Designs and testing for a ‘pedagogic planning tool’

1. Review meeting 23 January 2007 A User-oriented Planner for Learning Analysis and Design - Overview Designs and testing for a ‘pedagogic planning tool’

2. Findings from lecturers - Module planning Give me ideas Help me design teaching Make it easy Help me plan the work Lack of familiarity with pedagogy Want to see what others do Not sure what’s possible with ICT Help with links between topics, outcomes, assessment Provide structure and flexibility Assume low IT skills - scaffold it carefully, make it painless Begin with module specifications Map out module over weeks then work at sequence

3. Module outline prototype “Help with planning the links between outcomes, resources, learning activities, assessment ” Links to Bloom’s taxonomy, etc.

4. Module planning prototype Computer-based tools for data manipulation, charting, designing, testing… Learner is working actively with materials or resources to find out information or explore others' ideas…. Offers default values for learning activities promoted .5 .5 Shows balance of activities “Help me plan the work” “Help me design the teaching”

5. Module resource planning prototype “Default values are helpful as long as I can change them ” Shows default values and balance of staff time

6. Calendar planning prototype “More likely to plan study hours by content than by method” “I map out module over weeks then work at a sequence”

7. Findings from lecturers - Pedagogy planning Make the design tool flexible Make it easy Give me ideas Give me help with design Adapt to my practice Modify as module develops Start from a model that can be changed A framework for thinking. What’s possible with new technology? Suggest appropriate activities Need support for timing student work Link to subject-specific resources and communities Enable lecturers to share practice

8. Learning Design for the Session Planner Select a Week to design in detail, given Topics, Learning Outcomes, Assessment Methods and Teaching Methods defined in the Module Planner Clarify learner needs, given Learning Outcomes, links to data Select from menu of learner needs Select learning theory to support analysis Select learning pattern to work through as learner Work through critique of sequence in terms of learning theory Adapt learning pattern to Topic, Learning Outcomes, Timing Revise Session parameters Publish and test with learners Use learner output to revise design

9. Links to data, resources, findings 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.

10. Select from likely learner needs “can we get help in mapping activity sequences to learning outcomes?” Select from the list below one that corresponds 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.  “Capture experiences of other lecturers”

11. Adapt a related learning activity sequence 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”

12. Forum: here are the experts’ definitions - how would you sort using these? Q&A: Can you think of a property or description that applies to two but not to the third? 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? Forum: propose your ideas to others, and compare your sorts - are they the same? Testing a learning activity sequence • Does it motivate learners to • Access 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? No - needs to be adapted Not explicitly stated No - needs to be adapted No - needs to be adapted “ a framework for thinking, offering reminders of what’s possible…” “Offer generic templates, and module-specific ones and links to subject examples”

13. Learning Design for the Session Planner Select a Week to design in detail, given Topics, Learning Outcomes, Assessment Methods and Teaching Methods defined in the Module Planner Clarify learner needs, given Learning Outcomes, links to data Select from menu of learner needs Select learning theory to support analysis Select learning pattern to work through as learner Work through critique of sequence in terms of learning theory Adapt learning pattern to Topic, Learning Outcomes, Timing Revise Session parameters Publish and test with learners Use learner output to revise design “this would be good for helping us to do our curriculum review…” “this is really making me think about it in a different way…” “I’ve never thought about the way students spend their time before…”

14. 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

16. Web design (first draft)

17. Implement 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 Future plans