Learning in a digital age/Curriculum planning

'''This page documents an initial curriculum overview of similar courses at TESU and USQ. It was used to populate the LiDA curriculum storyboard for the development of the course specification documents '''

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Summary of TESU's "Using Open Resources for Self-Directed Learning" (PLA-300)
Details of the proposed TESU "modules" including outcomes, sources and possible assessments provided below.

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !Graduate profile skills and course objectives (click on arrow to reveal)

Gradutate profile skills
Students will:


 * Communicate their ideas effectively in writing using text, data and images as appropriate and in different genres and styles. (Written Communication)
 * Identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share information to support their learning. (Information Literacy)
 * Critically read and creatively produce academic and professional communications in a range of media. (Media Literacy)
 * Participate in peer communities and reflect on learning. (Digital Literacy)
 * Study and learn effectively in technology-rich environments. (Learning Skills)
 * Adopt, adapt and use digital devices, applications and services. (ICT Literacy)
 * Manage digital reputation and online identity. (Career and Identity Management)
 * Participate in digital networks for learning. (Communication and Collaboration)
 * Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning. (Lifelong Learning)

Course objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
 * 1) Explain the benefits of self-directed learning.
 * 2) Describe how self-directed learning fits into their degree plans.
 * 3) Apply Bloom’s taxonomy to the development of learning objectives related to their area of study.
 * 4) Summarize copyright and fair use issues and apply legal principles.
 * 5) Distinguish among openly available, openly licensed, and copyright-protected educational resources relevant to their field of study.
 * 6) Analyze resources critically.
 * 7) Compose a self-study plan aligned with a particular course area, resulting in a study guide.
 * 8) Explain the need for assessment and compose an assessment plan.
 * 9) Collaborate with other students appropriately to promote learning.
 * 10) Relate self-study experiences to the portfolio process.
 * }
 * }

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !What is self-directed learning? (2 weeks) (click on arrow to reveal) Course objectives covered in this section include 1, 2 and 3

Topics

 * Self-directed degree pathways
 * Untethered learning
 * Course objectives/Learning outcomes
 * Bloom’s taxonomy and measurable objectives

Learning outcomes

 * 1) Evaluate self-directed degree pathways, their benefits, and potential obstacles.
 * 2) Identify and defend a focus area, relevant to their degree plan, to begin building an open study guide.
 * 3) Explain the concept of measurable outcomes in relation to Bloom’s taxonomy
 * 4) Compose measurable outcomes to their own study area.

Possible assessments

 * Explanation of benefits of self-directed learning
 * Discussion topics identifying and defending self-directed learning plans
 * Selection of topic (related to their degree plan)
 * Development of measurable learning objectives related to topic
 * 10-item objective quiz regarding self-directed learning
 * }
 * }

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !How Can I Learn Without a Course? (3 weeks) (click on arrow to reveal) Objectives covered in this module include: 4, 5

Topics

 * Copyright/Public domain/Fair use
 * Digital Millennium Copyright Act
 * Licensing
 * Open education
 * Creative commons licenses
 * GNU open licenses
 * Open educational resources
 * MOOCs

Learning outcomes

 * 1) Identify strategies for avoiding copyright violations
 * 2) Apply fair use doctrines
 * 3) Differentiate between different kinds of resources and licenses
 * 4) Reflect on how MOOCs can be used in a self-study plan

Possible assessments

 * Analysis of case studies on copyright, fair use
 * Examination of specific resources to determine licensing information
 * 10-item objective quiz regarding licenses and terms
 * Reflective essay evaluating use of MOOCs in place of traditional courses
 * }
 * }

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !How Do I Find and Select Open Resources? (2 weeks) (click on arrow to reveal) Course objectives covered in this module include: 4, 5, 6

Topics

 * Using databases
 * Search strategies
 * Resource repositories
 * Bias
 * Fallacy
 * The selection process (determining applicability)

Learning objectives

 * 1) Apply effective search strategies for both repositories and search engines
 * 2) Apply an understanding of open licensing to selecting appropriate resources around a specific topic
 * 3) Explain how to effectively determine the license of a resource based upon relevant criteria
 * 4) Use criteria and context to make judgements on the legitimacy of educational resources
 * 5) Articulate and apply strategies for detecting bias/fallacies in education materials
 * 6) Model correct citation of sources
 * 7) Make effective evaluation of the relevance of materials found

Possible assessments

 * 1) Discussion about obstacles encountered while searching and solutions
 * 2) Practice in selecting appropriate resources around particular learning objectives
 * 3) Determination of legitimacy of sources
 * 4) 10-item objective quiz regarding sources
 * }
 * }

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !How do I Build My Own Study Guide and Self-Assessment Plan? (2 weeks) (click on arrow to reveal) Course objectives covered in this module include: 3, 6, 7, 8, 9

Topics

 * Determining course objectives/learning outcomes
 * Selecting resources that align with course objectives
 * Learning with evidence in mind
 * Thinking in competencies
 * Self-assessment
 * Rubrics
 * Peer assessment
 * Asking for feedback

Learning outcomes

 * 1) Create a study guide for a particular course
 * 2) Create learning objectives based upon a course description
 * 3) Align educational resources toward specific educational goals and/or learning outcomes
 * 4) Develop an assessment plan in study guide
 * 5) Describe the applicability of openly available assessments and peer assessment to their study guide
 * 6) Reflect on approach to study
 * 7) Consider strategies for developing more effect studu

Possible assessments

 * Develop some sample assessments (both objective and open-ended) leveraging open content
 * Participate in and evaluate a peer grading exercise
 * Complete study guide [or in Module 6]
 * 10-item objective quiz regarding assessment
 * }
 * }

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !How Can I Collaborate Successfully With Others? (2 weeks) (click on arrow to reveal)

Course objectives covered in this module include: 9

Topics

 * Connectivism
 * Networked learning
 * Effective group discussion
 * Twitter
 * Google documents/sites
 * Collaborating towards similar learning goals
 * Collaborative learning
 * Community Involvement
 * Goal Setting
 * Motivation
 * Note-taking
 * Using social media to connect with peers

Learning outcomes

 * 1) Describe how one or more online collaboration and community building tools (such as Google Sites, Twitter, P2PU, facebook etc.) could be successfully used to accomplish their purpose
 * 2) Explain effective note-taking strategies
 * 3) Articulate an understanding of personal motivation
 * 4) Connect learning outcomes to personal learning goals and abilities
 * 5) Understand what is needed for effective collaboration
 * 6) List the benefits of collaborative learning

Possible assessments

 * Essay on personal motivation for learning in the context of larger educational goals
 * Discussion on how note-taking and active reading strategies can be applied in the context of a self-directed learning experience
 * Initiate or participate in an informal learning community; write a short reflective essay on the experience
 * }

{| align="left" style="margin: 8px; white-space: normal;" class="tws collapsible collapsed" !How Does this Relate to Portfolio Assessment? What’s Next? (2 weeks) (click on arrow to reveal) Course objectives covered in this module include: 10

Topics

 * Types of assessment
 * Portfolio assessment
 * Your learning narrative
 * Hypothetical application

Learning outcomes

 * 1) Describe different types of assessments
 * 2) Review the portfolio assessment process
 * 3) Articulate self-study experience in language that emphasizes application and synthesis
 * 4) Discuss value in sharing self-study experience
 * 5) Experience of gather evidence of achievement of learning outcomes for a portfolio, what constitutes relevant evidence
 * 6) Articulate application of these self-study skills outside of an academic environment
 * 7) Knowledge of different e-portfolio systems

Possible assessments

 * Discussion: How do you plan to leverage these skills going forward?
 * Writing assignment about student’s experience in this course using hypothetical application
 * Post and share your guide to our database for other students to use
 * }

USQ's E-Literacy for contemporary society

 * USQ course specification

USQ's E-Literacy for contemporary society is divided into five areas (160 notional learning hours):


 * 1) ICT Literacy, digital rights and responsibilities
 * 2) Digital practices in the tertiary education context
 * 3) Media literacy, digital communication and collaboration
 * 4) Digital practices in the workplace
 * 5) Digital citizenship

Proposed OERu "Learning in a digital" structure
This is a tentative micro-course outline structure to determine overlap and maximise reuse potential for North America and Oceania. Each micro course equates to about 40 notional hours of learning (or 1 US credit).