Feedback on Digital Skills course
Hi Wayne, Following Gail's incisive comments about distinguishing the 'front end' materials from the course topics (which risk overlap and confusion given the subject matter of the course), I suggest using verbs - doing phrases - for the topics under Courseware e.g. Developing wiki skills; designing the blueprint, outlining the course etc. otherwise 'Course outline' could be confused as the outline for the whole course. I realise this lengthens the URLs, but clarity is at stake.
I'm also left wondering if the Digital Skills Challenges are the same or different from Assessment?
More broadly, another area for potential confusion is terminology (also noted in OCL4Ed) such as 'Learning Console', 'Courseware' and 'Challenges'. We deviated from these when developing CD4OE; this very specific lexicon adds an additional cognitive layer, potentially making it harder for speakers of languages other than English to confidently get stuck into the course. There is a lot to wade through up front, though there could be a simpler advance organizer setting out what these mean. However, if this is an OERu convention, I guess learners will become familiar with the lexicon if they do multiple courses.
The work-based model is highly appropriate, and in terms of topics, the scope seems comprehensive and well-chunked. Hope this helps! Wendy
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for taking the time to review the DS4OER outline. I appreciate your constructive and valuable feedback.
- I'm leaving the authoring of the front-end material for last (so that I can include a gestalt / advance organiser as you have suggested.) The course guide will contain the minimum resources recommended by the OERu partners in earlier discussions.
- I have changed the titles of the topics in the Courseware section to include verbs as you will see in the revised outline. Excellent suggestion.
- As per the Blueprint for this course there is one assignment - essentially the learning materials published (plus a reflection). I must still develop the assessment rubric.
- To clarify, the challenges are not an alternate form of assessment. These are substantive doing activities which focus on learners developing authentic artefacts they will use in their final course.
- Apart from the course guide - the OERu partners have steered away form convention or dictating design or nomenclature. There are too many institutions in the network and wide variety of disciplines and courses to adopt a uniform practice. This does increase cognitive load, but on the plus side, figuring out how to navigate sites is a learning skill which serves learning for the 21st century. But as you recommend, the getting started section will provide a succinct advance organiser.
Incremental improvement following an incremental design model.
