions, blogs, e-portfolios

Diagnostic, formative or summative assessment

Content & ActivitiesCourse materials, prior

experience, learner-generated content, e.g.

readings, DVDs, podcasts, labs

Communication & Collaboration

Dialogic aspect of the course, interaction between

learners &tutors - course forum, email, etc.

Course summaryLevel, credits, duration, key features

Key worksDescription words indicating pedagogical

approach, special features

Course map

Guidance & SupportCourse guide, study

calendar, study planner, 20 learning guides, General

assessment guidelines and assignments

Tutor support: 1:20, 21 contact hours

Reflection & Demonstration

Journal space in the Mystuff e-portfolio,

6 assignments online (50% of overall score)

Content & Activities3 co-published books, DVDs of 3 practice settings, core

questions, thinking points in course books

Plus own experience and practice

PDFs, e-journal articles & websites, activities in

learning guides, 5 website interactivities

Communication & Collaboration

F-t-F tutorials near beginning, middle and end,

Course-wide café forum, Tutor-group forums with sub-

groups for each block

Course summaryKE312 - Working together with

Children, 60 pt course over 32 weeks, 3 blocks/20

learning guidesWhole weeks devoted to assignments

Consolidation week (week 22)

Key worksPractice-related, aligned to latest

professional framework for multi-agency working, rich case studies,

Read-Relate to practice – Reflect - Write

KE312 - Course map

Pedagogy profile

Learning Design Taxonomy - Conole, 2008

Map of leaner tasks to time periods (weeks, semesters, etc.)6 types of leaner task + assessment

AssimilativeInformation handlingCommunicationProductiveExperientialAdaptiveAssessment

Each cell indicates the amount of time spent on each type of task

Course dimensions

Dimensions for each of the categories in the course view:

Guidance and supportContent and activitiesCommunication and collaborationReflection and demonstration

Considers extent to which each is present

Content & activities

Guidance & support

Reflection & demonstration

Communication & collaboration

+Learning outcomes

Mapping learning outcomes to:

ActivitiesAssessment

Based on Biggs’ work (1999) on constructive alignmentMaps course and highlights any gaps

Task swimlane

Focus on the tasks learners doBase on:

Roles (learner, tutor, etc.)Tasks (read, discuss, etc.)Tools and resourcesOutputs

AdvantagesMakes design explicitMaps out designSharable with othersGood at activity level

UseMindmapping tools – CompendiumLD, CMap, FreemindPen, paper and stickers

Working between the views

Course map

Learning outcomes

Pedagogy profileCourse dimensions

Task swimlane

Modeling with data-derived views

5 conceptual course views

What are the cost implications of…Including more online assessmentMore student-generated contentIntroducing use of SecondLife?

What happens to course performance, if…Include more collaborationDecrease the amount of tutor supportIncrease use of Web 2.0 tools?

Course Business Models projectMick Jones, Andrew Russell, Paul Mundin, Peter Wilson

Collaboration

Design challengeCreate a course in a day!

CloudworksSpace to share and discuss

Cloudworks A space for sharing and

discussing learning and teaching ideas and designs

Application of the best of web 2.0 practice to a teaching context

To bridge the gap between technologies and use

Teachers say they want examples/want to share/discuss

Helps develop skills needed for engaging with new technologies’

Quick language guide

Cloudworks speak Cloud: Cloudscape: Activity

stream: Favourites: RSS feeds: Follow: Attend:

Plan English Anything to do with learning &

teaching A collection of clouds Latest activities on Cloudscapes or

people Vote for things you like Cloudscapes or people Cloudscapes, Clouds, people Conferences, workshops, events

Core

ImprovementsDiscussions

Author

Tags

Located in

Title

Embedded content

Embedded videos

Conferences and workshops

ViewsFavourites

AttendFollow

Virtual reading circles

Virtual desk research

Flash debates

Spotlight debates

Open reviews

Cloudworks the movie!http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2457

Using Cloudworks Cloudscapehttp://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1911

Help Cloudworks leaflet

Design Education in Cloudworks – Design Atelier

AimsExplore potential of new tools for supporting learners and teachersTowards a community of online designersFocus on project and design work and Peer-to-peer assessment

Experimenting with range of tools on Design course

U101 – Design thinkingT211 – Design and designing T307 – Designing for a sustainable future

ToolsFacebook, Ning, Compendium, Eluminate, Second Life, Flckr and Open Design Studio

Tutor focusResource and knowledge sharing for tutors - GoogleWave

http://design-open.ac.uk/atelier-dhttp://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2715

Take a digital walking tourUsing cloudworks Cloudscapes

The Cloudworks Cloudquest

Browse Clouds and CloudscapesFree search

Explore some user profilesRebecca GalleyGeorgina Holden

Look at current events

Push the boat out – create a Cloud

Contribute to the Flash debates

Conclusion

Pros Cons Makes design explicit Foregrounds specific

aspects of the design Acts as a scaffold/guide to

the design process Can act as a shared

dialogic mediating artefact Comparative analysis Check points and

reflection

Design is a complex process!

Understanding the views

Recognising their limitations

The dangers of a formulaic approach

Time to master/appropriate

Still to be empirically validated

Acknowledgements Molecule

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8272941@N07/498827420/ Periodic table

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chemheritage/3984920162/ Music sheet

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anyaka/21848267/ One world http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/2731067095/ World of warcraft

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shardsofblue/3981216281/ Questionmark

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystaljingsr/3914729343/