Harnessing learning design as a new approach to rethinking curriculum Gráinne Conole, Open University, UK AECT conference, Louisville, Kentucky 30 th October 2009 More info, slides and references: http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2581

Outline Converging practices (technology/education), but lack of uptake Learning design – a definition The OU Learning Design Initiative (OULDI) Evidence base Collaboration Representation Connection Reification The OLnet initiative Towards the idea of “open design” Case study: Repurposing a Spanish OER

Converging practices (technology/education), but lack of uptake

Learning design – a definition

The OU Learning Design Initiative (OULDI)

Evidence base

Collaboration

Representation

Connection

Reification

The OLnet initiative

Towards the idea of “open design”

Case study: Repurposing a Spanish OER

Converging practices Modern technologies Modern learning & teaching Web 2.0 practices Location aware technologies Adaptation & customisation Second life/ immersive worlds Google it! “ Expert badges” , World of warcraft User- generated content, freely available Blogging, peer critiquing Cloud computing From individual to social Contextualised and situated Personalised learning & teaching Experiential learning & teaching Inquiry learning & teaching Peer learning & teaching Open Access Movement & Open Educational Resources Reflection Distributed cognition

Modern technologies

Modern learning & teaching

Web 2.0 practices

Location aware technologies

Adaptation & customisation

Second life/ immersive worlds

Google it!

“ Expert badges” , World of warcraft

User- generated content, freely available

Blogging, peer critiquing

Cloud computing

From individual to social

Contextualised and situated

Personalised learning & teaching

Experiential learning & teaching

Inquiry learning & teaching

Peer learning & teaching

Open Access Movement & Open Educational Resources

Reflection

Distributed cognition

The gap between promise & reality Common reactions: “ I haven’t got time ” “ My research is more important” “ What’s in it for me ?” “ Where is my reward ?” “ I don’t have the skills to do this” “ I don’t believe in this, it won’t work” Common resistance strategies: I’ll say yes (and do nothing ) Undermine the initiative Undermine the person involved Do it badly Classic mistakes : Emphasis on the technologies , not the people and processes Funding for technology developments but not use and support OER Little reuse Array of technologies Not fully exploited

Common reactions:

“ I haven’t got time ”

“ My research is more important”

“ What’s in it for me ?”

“ Where is my reward ?”

“ I don’t have the skills to do this”

“ I don’t believe in this, it won’t work”

Common resistance strategies:

I’ll say yes (and do nothing )

Undermine the initiative

Undermine the person involved

Do it badly

Classic mistakes :

Emphasis on the technologies , not the people and processes

Funding for technology developments but not use and support

Addressing the “What’s in it for me? ” The inertia dilemma – why has so little innovation spread? Common reactions Too difficult , bewildering, no incentive or support, no recognition Want examples , someone to talk to Needs to be fun, motivating and useful … Learn from web 2.0 practices Egocentric, addictive, motivational, peer support/regulation An evolving ecology of tools and practices Changing practice – new ways of interacting and communicating The problem A socio-technical “space”

The inertia dilemma – why has so little innovation spread?

Common reactions

Too difficult , bewildering, no incentive or support, no recognition

Want examples , someone to talk to

Needs to be fun, motivating and useful …

Learn from web 2.0 practices

Egocentric, addictive, motivational, peer support/regulation

An evolving ecology of tools and practices

Changing practice – new ways of interacting and communicating

The problem

A socio-technical “space”

Improving the design process How can we design learning activities that make effective use of technology and that are pedagogical informed? How can we represent and share designs? What kind of help and support can we provide? Assessment Learning outcomes Tasks Aspects of design

Learning design: a definition A methodology for enabling teachers/designers to make more informed decisions in how they go about designing, which is pedagogically informed and makes effective use of appropriate resources and technologies Covers design of resource and individual learning activities up to whole curriculum level Helps make the design process more explicit and shareable Includes resource, tools and activities

A methodology for enabling teachers/designers to make more informed decisions in how they go about designing, which is pedagogically informed and makes effective use of appropriate resources and technologies

Covers design of resource and individual learning activities up to whole curriculum level

Helps make the design process more explicit and shareable

Includes resource, tools and activities

What do we know about design? How do teachers go about the design process ? Where do they get ideas and inspiration from? How do they represent their design process? To what extent do they share their design ideas with others? Where do they get help and advice ? How do they evaluate the effectiveness of their designs?

How do teachers go about the design process ?

Where do they get ideas and inspiration from?

How do they represent their design process?

To what extent do they share their design ideas with others?

Where do they get help and advice ?

How do they evaluate the effectiveness of their designs?

Design strategies Design process creative, messy, iterative Sharing and reuse difficult, but valuable Serendipitous routes to support Every teacher does it differently Different aspects to design - focus and level of granularity No one perfect design tool or approach Different aspects – resources, tools, outcomes, support, etc.

Design creativity vs. design practice The vision… Open plan, with creative spaces, “quiet rooms”, hot desking areas, technology-enhanced, lots of social space The Jennie Lee Building, The Open University, UK

OU Learning Design Initiative Design methods: schema & patterns Tools: Visualisation & guidance Events: Cloudworks: sharing & discussing

Facets of OULDI work

Understanding the design process Evidence base (interviews, surveys, observation, web stats, expert panels, focus groups) Development (resources, methods, tools, session types, interventions) Trialing (within the OU, workshops & conferences, project partners) An evolving empirical evidence base

Facets of OULDI work

Collaboration: events Design challenge Cloudfests & Design summits Blurring real & virtual Workshops

Facets of OULDI work

Representations Seeing curriculum differently Not content-focused Alternatives to simple text-based descriptions Different views to foreground different aspects Recognising design at different levels – from activity to whole course Visual – tables & diagrams, descriptive & metaphorical

Seeing curriculum differently

Not content-focused

Alternatives to simple text-based descriptions

Different views to foreground different aspects

Recognising design at different levels – from activity to whole course

Visual – tables & diagrams, descriptive & metaphorical

CompendiumLD Tool for visualisation designs The method is an important as the tool Will provide a demonstration Hands-on exploration of the tool

Tool for visualisation designs

The method is an important as the tool

Will provide a demonstration

Hands-on exploration of the tool

CompendiumLD Core icon set Design icon set

A simple design Learning activity Output Learning outcome Resource Role End of activity Task Tool

Key features Time allocation for tasks In-situ help Conditional branching Design templates

Time allocation for tasks

In-situ help

Conditional branching

Design templates

Summary Visual maps with icons + connections Generic icon set + customised design icon set Multiple layers , maps within maps Drag and drop different file formats (images, videos etc.) In-situ design help –customised google search and links to cloudworks Aggregation of task times by roles Design templates Flexible export options from picture to interactive web page

Visual maps with icons + connections

Generic icon set + customised design icon set

Multiple layers , maps within maps

Drag and drop different file formats (images, videos etc.)

In-situ design help –customised google search and links to cloudworks

Aggregation of task times by roles

Design templates

Flexible export options from picture to interactive web page

Facets of OULDI work

Harnessing web 2.0 practices Teachers/design want examples , want to share/discuss ! Many repositories of good practice , but little impact Can we change practices through use of web 2.0 ideas? Blogging Facebook Twitter Slideshare Flckr Youtube Commenting Live commentary Tagging RSS feeds Embedding Following

Open design: Social and collective

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Cloudscapes Cloudscapes: Conferences Workshops Course team Student cohort Research theme Project

Filtering and serendipity Filtering – personalisation and tailoring RSS feeds for people and cloudscapes Different levels of email alert Activity streams Public activity stream (all activities on the site), Cloudscape activity streams, User activity streams Tabbed views – all, clouds, cloudscapes, comments links, references, extra content Serendipity Active clouds on home page Featured cloudscapes on home page Browse clouds, cloudscape, tags, people Search for keywords

Filtering – personalisation and tailoring

RSS feeds for people and cloudscapes

Different levels of email alert

Activity streams

Public activity stream (all activities on the site), Cloudscape activity streams, User activity streams

Tabbed views – all, clouds, cloudscapes, comments links, references, extra content

Serendipity

Active clouds on home page

Featured cloudscapes on home page

Browse clouds, cloudscape, tags, people

Search for keywords

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds Cloudscapes Comments Links References Extra content

Theoretical perspectives “ Social objects” Social networking makes little sense if we leave out the objects that mediate the ties between people Engeström Design framework for sociality Enabling practice Mimicking reality Building identity Actualising self Bouman et al .

Approach Agile development : initially build in Drupal, now Codeigniter Series of phases: design decisions, development, evaluation Empirical evidence Web stats including google analytics Interviews “ Cloudfests” and focus groups Workshops and conferences Observation and reflective diaries Critical friends group and design summits

Agile development : initially build in Drupal, now Codeigniter

Series of phases: design decisions, development, evaluation

Empirical evidence

Web stats including google analytics

Interviews

“ Cloudfests” and focus groups

Workshops and conferences

Observation and reflective diaries

Critical friends group and design summits

Principles Open , drawing on web 2.0 practices Clouds as core objects – social, cummulative, intelligent Intentionally both built around “communities”/’clusters of interest” Cross-boundary , both filtering/personalisable and serendipitous Dynamic and evolving through use alongside real events as well as virtual ones Variety of types of activities and uses, but focus always on sharing, finding and discussing educational ideas and designs

Open , drawing on web 2.0 practices

Clouds as core objects – social, cummulative, intelligent

Intentionally both built around “communities”/’clusters of interest”

Cross-boundary , both filtering/personalisable and serendipitous

Dynamic and evolving through use alongside real events as well as virtual ones

Variety of types of activities and uses, but focus always on sharing, finding and discussing educational ideas and designs

Design decisions: Phase 1 Cloud metaphor Seeding the site Including social features Tagging by pedagogy, tool, discipline Low barrier to entry No private content User profiles Cloud types Using: Workshops, focus groups, surveys, “cloudfests” “ What’s in it for me”? Privacy and provenance Sustainability Barriers to sharing Lack of spontaneous use Phase 1 Evaluation

Cloud metaphor

Seeding the site

Including social features

Tagging by pedagogy, tool, discipline

Low barrier to entry

No private content

User profiles

Cloud types

Using: Workshops, focus groups, surveys, “cloudfests”

“ What’s in it for me”?

Privacy and provenance

Sustainability

Barriers to sharing

Lack of spontaneous use

Phase 1

Evaluation

Design decisions: Phase 2 Amalgamate cloud types Increase social features Foster communities - cloudscapes Follow functionality My cloudstream Usability report Lack of spontaneous use Navigation Quality control Phase 2 Evaluation

Amalgamate cloud types

Increase social features

Foster communities - cloudscapes

Follow functionality

My cloudstream

Usability report

Lack of spontaneous use

Navigation

Quality control

Phase 2

Evaluation

Design decisions: Phase 3 Add RSS feeds Integrate streams from other web 2.0 sites Merge tag categories Improve homepage New patterns of behaviour Divided views about “open” Cognitive barrier to getting use to the tool and then using it Significant increase in use of the site as a result of tools Phase 3 Evaluation

Add RSS feeds

Integrate streams from other web 2.0 sites

Merge tag categories

Improve homepage

New patterns of behaviour

Divided views about “open”

Cognitive barrier to getting use to the tool and then using it

Significant increase in use of the site as a result of tools

Phase 3

Evaluation

Some stats…. 1360 registered users Aspect Everyone Team Non-team Cloudscapes 117 49 68 Clouds 1386 935 451 Comments 1882 613 1269 Links 1581 1165 416 Added Sept.

Emergent patterns of use Events: conferences and workshops ALT-C conference , 8-11 th September 2009 http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1870 Discussions: Flash debates Is Twitter killing blogging? http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloud/view/2266 Eliciting expertise and open reviews Literature review of educational technologist http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1872 Aggregating resources En Rumbo Spanish course http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/776

Events: conferences and workshops

ALT-C conference , 8-11 th September 2009

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1870

Discussions: Flash debates

Is Twitter killing blogging?

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloud/view/2266

Eliciting expertise and open reviews

Literature review of educational technologist

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1872

Aggregating resources

En Rumbo Spanish course

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/776

Facets of OULDI work

Forms of representation We have indentified six “views” for a course Task swim line Course map Pedagogy profile Cost effectiveness Course performance Design factors views Uses Representing an existing course Comparing courses As part of the design process Describing the curriculum Cloudscape: http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1907

We have indentified six “views” for a course

Task swim line

Course map

Pedagogy profile

Cost effectiveness

Course performance

Design factors views

Uses

Representing an existing course

Comparing courses

As part of the design process

Describing the curriculum Cloudscape: http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1907

Task swim line Based on: Roles – student, tutor, etc. Tasks – read, discuss, etc. Tools and resources Outputs Advantages Makes design explicit Maps out design Sharable with others Good at activity level

Based on:

Roles – student, tutor, etc.

Tasks – read, discuss, etc.

Tools and resources

Outputs

Advantages

Makes design explicit

Maps out design

Sharable with others

Good at activity level

Pedagogy profile Map of student tasks to time periods (weeks, semesters, etc) Six types of student tasks + assessment Each cell indicates the amount of time spent in that period on each type of task Widget provides graphical view

Map of student tasks to time periods (weeks, semesters, etc)

Six types of student tasks + assessment

Each cell indicates the amount of time spent in that period on each type of task

Widget provides graphical view

Guidance & support Evidence & demonstration Information & experience Communication & interaction Thinking & reflection Course map Gives an “at a glance view” Five components to any course Uses: Represent a course Compare Design

Gives an “at a glance view”

Five components to any course

Uses:

Represent a course

Compare

Design

Course map/At a glance representation Guidance and support “ Learning pathway” Course structure and timetable Course calendar, study guide, tutorials Information and experience “ Content and activities” Could include course materials, prior experience or student generated content Readings, DVDs, podcasts, lab or field work, placements Communication and interaction “ Dialogue” Social dimensions of the course, interaction with other students and tutors Course forum, email Thinking and reflection “ Meta-cognition” Internalisation and reflection on learning In-text questions, notebook, blog, e-portfolio, Evidence and demonstration “ Assessment” Diagnostic, formative and summative Multiple choice quizzes, TMAs, ECA

KE312 Working Together for Children 60pt course over 32 weeks 3 blocks/20 learning guides Whole weeks devoted to TMAs Consolidation week (week 22) Practice related Aligned to latest prof framework for mult-agency working Rich case studies Read – relate to practice – reflect – write Course map example Mick Jones Evidence & demonstration 6 TMAs – submitted online (505 of overall score) 3hr examination (50% of overall score) Thinking & reflection Activities throughout learning guides (4-7 per guide) 5 website ‘interactives’ Journal space in MyStuff Core questions, thinking points and summaries in course books Communication & interaction Course-wide Café forum Tutor group forums with sub-forums for each block F2F tutorials near beginning, middle and end of course (some regional variation) Information & experience PDF resources Links to e-journal articles and other websites 3 co-published course books (21 chapters/ 960pp) DVD – videos of 3 practice settings + interviews (XXmin) Plus own experience and practice Guidance & support Study planner 20 Learning guides General assessment guidance TMA questions Course guide Study calendar Tutor support – 1:20; 21 contact hrs; band 7

Practice related

Aligned to latest prof framework for mult-agency working

Rich case studies

Read – relate to practice – reflect – write

Bringing together: Learning design, OER, and pedagogical patterns research

Towards “open design” Characteristics of good pedagogy Personalised Situative Social Experiential Reflective Affordances of new technologies Adaptive Contextual Networked Immersive Collective “ Open Design” Explicit Shareable Cross boundary Collective Cummulative

Open design and mediation Can we develop new innovative mediating artefacts? How can we make the design more explicit and sharable ? Designer Design Has an inherent Learning activity or OER Creates Mediating artefacts Mediating artefacts Visualisation: CompendiumLD Methods: Schema & patterns Sharing: Cloudworks User – can now repurpose

Mediating artefacts

Visualisation: CompendiumLD

Methods: Schema & patterns

Sharing: Cloudworks

Mediating artefacts Individuals use a range of mediating artefacts to achieve something – write a paper, design a learning event With new technologies there is now a greater range of MA and new ways for individuals to connect and communicate with others Taking a socio-cultural approach allows us to make sense of this because it helps articulate the MA and look at the context of use – rules, community, division of labour, as well as look over time at the evolving system as user-practice changes and co-evolves with the technologies

Individuals use a range of mediating artefacts to achieve something – write a paper, design a learning event

With new technologies there is now a greater range of MA and new ways for individuals to connect and communicate with others

Taking a socio-cultural approach allows us to make sense of this because it helps articulate the MA and look at the context of use – rules, community, division of labour, as well as look over time at the evolving system as user-practice changes and co-evolves with the technologies

Open Design: Visualising and sharing

Explicit design

Design, use, reuse Designer OER Design Creates Deposits Deposits Learner A OER Design Learner B Tutor Chooses Uses Quiz + beginners route Uses Quiz + advanced route Repurposes & deposits

Process design Prior designs & resources New designs Content: (OER repositories, etc) Designs: (Pedagogical Patterns, CompendiumLD designs) New OER & designs

Conclusions Motivation : helping teachers/designers make more innovative use of technologies to create better learner experiences Approach : development of a range of resources, tools, methods and events to support this Evidence-base and agile development : on-going evaluation and reflection to enhance understanding and drive future developments Reflection : How effective is this? Where to next? Is it transferable? How “open” can we really expect teachers/learners to be?

Motivation : helping teachers/designers make more innovative use of technologies to create better learner experiences

Approach : development of a range of resources, tools, methods and events to support this

Evidence-base and agile development : on-going evaluation and reflection to enhance understanding and drive future developments

Reflection : How effective is this? Where to next? Is it transferable? How “open” can we really expect teachers/learners to be?

Harnessing learning design as a new approach to rethinking curriculum Gráinne Conole, Open University, UK AECT conference, Louisville, Kentucky 30 th October 2009 More info, slides and references: http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/2581