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.
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