Planning events/eXe PCF4 Workshop/Creating e-learning - a design outline

Some extra Content - Creating e-learning

The use of a wiki to bring together subject matter experts to create 'content' has real economic, cultural and academic benefits. Through the 'collection' of thoughts, ideas and content, what we end up with is raw 'information'. In a collaborative online space such as a wiki, this content can be critiqued, enhanced, and even take on different 'flavours' for different contexts. Some how this raw material needs to be turned into 'learning opportunities'. How do we do that?

One of the main criticisms of designs of 'online learning' is that the placement of 'content' or information on screen doesn't necessarily facilitate an effective learning experience, and neither does the setting up of an online forum for that matter! How the learner engages with that 'information' individually or in a social, group learning situation will affect the final outcome, and determine whether learning does or doesn't take place. This is where 'learning design' comes into play. There are now many good examples and tools to help guide is in learning design which all educators can take advantage of.

An open source framework for realising learning designs

In this workshop we will take you through a series of stages of learning design utilising open source tools - so that even the smallest organisation can 'download' and utilise these approaches.

Stage 1.

Utilise an example learning design approach for creating active learning.

(Noting that throughout we have quality assurance processes, e.g. peer review, sign-off to go to next stages etc.)

Course vision process (the OER project example at the Open Poly]

- Learn about your learners! Who/where are they and how can they learn?

- think though our learning objectives

- identify appropriate learning activities & assessments

- identify the tools/environments which can facilitate these activities

[Insert diagram to illustrate the course vision process]

Scripting process

- seek existing resources to underpin those activities

- identify new resources which need creation

- write the media storyboards

Development

- create the media (text, audio, video etc)

- create the 'showcase' (example) course in a Learning management system

- create metadata

- install resources + instructions into a repository

Stage 2.