1. Steve’s Design Narrative: Jumbled Definitions
Narrator
This design narrative is produced for an exercise in week 8 / 9 of H800 On Wednesday 25th
March 2015.
Following retirementfrom teaching social work, I applied for an AL position in the OU teaching DE100,a new
‘Investigating Psychology’Level 1 course, starting October 2014. I was conscious particularly of having a very
cursory knowledge ofonline education options,although I had designed quizzes and created resource banks for
Blackboard and Moodle.However, it was clear that it would be necessary to participate in online learning using
both synchronous and asynchronous forums.OU Live in particular struck me as new and I had some kind of
block aboutthinking aboutthe blank whiteboard itpresents on entry. I did however manage to get on the 3 week
training course which, despite the plethora of experienced people on it,did throw up some new ideas.However, I
was hesitantaboutdiving in too soon. One technique we played with was the creation and use of ‘moveable
objects’.
As a result I was thrown back on techniques taughtin my initial teacher training,including labelling exercises (I
did one on brain parts) and ‘jumbled definitions’exercises.Itis the latter I want to share here. Both were originally
designed for used in face-to-face tutorials, one on Skinner’s theory and another an introduction to psychological
research report writing. This is my PowerPoint slide for a session that happens tonight(23/03/15) on OU Live.

2. Situation
Leading the event scheduled for tonight was the result of lots of historical accidents.One of our teaching team
became suddenly unavailable,the other was immersed in teaching two other live courses.I had used PowerPoint
to pre-design slides before buthad notused OU Live specific features. Hence how was I to design activities for
the session of 1.5 hours? I had used Jumbled definitions before and ithad ‘worked’, although in a sparsely
attended session on Skinner.
Task
I therefore adapted this exercise,creating a base for a Whiteboard from a PowerPoint slide.It contained three
objects:
1. a box of six terms necessary to understanding research reports thatwere numbered
2. A box of definitions of those terms in a different order that were not numbered.However there was a
column provided in this box to allow you to insert numbers.
3. A box containing numbers,in black font,from 1 – 6. There was a space to the right of those numbers.
Loaded into OU Live, this slide was transformed into a ‘background’of static objects on an OU Live whiteboard.
Then when in OU Live,I created a set of numbers,from 1 – 6 in red font over this background.I placed the ‘red
numbers’nextto the appropriate black one in Box 3. I then saved this slide (and the others) as a .wbd file. Once
reloaded into OU Live tonight the red numbers will be ‘movable objects’that can placed next to the appropriate
definition in Box 2 such that it matches the corresponding term listed in Box 1. To make this possible the editicon
needs to be toggled on.
Actions
My planned actions for the session tonight are as follows:
a. When the slide is presented,I will explain the purpose of the exercise and its outcom e.The outcome will
be a list of definitions in Box 2 with red numbers nextto them.The purpose of the exercise is a bit
different. I will explain thatit is to raise conversations,questions,commentas we go along aboutthe
terms, what they mean and why they are significant.The conversation will involve the TMA currently due
which is to write the RESULTS section of a reportbased on data provided by the Module Team.

3. b. I chose to explain the difference between purpose and outcome,in order to see if it encourages different
discussion options than those my face to face tutor group on Saturday where I will not make this
distinction or explain its purpose. The aim is to begin to consider whether the invitation to think about
one’s own individual and group cognition changes the contentof that cognition.
c. I will show participants how to move ‘moveable objects’in case they do not know.
d. Depending on attendance,I will leave participants to work on this for 7 minutes,reminding them thatthe
session is of course being recorded for viewing by non-attendees.
e. After 7 minutes,I will return, .and we will discuss each answer and any questions raised.
f. At the end of this, I will ask participants to revisitthe exercise in the recording and let me knowby email,
if they wish, their evaluation ofthe learning,if any, it contained for:
a. Themselves as an individual,
b. The group.
Results
These will be added,to a separate post if necessary tomorrow and on Sunday.
Reflections
These will be made between Thursday and Sunday or Monday following each session,with comparative
reflections on Sunday only.