TheDesign Studio

Andrew MiddletonHead of Innovation & Professional Development, QESS

(CC) pimousse3000

Course PlanningWhere do you start?

…then what?…and other challenges

Introducing a Design Studio approach

Curriculum Design, …Plan, …Develop, …Deliver?

In contrastThe Design Studio methods will,

• share experience• be enjoyable• create a consistent,

supported process• encourage

consistency• clarity• formal collaboration

enhance project revealed Academic,

– inexperience– detachment– diverse practice– inconsistency– uncertainty– isolation

Objective for the Design Studio

An approach that is,•Highly usable•Agile – works for different needs,

situations, people•Collaborative, creative and criticalResulting in,•pedagogic and curriculum

innovation•and an engaging teaching and

learning experience

Applications

Suitable for the approval of,•new courses•annually reviewed provision,

and•5 Yearly Review

Contexts for Curriculum Design

• Design is affected by context

• some context is fixed - you have no choice

• some context needs to be pinned down - you must make a choice

The Design Team members

• Design Facilitator: experienced mentor and advocate

• Academic Lead: responsibility for taking it forward

• Student Designer: an equal design partner

• Academic peers: sharing experience• Quality Adviser: advising on process• Administrative adviser: logistics and processes• LTA adviser: supporting innovation• E-learning adviser: supporting best use of Blackboard etc• Information adviser: readings and resources• Learning adviser: embedding learning literacies• Professional & Employer representatives: employability

Viewpoints

• University of Ulster’s Viewpoints method

• http://tinyurl.com/bpx54xj• Using ‘Lenses’ – approaching

the design by considering principle-based themes e.g. assessment, employability, learner engagement, etc

• Collaboration workshops

Module timeline worksheet

Teams work together around the module (or course) design worksheet

Choosing a ‘lens’• Lens - theme/set of cards, a

view of the course• Lenses include

– Assessment and Feedback– Information Skills– Learner Engagement – Creativity – Graduate

Outcomes/Attributes– …

• Thematic lens card sets prompt design discussion based on:– Principles– HEFCE code of practice– Examples

Assessment and Feedback cards are pictured here(principles based on REAP project).

Choosing an objective

The team decide on an objective for their session and write it at the top of the module worksheet

The ‘objective’ guides the design team through the processThis is different to learning outcomes which can also be stated

Reading the front of the cards

The team read the principles on the front of the cards, choosing ones appropriate to their objective*

* The ‘objective’ of their design focus

Mapping the cards to the timeline

The team take their selected cards and map them to the appropriate point on the timeline (e.g. at the induction phase, during first few weeks of course)

Reading examples on cards

The course team turn the cards over and read the examples/ideas on the back.

Choosing relevant examples

The team tick any examples that align with

their course outcomes

Adding in own ideas/commentsThe team write on any of their own ideas or comments, in order to tailor the examples to their own module.

Sample finished worksheets

Discussion

• the benefits of a structured, collaborative design approach;

• the actual methods used and the roles involved;

• the use of lenses or themes;

• where next.

Where next?

•Work with pilot teams•Refine, develop and release the materials for use at

scale over semester 2

•Partners/designers wanted!