Overview of the OULDI project

Project aim: “ Specifically, we need to shift from the traditional craft-based teacher-design (where design draws on belief-based practice and is essentially implicit) to a more systematic, explicit design approach, drawing on empirically derived and validated tools and methods for design”. Conole (2010)

“ Learning design is viewed as both a process – the planning, structuring and sequencing of learning activities; and as a product – the representation/s, plan, or structure produced during the process or created later”
Learn about... Learning Design guide (Cross and Conole, 2008)
What is learning design?

conscious process
dialogue with materials
creative process
communicative process
social activity ( Winograd, 1996:64 )
Key aspects: Design as... juhansonin http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2250554147/

A Design approach
Utilises a shared design language to both generate designs and as a mechanism for interpreting and discussing them (Winograd, 1996:64)
Uses a notational system which helps us remember and navigate designs, enables designs to take form and be shared, and helps us sharpen and multiply abstract design categories (Gibbons and Brewer, 2005:121)
Recognises that different representations of a design are needed to articulate certain elements of the design, while ignoring others
Designs should never be seen as static artefacts and are always dynamic and co-constructed in context . (Gibbons and Brewer, 2005:115)

How, when and who with The OULDI project sees ‘learning design’ as an all encompassing term to cover the process, representation, sharing and evaluation of designs from lower level activities, right up to whole curriculum level designs. We are interested in providing support for the entire design process; from gathering and sketching out initial ideas, through consolidating, producing and using designs, to sharing, reuse and community engagement.

Methodology
Our methodology focuses on two areas of activity in parallel:
capturing and representing practice
supporting learning design
The empirical data informs the three main strands of our work:
representing pedagogy,
guiding the design process
facilitating the sharing and discussing of designs.
Our work is underpinned by an ongoing programme of empirical work, aimed at getting a richer understanding of educational design processes. Empirical evidence has included the collection of user requirements, case studies, in-depth interviews, evaluation of workshops and focus groups and in-depth evaluation of holistic course design.

Design tools Pen & paper Concept mapping (CompendiumLD, CMap etc) Project tools (Visio, Excel) Mindmapping (MindGenius, Word/ PowerPoint, Prezi etc)

CompendiumLD
Hierarchy of information layers
Specific course design nodes (e.g. Learning outcome, activity, learner output, task, tool, role)
Additional nodes (question answer, pros/cons
Flexibility of software assists, maps and records creative design process

On CompendiumLD...
“ And again, like I said to you, it forces you...you know...it makes you think about the different components of the learning process in a way that is structured and it makes people address those issues and discuss them. On that day, you know, we had quite a lot of discussion about...you know...details about how we were going to run these projects: the things we could use; the technologies we could bring in.”
“ It’s a mode of thinking. CompendiumLD, and course design is a mode of thinking”

Discussion is a key part of informal process
Developing ideas and concepts
Sharing best practice
Ideas, support and advice
Enhancing professional knowledge
Connecting to a professional and creative network
Cloudworks Cloud works

On Cloudworks...
“ The appeal of Cloudworks is that the focus shifts away from sharing course resources (repositories) to representing teaching designs, practices, and resources in a way that is context rich and reusable by others. Moreover, members' contributions are open and available for others to build on in a number of interesting ways”.
Cloudworks user blog post
“ As the Multiliteracies moderator I am looking with interest on the changing shapes of clouds and wondering which will gain traction and carry us forward into the future. In [institution] we were thinking our Big Innovation this year would be Wave (last year it was Ning). But Wave is a bit complicated with the invitation hassle (at the moment). This one is quite simple. Unlike either of the other two, you don't have to be a member of the group to converse. You simply have to have a Cloudworks ID and you can say what you like anywhere.”
Comment posted on Cloudworks

Course map view Pedagogy profile Course dimensions Task swimlane Learning outcomes view CBM views

Some challenges and tensions
Complexity: designs are merely partial representation of much more complex, and multifaceted ideas in our minds.
Precision: there is a tension between the natural, fuzzy nature of real practice and tightly defined specification.
Formality and standardisation: terms and concepts, even well used ones, do not necessarily mean the same thing to us all.
Personal vs shared: designs can be created for personal use or can be designed to share with others. Designs only become public or sharable through negotiation and interaction with others. There is a tension between design and delivery.
Implicit vs explicit: there is a tension with designs in terms of how much they focus on precise presentation, specification and how much on the more aesthetic, visionary aspects of the design, between implicit, individual designs to those that are completely explicit with clearly defined terms and rules.
Adapted from Gibbons and Brewer
(Gibbons & Brewer, 2005, p. 115)

Demonstrating impact
The use of the tool is contextual (culture, skills, departmental relationships, view of innovation/ quality etc)
The tool is embedded in, or working in parallel to, other existing or new processes of curriculum design or activities
Impact on what? (institutional, faculty, individual)
Levels of impact? (Awareness – Reactions – Engagement - Learning from - Applying learning - Effects on student learning)
How will impact manifest itself? (Thinking practices, social behaviours, language, enjoyment, use of technologies, quality of design, grades?)

Examples of uptake and use
Course Map representation (Video diaries and supporting documents) http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/3813
CompendiumLD tool (presentation to peers) http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/4612
Design Challenge workshops http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/4127

Overview of the OULDI project

by Open University Learning Design Initiative on Feb 02, 2011

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