e-learningBeyond the basics: course

design

Professor Stephen Brown

GEES

Workshop Aim

• Introduce/review principles of effective distance education authoring

Objectives

• List the kinds of information required before you can begin course design.

• List the key components of course design and sequence them in an efficient way.

• Use these components to analyse the structure, content and quality of draft course material.

• Describe the roles in online learning.• Explain the benefits of the course team model.

Activity

• Developing a short f2f course on key skills

What information do you need?• Write individual items on post-it notes

and arrange into clusters. • Groups compare lists after 20 mins

Scope

• Level• Length (eg. 3 years full time for a typical

undergraduate course)• Duration (ie. How many times will be

this course be presented before it is significantly revised or replaced?)

Goals

• Course aims • Entry requirements • Learning outcomes

Target population

Who you expect to study the course• size• location• type• evidence of demand

Topics

• Core content• Supplementary content• Sources

Logistics

• People• Skills• Time • Money

Planning proformaLearning Development Project Proposal• LEVEL• LENGTH• DURATION• COURSE AIMS• TARGET POPULATION• size• location• type

Activity

• List the key components you would expect to find in any course, eg. “course aims”

Key components

Topics

Activities

Assessment

Resources

Support

Aims

Pre requisites

Objectives

Topics

What topics need to be taught (why?)? Are they appropriate for this level of

course? How do these topics relate to the aims and

objectives? How do these topics relate to the

assessment?

Aims and objectives

What do you want to do? What will students be able to do? Are they skills, cognitive or affective? Can you state the objectives in

unambiguous measurable terms?

Learning resources

What resources do the learning activities require? Do they already exist? Can you vouch for their quality and stability? Do you own the copyright on materials? Can learners/staff access/control them easily? How will learners know which are most relevant? Can you use combinations of media to achieve the best

mix of cost, accessibility, usability and effectiveness?

Race, P. & Brown, S. 1998 The Lecturer’s Toolkit Kogan Page, London

Learning activities How do you like to teach? How do your students like to learn? What kinds of learning activities would

produce the specified outcomes? How will learners know what to do? Why should they do it? Summative or formative? Individual or group working? How long will it take? Where can they get help?

Pre-requisites

• What skills/knowledge does the course assume?

• How will you know if students have these skills?

• What can you do if they do not have them?

Pre requisites

Objectives Aims

Topics ActivitiesAssessment

Resources

Support

Activity

Aims Pre requisites Objectives

Student support

• What help will learners need to complete the activities?

• How will they get it?• How will learners get feedback on their

performance?• How will they be made to feel welcome and

valued?

Assessment

How will learners be able to judge their own performance?

How will learners be assessed? Are all the objectives assessed? Are all the assessment questions

related to objectives? Are the assessment and feedback procedures congruent with the objectives?

Pre requisites

Objectives Aims

Topics Activities Assessment

Support

Development model

Resources

Activity

Critically appraise the Biocompatibility unit– Aims and objectives– Topics– Activities– Assessment– Learner needs

MClinDent critique

• Narrative form• Passive learning• Didactic• Condescending• Impersonal• Linear• No multimedia• Dull

• Vague objectives• Objectives/assessments

don’t match• SAQs test superficial recall• Reading list is vague• Assignment requirements are

vague• Insensitive to overseas

learners

Activity

• List the different roles you think you played while you were critiquing the draft material.

Roles• Author • Educational developer• Producer ('media

editor', 'director')• Communicator

(‘Transformer’)• Information

designer('Graphic artist', 'visualiser')

• Text editor

• Proof reader• Administrator

('secretary', 'course assistant')

• Chairperson ('convenor', 'teamleader', 'programme manager')

• Verifier ('External assessor')

• Researcher

Review

• List the kinds of information required before you can begin course design.

• List the key components of course design and sequence them in an efficient way.

• Use these components to analyse the structure, content and quality of draft course material.

• Describe the roles in online learning.• Explain the benefits of the course team model.