Teaching and learning strategies

You want to choose the most appropriate strategies to facilitate learning in the specific learning context. Having a clear, theoretically based teaching and learning strategy provides a strong and unifying framework off which you can hang design decisions.

It will impact the choices you make about:

• How learners will drive your design
• The types of learning activities you choose
• The way in which learners interact with each other
• The way in which learners interact with content and resources
• Assessment

Broad questions you may need to consider

• What learning principles and theories underpin this strategy?
• How does this strategy enable us to achieve our intentions?
• How does it accommodate learner needs?
• Is the strategy focused on learning activity, not content?

Specific questions you may want to address

• What level of participation do you want from your learners?
• How important is it for learners to collaborate on projects/work?
• What teaching support will be available as the materials are used?
• At what points will it be most effective to offer feedback to learners as they use the materials?
• If assessment of learners is required, what types will be most appropriate/manageable?
• How much face to face teaching and learning is required?
• How important is exposure to "authentic" learning experiences for your learners?
• How important is it for the cohort of learners to be at the same point as they work through the materials?

There are many resources available in this area. These links will give you some starting points:

Learning theories outlined

• Theory Into Practice (TIP) database

• The Funderstanding site is another that outlines learning theories.

Constructivist theories of learning

• The Design of Constructivist Learning Environments offers a good synopsis of the theory and useful examples.

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