Talk:Learning Design/project/Archive

Thoughts from Fiona:

• I’ve begun a concept outline for what I think could be included in the wiki LD resource…still adding to it and ‘thinking it through’ as I am prone to doing. Will try to have something to show you next week before I head off – thought I’d put it in google.docs as a starter for comment, then we can decide how best to use the wiki for navigation and getting some framework in place.

Fiona - it would be great to develop the draft outline on the Wiki working towards the concept design. We can use this "discussion" page for thoughts and ideas. I've added a heading for the Draft outline which we can use to refine the resource and to identify the appropriate navigation for the resource. --Mackiwg 10:32, 8 March 2007 (CET)

OK, no problem. I was hesitant to put up what is really only a skeletal outline at this stage but see the logic in getting straight to it:-)and beginning to work it up from here.--FSpence

• Wayne, for the LD resource, did you envisage it primarily as an information resource (ie no activities etc)? Also, any thoughts on ‘voice’ /tone/perspective etc.

My initial thoughts were not to develop this as a tutorial - i.e a learning resource as such. However, I do think that it would be rather nice to have a tutorial on this process documentation. What do you think? My first priority is to create a quick reference resource that explains how we implement the learning design process in WikiEducator. Almost like a how to "policy" for learning design and quality assurance in WikiEducator. That said - we can't call this a policy yet, because the community will need to reflect, think and comment on the process before it aquire's "policy" status within the community.

Regarding activities - I don't think these reference materials require activities in the sense of DE materials. These can be incorporated into the tutorial above when its developed. However, some activities may be required. For example, we will need to explain that the WikiEducator community is made up of different skilled professionals - i.e. content experts, learning designers, multimedia experts, editors etc. The activity would be to indicate on your User page what skills you have and to add a category link to the "Learning Designer's" page. (This will automatically list all the learning designers in the community on a single page so that users can interact with other learning designers in the community. Brent can explain how categories work - so you don't need to worry about this. So we need to incorporate activities that enable users to function effectively in the community - not activities that teach you how to do things (these will be covered in the tutorial).

Regarding voice - I think the resources need to be welcoming and friendly - certainly not formal. So first person, welcoming tone and as far as possible non-technical. The target audience are teachers, lecturers and trainers including support professionals like learning designers and multimedia folk. --Mackiwg 10:44, 8 March 2007 (CET)

Yes, totally agree. As I have been thinking about what to include you can't help but consider the potentially different ways in which the materials may want to be used. However I think the idea of the 'quick guide' initially, and perhaps some 'mini tutorials', as you suggest, at relevant points, will work. There will also be a 'Tools' section or something like it and if we include the questions I developed for the CFDL resource as considerations of the process, I think we'll be providing something informative and useful. I'll just get something up here and then we can thrash it out!.--FSpence

OK, 'bare bones' draft is here. Audio and graphics would bring it alive. But at least for now we can work through the beginnings of what should be included. I have tried to keep to a simple structure that will work within the wiki. Have kept pretty much to the projcet cycle as per the cfdl site, but think there is sensibility in chaging the terminology slightly (and some of the resources), hopefully making it less institutional and more generic. --FSpence

A note re "Design Decision templates" ...have had a conversation with Brent about these and he blieves they are possible to create... just haven't done it yet. --Fiona 23:41, 30 March 2007 (CEST)

Further comments re draft content outline

Copied from the other design page to keep everything together.

Hi Fee -

Had a brief look and am happy with the content outline. This may need a few minor tweaks to accommodate the wiki environment - but I'll add further thoughts on this discussion page once I've thought about this more carefully. For example - in the wiki environment we would not necessarily constitute a team in the traditional sense. The team is made up of different roles (eg content expert, LD etc.) - Theses roles may join the development at any phase - its open.

I think it will be valuable to think about different users or different ways people come into the process. For example:

1. A lecturer comes into WikiEducator and immediately starts authoring a page without consulting the design process tuturials. That's fine we want to get early drafts up as soon as possible. A more experienced wikieducator user sees this and adds a boiler plate template for the design phase of the project which links to the resources you're developing. The template may say - this needs a content outline or media is not specified or whatever.
2. There may be other users that prefer to start with the design tutorials before they start authoring. So we need to cater for both audiences. Not easy - but I'm sure we'll come up with a creative solution.

I'm also thinking about concrete outputs which represent completion of specific phases - this may include:

• Description of the intended audience
• Content outline of the materials to be developed
• Media selection.

The idea is if we can observe an output - then its easier for the community to say - This phase is completed and attach the relevant template.

Collectively these sub-elements constitute a design plan (the wiki version of the blueprint idea - but more cryptic and less detail.)

I'm trying to draft up something like this for us to look at.--Fiona 03:50, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Can't wait to see the draft! --Mackiwg 08:14, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Fiona said: <<While at the bootcamp and since returning I’ve been thinking….and I believe what I’m suggesting now really does make use of the wiki. I realised as I was observing the activity at the bootcamp, the focus is still on the content – and that’s exactly what I was doing! Don’t we want to try and avoid that in this instance? I see time dictating a need to get some materials up there within the process section, but if we just do that , we’re not really using the wiki, right?>>

Without getting too academic <smile> - this is a tough educational question relating to the dynamic relationship between content (what we teach) and form (how we teach it). However I think the wiki environment can achieve what is so difficult to achieve in a conventional design setting - namely a truly recursive design and development scenario. Its OK to get rough drafts up and using wiki tools we integrate process in a more recursive way. Does this make sense? The wiki is also more flexible in the sense that you don't have to start at point A. You can start at point D, go directly to A and then do C and then B. If you know what I'm saying. Another content expert may use another sequence. However - at the end of the day we all get A, B, C, & D done using our own approaches. This what we have to try and get right.

yep that's the beauty of it, as you say. And bits might be skipped, overtly, but may end up being quite evident, implicitly, in the final 'product' -- and will end up being 'approved' if we get the QA template working right.--Fiona 03:50, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Yep - the power of networked self-organisation!--Mackiwg 08:14, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

I like your approach - we need to find the balance. A little content linked to process features in the wiki (eg the templates).

Cheers --Mackiwg 01:28, 31 March 2007 (CEST)

OK, I hope the more recent outline shows you just how close we were to thinking along the same lines. Yep, this is all making good sense - will take a bit of thought to work out some nice clean paths into the resources for people at different stages, but it should be possible. --Fiona 03:50, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

We're well aligned on this - and am glad you're on our side. It's not an easy task - that's why we need good thinkers! Just shout if you want to sound board anything and always available to skype. --Mackiwg 08:14, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Old notes

==Design Guides Draft outline Design Decision Guide

Concept Outline

This is just the birth of a concept so if you have stumbled upon this page, please be aware it is in its very early infancy and is being added to regularly. If you are interested in following its progress or having some input, please, let us know who you are and join in…

Purpose and Rationale

The purpose of this site is threefold:

1. To Inform: this is an environment in which LD processes and resources can be referred to but also collaboratively developed by people with learning design experience or interest.??Ideally, in the spirit of wiki development, we would initiate this by inviting a group of learning designers or interested folk to work from the ground up. I am assuming you want to work a little faster than this and get some framework and 'content' up here first, then let a community develop around it, adapt it etc??

The information resources will always be open and will evolve over time. I think this project is to make our best stab at getting our best first draft up and running. --Mackiwg 01:26, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

guess someone has to get the ball rolling with something to see - me in this instance. Fine if it changes down the track.--Fiona 04:05, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Don't know of anyone better to get the ball rolling - we'll chip in and help. --Mackiwg 08:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

1. To enable groups to collaborate on a design: within the materials you will find ‘LD decision templates’. These templates are for design teams to use on the wiki to collaboratively make decisions at each phase of a learning design process they are undergoing for a particular project. The assumption here is that design is almost always carried out by more than one person and is arrived at by sharing understanding, negotating and collaborating through the phases of the process.A way of using the wiki is to provide semi-structured pages that include questions to prompt or guide the LD process - templates, for want of a better word, to assist people as they work through an actual design.

Yip - We must assume that the different team skills can come into the process at any time. Building on a recursive design process the LD decision templates could reflect progression on (1) Phase of the design process - Eg design, development and final QA by the community before delivery. With regards to implementation - We should think about different stages of QA in correlation with the design phases. Eg QA acceptance before teaching and then QA acceptance after the first pilot or teaching cycle? --Mackiwg 01:26, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

I'll try and get a draft of something for us to discuss up here. Perhaps we should call these "design guides" or something like so that we don't get confused with QA templates? So, working on this over the next wee while...--Fiona 04:05, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

I see the problem with the concept - What about "WikiEducator Design Guidelines"? --Mackiwg 08:04, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

1. To establish a learning design community:this site will provide the opportunity for people interested in learning design to collaboratively create or share useful resources, discuss issues and share successes and challenges.

Yes - (1) to encourage ongoing refinements of the LD process resources, (2) further development of more advanced LD tutorials (following on from the Newbie Tutorials) and (3) the creation of a category page which lists all the content resources where further LD design input is require. The idea is if a new L.Designer joins the project - there is one place where they can look to find content pages which require LD. (4) This makes me think of another function where LDs can trawl pages in WikiEducator to identify those that need LD inputs and to list them on the category page. I think the LD process resources needs a section on things LDs can do in Wikieducator --Mackiwg 01:26, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

this is slightly harder for me to get my head around as I'm only just coming to grips with the 'category' system in the wiki. I think I get what you mean - as a way of ensuring learning design QA occurs througout wikieducator? Guess you have to be careful about identifying what requires LD input and what requires editorial QA?--Fiona 04:05, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

This is a tough one - don't worry I'm not entirely sure myself - as the project progresses we'll get a better understanding and pioneer a solution. --Mackiwg 08:04, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Table of Contents

Note 1: Somewhere on this first page, perhaps boxed, we need to offer an explanation/definition of What is Learning Design? then a link to 'More...' which will include quotes, emphasise the iterative nature of LD, relation to learning theories, and point to these sorts of issues:

• Contemporary thinking re LD
• Where do traditional learning theories fit?
• Learning theories
• Relevant links/blogs etc
• Uses of social software and networking tools (articles, commentary etc) and design implications

Note 2: We'll also have to provide a note re the need for wiki editing skills and a link to the tutorial and other help.

I like this. We must think carefully about how to avoid the paradigm trap. We don't want to get into paradigm disputes with the basic resource. I think this is an area for future development - so we should design the sttucture in a way that can accommodate future development on different paradigm perspectives. --Mackiwg 01:43, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

Agree, I was thinking more about just providing avenues for people to explore outside of the wiki so that we could avoid the adoption of any one paradigm.--Fiona 05:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

The missing bit is on different roles in the process. I'm imagining a Venn diagram of four overlapping ovals depicting the following design perspectives/roles (1) Content design (2) Learning Design (3) Visual and multimedia design and (4) "Editorial" design - the readability stuff. This is useful framework which we can link to the templates. --Mackiwg 01:43, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

Right - and within the framework for the templates, there will be more or less emphasis placed on the different roles that have more or less input at each phase - I imagine.--Fiona 05:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

The Learning Design Process

A ‘sub-site’ including the content and resources relating to the learning design process outlined below. Each section will include:

1. information/content]
2. examples and or ‘stories’ to illustrate parts of the process where appropriate
3. a link to the relevant ‘design decision template’ for those who are engaged in a learning design project

Yes - I like this approach. We must try and keep the inform bits short and to the point. Maximum of two paragraphs to convey the key message - then the examples (very nice) and stories are in support of the information chunks. --Mackiwg 01:44, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

Will aim for brevity - happy to be cut back!They can always go off and read more elsewhere.--Fiona 05:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Great! Although brevity is harder <smile> --Mackiwg 08:06, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Learning Design and Wikis

A space to discuss the potential and/or actual use of wikis in learning design. Also links to examples and relevant articles.

Design Decision Templates

Draft outline Design Decision Guide

(name to be decided!) A set of templates described above guiding design teams through the LD process. For example, there could be a template for:

• Understanding and defining the learning problem
• Writing a design plan
• Matching media to learning needs
• Articulating a pedagogy

Yip - I like this. We must try to figure out / design a concise "quick facts" table or something which summarises this. More detailed supporting information is linked to this. A LD version of this quick facts example. --Mackiwg 01:43, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

I haven't looked at your link yet (looks like I need to download a player?) but just to clarify my original idea here - I was thinking about something along the lines of a document that was mainly comprised of questions that would prompt you quite simply through the phases of learning design (chunked to break it up). And then ideally, there would be 'help at the point of need'. Do you remember the EOI form Wen created for CFDL? When you rolled over a question mark, you got a little fact to help you make your decision. I suppose within the wiki, we would have to get creative about how we did that, but it would make these templates almost self-contained LD resources. Do you get me?--Fiona 05:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

I like the Q&A approach, modeled on the EOI form. Brent will be able to advise on some of the technical stuff. We could create a MW template for the questions. What I was referring to would be a concise table summary of the answers generated through the questionnare. --Mackiwg 08:08, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Learning Design Now and Into the Future

Discussion (and resources) relating to what learning designers actually do, the focus being on the design of learning environments and away from adapting content for the web. Or, any other path that may 'need' to be explored (where the profession is going...??)

- Yes - our focus must be on what learning designers do in the wikieducator environment - eg the list of things you can do to help the project. --Mackiwg 01:44, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

Yeah, I see this more clearly now. I must admit, I did initially think of a wider target audience. I know this is possible because of the open access to the wiki but wikieducator design and development is the primary focus, right?--Fiona 05:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

WikiEducator design & development is the primary focus. We'll leave all the other designers to sort out their own problems <smile>. --Mackiwg 08:09, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

Stories from Designers

Narratives/anecdotes from learning designers and others who have experiences to share that illustrate parts of the LD process.

Very nice - hopefully designers from the WikiEducator community <smile>. We could include a short audio clip with photo - very similar to what we have done in the Newbie tuts. --Mackiwg 01:43, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.--Fiona 05:00, 3 April 2007 (CEST)

These would also be linked to from subsections within the site.

Useful Resources

Just, that, a compilation of useful resources and links,grouped for easy access. Most of these will have been pointed to in other sections of the site.

Agreed. --Mackiwg 01:44, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

The Typical LD Process graphic to illustrate cyclic, iterative process

OK - we can develop this last - just specify your requirements and ideas for the graphic. --Mackiwg 01:49, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

For the subsections below - see my comments on the talk page under further comments on the content outline --Mackiwg 01:49, 2 April 2007 (CEST)

Understand the learning need

• Ensure learners drive the design.

Content: rationale for need of this focus, focus groups, student interviews, observations, example questions, learner characteristics

• Establish what teachers want to achieve

Content: clarification of learning goals AND clarification of goals of design project, analyzing the context for learning, working with where teachers are at, assessment, examples

• Ascertain what students need to DO to meet learning goals

Content: focus on tasks and interactions as opposed to focus on content, include reference to learning theory, assessment, examples.

• Identify what resources are available.

Content: use of resources and tools as opposed to content creation, adapting materials, providing learner support, uses of social software and relation to learning design, examples.

• Decide on design team

Content: who can be involved, benefits of team work, possible roles, examples

Design to facilitate learning

• Arrive at solutions to the learning ‘problem’

Content: matching understanding of teaching and learning (pedagogy) to learning needs, rationale for teaching and learning strategies, content analysis and structuring of resources, role of learning theory, need for trial and error, iterative nature of design.

• Decide on use of media.

Content: ways media can support learning, discussion re need for interaction, use of social software tools, visual representation, voice, narrative, role of creativity

• Create a representative sample or prototype for critique/evaluation

Content: value of prototyping, testing, use of feedback

• Calculate workload for learners and teachers.

Content: notional learning hours, analysis of course components, workload calculations

• Plan to manage the design and development

Content: discussion re scoping, budgeting, relation to design plan

• Articulate constraints that may impact the design.

Content: pedagogical, technological, contextual/practical constraints

• Write a design plan.

Content: Outline for written plan, revised cfdl blueprint, examples

Make the design a reality

• Design to accommodate distance

Content: how materials differ from traditional teaching resources

• Create ‘templates’ for developing resources as required

Content: pros and cons of template use (“tension between standardisation and creativity that is underscored using templated design”), examples

• Co-ordinate team members

Content: working with subject experts, web-developers, visual designers or whoever is available, to co-ordinate development of learning resource, use of design plan

• Organise for management and administration of course

Content: role of LMS or other, clarification of roles

Use the designed resource

• Provide advice as teaching ensues

Content: professional development options

• Make changes or adjustments (pedagogical and/or technical) as required

Reflect on the design

• Collect information about the impact and effectiveness of the design

• Reflect on the process

Content:types of data for feedback, collection of data, reporting, research opportunities, examples

Boilerplate & LD Design guide thoughts

First a word of congratulations to Fee and Brent for pushing the envelope here! The design guide tool and corresponding boiler plate is a major innovation. This is going to make a huge contribution to the design and development of asynchronous learning resources in the Wiki world. I'm amazed with what you guys have got right here! Well done!

I've not had a chance to think carefully through the brainstorm questions and will do so soon. More feedback to come ....

A few thoughts for now ....

• In an ideal world a team should start with the design guide tool Learning_Design/project/Design_Decision_Guide/Auto_Blueprint_Testing_Zone and commence with the development of a design "blueprint". We need:
  • A question requiring the user to insert or create a link to the relevant content page in the wiki
  • A brief set of instructions on the Blueprint intro page of how this works
  • A completed example of the Design Blueprint which can be used for reference purposes - perhaps we should build one for the CCNC.
• I really like the distinction between the Blueprint and pages where the community can discuss the detail of the design on the relevant pages that link from the Boilerplate. This creates considerable flexibility for communities because of the bank slate of a wiki page (the boilerplate pages and subpages can be as simple or complex as the project requires - Nice!). A few thoughts:
  • We're going to need a tutorial on how to use all this stuff. It would be nice to have rich media - audio clips from designers, perhaps a short video clip on how this technology has changed the life of a WikiEducator <smile> etc.
  • We need to educate users to link back to the design templated in the Learning Design name space from the relevant boilerplate subpage
  • In terms of visual communication - It would be cool if we could implement something along the lines of the completion bar to be embedded in the Biolerplate template - a hack on what Phsi did here - for example

    Content:		34%
    Design:		43%
    Visual:		16%
    Editing:		24%
    Average:		29%

    - OK we don't need the editing bar - but we could predetermine the quantum of the different phases to display visually.

    In more generic terms I've been thinking a lot about this LD stuff in the wiki. I see the following broad phases:

    1. Design - The automated Learning Design Blueprint
    2. Development - Using the boiler plates
    3. Quality assurance / control - We will eventually use the FlagedRevs technology for this (not part of this project) but the Editing function (Linguistic design) is part of this phase. We're missing a category for linguistic design for language and useability editing on our boiler plate. Typically this would be done when the LD, CD and VD are completed

    More to come.

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