The document discusses optimizing the student experience in a Masters of Education program through flexible and blended learning. It proposes examining relationships between flexible learning opportunities to improve student engagement and learning outcomes regardless of study mode. Key aspects discussed include providing flexibility in time, place, mode of study, teaching approaches, and forms of assessment. The use of learning-oriented assessment and e-portfolios is emphasized to provide forward-looking feedback. Design principles focus on strategic interactions throughout the course and emphasis on interactive, student-generated content.

1. CO-DESIGNING THE
MASTERS OF EDUCATION
TO OPTIMISE THE
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Professor Mike Keppell
Director, The Flexible Learning Institute
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2. OVERVIEW
Blended and flexible learning
Good practice guidelines
Place & mode
Interactions
Learning-oriented assessment
E-portfolio
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3. FLEXIBLE LEARNING
Flexible learning provides opportunities to improve
the student learning experience through flexibility in
time, pace, place (physical, virtual, on-campus, off-
campus), mode of study (print-based, face-to-face,
blended, online), teaching approach (collaborative,
independent), forms of assessment and staffing. It
may utilise a wide range of media, environments,
learning spaces and technologies for learning and
teaching.
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4. BLENDED AND
FLEXIBLE LEARNING
“Blended and flexible learning” is a design
approach that examines the relationships between
flexible learning opportunities, in order to optimise
student engagement and equivalence in learning
outcomes regardless of mode of study.
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5. What sort of opportunities should we
provide?
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6. PLACE AND MODE OF
STUDY
Place (physical, virtual, on-campus, off-campus)
Mode of study (print-based, face-to-face, blended,
online)
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7. INTEGRATION LEVELS
Course
Subject Activity
Professional
Assessment
Practice
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9. Learning-oriented assessment
Student
Assessment tasks involvement in Forward-looking
as learning tasks assessment feedback
processes
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10. ONE OF THE GREATEST
CHALLENGES IN HIGHER
EDUCATION IS TO DESIGN
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
THAT PERFORMS A
FORMATIVE FUNCTION
(CARLESS, JOUGHIN, LIU,
2006, P.8)
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11. FORWARD-LOOKING
FEEDBACK
Students need to receive appropriate feedback which they
can use to ‘feed forward’ into future work.
Feedback should be less final and judgemental (Boud,
1995)
Feedback should be more interactive and forward-
looking (Carless, 2002)
Feedback should be timely and with a potential to be
acted upon (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004)
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12. PROFESSIONAL
PORTFOLIO
Why a separate subject?
eportfolio throughout course
Capstone experience?
Suitable for all strands
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13. DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Design of exemplar - compulsory subject
Narrow or wide diversity of modes?
Strategic choreographing of interactions throughout course
Emphasis on interactive, networked, student-generated
content
Learning-oriented assessment
eportfolio for capstone experience
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14. Cooperation
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15. Balance
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16. Reaction to
course
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