Hands-on Design of Effective University Learning Environments

1. Hands-on Design of Effective University Learning Environments Rob Phillips, Academic Consultant Educational Design Project, School of Education, Curtin University, Perth Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Education, Murdoch University, Perth

2. My Background • 1980s • Research scientist – theoretical chemistry and computer science – Germany and Australia • 1990s • Interactive multimedia designer and project manager • 2000s • Educational designer • 2010s • Learning and Teaching Policy work • Academic consultant – mentoring and educational design

3. Thesis Statement • The traditional model of university teaching is inappropriate to meet the needs and pressures of the 21st century • It isn’t scalable in the face of funding cuts • It poorly adapts to increasing student diversity and need for flexibility • Way forward: • Build on research • Innovative unit design and clever use of educational technology

4. Flipped Classroom • Content is everywhere • No need to spend class time in delivering content • Engage with content before class • Class time is spent in discussion, practising…

5. Nothing new under the sun… • Bligh, D. A. (1972). What's the Use of Lectures. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin. • Laurillard, D. M. (1993). Rethinking University Teaching: A Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology. London: Routledge. • Second edition 2002

6. Overview • Examples • Conceptual frameworks • Hands-on activities

7. Overview • Examples • Conceptual frameworks • Hands-on activities

8. Book advert

9. The LEPO Framework • Learning Environment, Process, Outcomes facilitate Educational Context Learning environments Learning processes engage in facilitate design work within interact with Students Teachers demonstrate assess determine lead to Learning outcomes

10. Students Educational Context Learning environments Learning processes Students Teachers • Students • Existing knowledge and abilities • Socioeconomic context • Expectations of success • Motivation to learn • Conceptions/ beliefs about learning • Preferred approach to learning Learning outcomes

11. Teachers Educational Context Learning environments Learning processes • Teachers • Conceptions/beliefs of learning • Teaching expertise • Ability to motivate students • Deep contextual knowledge Students Teachers Learning outcomes

12. Teaching philosophy • Behaviourism and constructivism

13. The Forest Metaphor Lloyd Rieber, University of Georgia, 1995

14. The Yellow Brick Road Approach

15. Discovery Learning

16. Discovery Learning 2

17. Guided Discovery Learning

18. Learning Environment Educational Context Learning environments Learning processes • Learning Environment • Curriculum • what to learn • desired learning outcomes, content • Learning design • how to learn • learning “tasks” • Technology design • technical specifications Students Teachers Learning outcomes

19. Curriculum Design • Desired Learning Outcomes • Generic Learning Outcomes • Graduate attributes • 21st century skills • Bloom’s Taxonomy

20. Bloom’s Taxonomies

21. Learning Domains • Cognitive Domain • Psychomotor Domain • physical skills • Affective Domain • emotions • Conative Domain • capacity to act, decide, and commit • motivation

22. Learning Process Educational Context • Learning Processes • Learning activity: an interaction between a learner and an environment • Contextual learning processes – studying • Cognitive learning processes Learning environments Learning processes Students Teachers Learning outcomes

23. Learning Outcomes • Learning Outcomes • Conceptual knowledge • Professional skills • Literacies • Learning skills • Societal beliefs and values • Lifelong learning skills • Assessment Educational Context Learning environments Learning processes Students Teachers Learning outcomes

24. Learning Design • Learning tasks are what teachers set • Learning activities are what students do • Constructive alignment

25. What are Learning Tasks? • Activities that students do to practice and consolidate their understanding • E.g. • Read chapter 3… • Write a reflective journal entry • Work with your group to refine your project plan

26. Authentic Learning • Authentic context • Authentic activity • Expert performances • Multiple perspectives • Collaboration • Reflection • Articulation • Coaching and scaffolding • Authentic assessment (Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2010)

27. Are there any disciplines that Authentic Learning is not suited for? Yes but even if not, you can still use elements to make it relevant Critique

28. Section Conclusion • As well as outcomes and content, think about learning tasks and assessment • Try to be more authentic than the yellow brick road • Focus on effective and efficient learning noteffective and efficient teaching

29. Overview • Examples • Conceptual frameworks • Hands-on activities

30. Activities • Analyse a current course in terms of outcomes, assessment and learning tasks • Progressively refine the design • to make it more appropriate for your students • Outcome: • Better understanding of effective learning environments • An initial plan to refine a course

31. Task • In pairs or 3s • Choose a course • Fill in current Objectives, Assessments and Tasks

32. Learning Outcomes • Learning Outcomes • Conceptual knowledge • Professional skills • Literacies • Learning skills • Societal beliefs and values • Lifelong learning skills • Assessment Educational Context Learning environments Learning processes Students Teachers Learning outcomes

33. Learning Domains • Cognitive Domain • Psychomotor Domain • physical skills • Affective Domain • emotions • Conative Domain • capacity to act, decide, and commit • motivation

34. Bloom’s Taxonomies

35. Aims, Objectives and Outcomes • Aim - what the teacher is going to do (archery competition) • Objective - what the student should be able to do (the target) • Outcome - what the student can do (shooting the arrow)

36. Learning Outcomes Threetypes of learning outcomes(Allan, 1996) • Subject-based outcomes • subsume learning objectives • complex, discipline-based outcomes - capable of being assessed; • Personal transferable outcomes • acting independently • working with others • using information technology • communicating effectively • metacognitive and self-efficacy skills • Generic academic outcomes • making use of information • thinking creatively and critically • analysing and synthesising ideas and information • Graduate Attributes or 21st Century Skills • Your students might already have some of these • or they might not….

37. Task • In pairs or 3s • Review learning outcomes and assessment • Are they deep enough?

38. Task • Do the Learning Outcomes, Assessments and Tasks match the profile of your students? • Plenary discussion

39. How to Teach the Topic • What (authentic) tasks can you develop to engage students? • What classroom activities can you design to improve understanding?

40. Task • Go to Column 2 • Review Learning Outcomes and Assessment • Identify authentic tasks • Identify troublesome concepts • Propose solutions

42. Teaching Ideas • If you can’t change the course, you can change how you teach it! • Inspiring students • Relevance

43. Adult Learning Principles • The subject matter is relevant to the personal interests of the adult learner • Capitaliseon the wealth of experience of participants • Adult learners must understand the rationale and purpose of their learning • Need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their learning • Experience (including mistakes) can provide the basis for learning activities • Interested in learning material that has immediate application • Problem­centricrather than content­specific Jeremy Williams (2006) Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 2 (1)

44. Open-Book Open-Web (OBOW) Exams • Jeremy Williams(2009) The efficacy of the final examination: a comparative study of closed-book, invigilated exams and open-book, open-web exams (with Amy Wong), British Journal of Educational Technology, 40 (2), 227-236. • Jeremy Williams(2007) E-xams: harnessing the power of ICTs to enhance authenticity, (with Wing Lam and Alton Chua), Educational Technology and Society, 10 (3), 209-221.

45. An OBOW Exam….