Running from April 2009 to March 2011 http ://learning-maps.ncl.ac.uk

1. Dynamic Learning Maps • Running from April 2009 to March 2011 • http://learning-maps.ncl.ac.uk • Funded as part of the JISC programme: • Transforming curriculum delivery through technology Project funded by

2. Dynamic Learning Maps Stephen Ball (Project Director) Simon Cotterill & Gordon Skelly (Project Managers) John Peterson & Paul Horner (Project Officers) Project funded by

3. Overview of Dynamic Learning maps Personal Learning Personalised, sharing , reflective notes and evidencing outcomes Curriculum Maps Overview , Prior learning, Current & Future learning Linking Learning Resources Curriculum & External Resources Interactive ‘Web 2.0 Sharing , rating and reviews Harvesting multiple sources (‘Mashups’ ) Facilitating communities of interest

4. Technical Overview (Newcastle) Library databases Learning Resources Curricula databases e-Learning Student Information Systems ID-MAPs project Curriculum map discussion Community Learning Maps Repositories adding resources, rating & reviewing Personal learning reflection evidencing External Feeds ePortfolio / blog Life-long Learning Record (topic-specific)

5. Aims and objectives • Core objective: to develop navigable curriculum maps, which will: • Support learners, teachers & curriculum managers by enhancing understanding of complex curriculua and connections between different elements of the curriculum. • support personal learning(mapping, making connections, reflection & portfolio learning) • be interactive/participative(appropriate to the changing experience & expectations of modern learners) • support extra-curicula opportunities & transferable skills(e.g. Graduate Skills Framework) • provide an extra source of data to enhance curriculum management/QA (longer term) • Technical objectives include: • Draw on existing curricula data and learning resources (where available) • Use established standards & specifications, including life-long learning • Produce a ‘generic’ tool that will support different curricula/curriculum elements, & be available to the JISC community

6. Progress • Baseline description and 5 user scenarios • Short review of Web-based mind mapping and other graphical information mapping tools • Engagement with JISC programme activities • Pilot evaluation with MBBS stage 1(n=69) and stage 2(n=124) • Technical developments: • initial developments based on a ‘connected nodes’ approach • interface (text and ‘mind-map’ views)-tool for curriculum managers to map programme outcomes to modules- initial links with portfolio (latest UK specifications for LLL)

7. Diseases & Conditions Mapping MBBS Anatomy & Physiology • Learning maps: • interconnected nodes • strength of connections • - types of ‘nodes’ Core Presentations Personal Learning Records Community Maps Core Conditions Cases Units Sessions Learning Outcomes Curriculum Map (Medicine) Assessment

8. Why Community Maps as well as Curriculum Maps? Community Map -diseases and conditions An individualstudent’s encounters including rotations, electives & SSCs -diverse experience Curriculum Map -core conditions MBBS Core Conditions Ability to filter maps to show only curriculum content Diseases & Conditions -reflects broader student experience -’gaps’ to map: curiosity / exploratory -gateway to additional sources of reference

9. Initial Focus Group(following viewing concept demonstrator) • Informal focus group: year 4 medical students: • Very keen on concept • Would need training, especially for those less confident with IT • Could it be used as additional feedback from students to lecturers? From a students point of view, one could be much clearer on ‘the big picture’, as you have a curriculum map laid out in front of you, it is simpler and easier to find out curriculum content, learning outcomes and formal resources, all linked together, and also seeing how similar topics are interlinked throughout the course.”  “This idea has engaged me from the outset and has potential, I believe, to revolutionise the MBBS course (as well as other courses) in many ways.” “It seems a really good idea but it important that we get training on how to use it.”

10. Short review of Web-based mind maps and related information mapping software Simple mind maps Organisational diagrams Buzan style mind maps Image-rich mind maps Concept maps 3D topicscapes

11. Initial interfaces & user preferences Text-based interface Mind-map style interface Forthcoming focus groups: explore options e.g. colour coding terminology e.g. ‘nodes’ or topics

12. Next steps • Refining the Learning Maps application • Student input, focus groups • Input from curriculum leaders & support staff • Populating the curriculum maps • Focus Groups, late 2009 / early 2010 • Psychology • Medicine • Speech Therapy • Initial Piloting and evaluation (curriculum maps for a single academic year) • Piloting in Medicine in Semester 2, 2009 • Piloting in Psychology & speech & language sciences? • Evaluation • Questionnaires based in goals & baseline + focus groups • BOS approval , ethics approval • Sustainability Review • Larger piloting from Sept. 2010 (Medicine, psychology, speech & language sciences)

13. Baseline & Challenges

14. Curriculum Maps: elsewhere… Willett T.G. Current status of curriculum mapping in Canada and the UK. Medical Education, 2008, 42, 786-93 • survey of Canadian and UK medical schools to determine the current status, characteristics, and challenging and successful aspects of their efforts in curriculum mapping. • 31 Medical schools responded to a questionnaire: • the majority of schools are in the process of building maps • only 20% of schools have managed to complete them • Great variation amongst Schools: • software used to construct the maps • educational elements included in the maps • variety of educational outcome frameworks are employed for curriculum evaluation. • Major challenges include: • complexity • human resource demands • use of medical ontologies, • faculty development • interface design

15. Challenges for Curriculum Mapping ♯1 Challenge: the curriculum changes over time • e.g MBBS: between major restructuring of the curriculum (aprox. every 5-7yrs): • stable: units (modules), programme outcomes • minor adjustments: sessions, cases, unit outcomes (responsive to evaluation / QA) • more variation in assessment & differences in delivery by 4 ‘Base Units’ (stages 3 & 5) Student journey through the curriculum ‘here and now’ teaching focus

16. Challenges for Curriculum Mapping ♯2 Stepped availability of study guides, cases and timetable data i.e. a fully detailed / data-driven curriculum map for the current academic year would not be available until Semester 2. A partial map would be no good at all! (Needs to be a semi-persistent map but drawing on latest information as it becomes available). Resources (presentations etc) are uploaded into the VLE on a ‘just in time’ basis.

17. Challenges for Curriculum Mapping ♯3 • VLE / curriculum databases (baseline) • designed to support complex curricula with large number of contributors • using familiar Word documents (well formatted ‘portal documents’) • these populate databases and structure the VLE when they are uploaded • supports changing curriculum with views by multiple academic years • Fit for purpose, but raise challenges for online curriculum maps: • Codes used in VLE and timetable are not persistent • e.g. ‘PPD2.15’ may referrer to completely different teaching sessions from • one academic year to the next • Problematic as resources are linked to these non-persistent codes • Key data is in the form of non-standardised text • e.g. learning outcomes, core presentations / conditions etc. • language is inconsistent between study guides (modified for context) • hard to differentiate between unit-specific and programme outcomes & content

18. Challenge: Key data is in the form of non-standardised text • Demonstration: • Mapping outcomes to modules • Contextualising language

19. Challenge: overview of the curriculum – connecting it all together • Demonstration: • connecting different elements of the curriculum

20. Challenge: where is x taught in the curriculum? • Occasional teachers: quick overview of where a given topic in the curriculum • better contextualisation & appropriate level • reduced duplication (unintended) • Curriculum Managers: QA + External inspections Example of what a list could look like:

21. Challenge: personal learning Challenge: cross modular learning

22. Challenge: graduate skills framework / transferable skills Challenge: community & changing nature and expectations of modern learners -sharing, rating and commenting on external resources

23. Add, rate and comment / review resources

24. Challenge: Getting the right balance Specificity &Granularity Automation Initially relianton manually making connections(curriculum & community) • Saturation (too many Connections – ‘hairball’) • e.g. MBBS: 50+ learning outcomes • per module. High-level outcomes • present in virtually every module. • Search • High volume • of results • mixed • relevance • Maintenance costs • as the curriculum changes Data on connected topics used to improve future automation/specificity (related keywords / strength of connections) Refine relevance scoring

25. Further Information • S.J.Cotterill@ncl.ac.uk • Gordon.Skelly@ncl.ac.uk • http://learning-maps.ncl.ac.uk

26. Stakeholders & diversity of requirements Differences in perception of what curriculum maps are/should be Group work 1. Individually read handout of ‘high-level’ educational objectives -rate in accordance of their relative importance to you (5 mins) In groups: 2. Discuss the objectives and importance to stakeholder groups Pick 5 to ‘unpack’ and discuss in detail Feedback key points to the

27. I prefer ?

28. The map will help me better understand the MBBS curriculum?

29. It is easy to use?

30. The map would benefit my learning?

31. I understand the concept of Learning Maps?

32. Knowing how a teaching session relates to the rest of the curriculum is important to me?

33. Having the map will be useful for preparation before a teaching session?

34. Having the map will be useful for reviewing and reflecting after a session?

35. Having the map will be useful for revision?

36. It would be useful to add notes and reflections to teaching sessions and other parts of the map?

37. I only want information and resources provided by teaching staff ?

38. I frequently supplement my learning with external resources on the web ?

39. How often would you envisage using the map (once complete) ?