The Future of Learning Design Conference

Validating the Slowmation Learning Design: Comparing a Learning Design with Students’ Experiences of Learning

G. Hoban et al. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:00 PST

A slowmation (abbreviated from slow-motion animation) is a narrated animation designed and made by learners that is played in slow motion at 2 frames/second to explain a science concept. The purpose of this study was to compare the proposed learning design of a slowmation with the actual learning experiences of three preservice primary teachers as they created an animation about an obscure topic over a period of two hours. A range of data gathering methods were used to document the students’ learning experiences including individual interviews before and after creation to ascertain their pre and post knowledge as well as videoing and audio-recording the creation process. Data suggested that the proposed learning design is a guide for planning the teaching but does not adequately represent the iterative process of learning at each phase. Findings suggest that research should be conducted to compare a learning design with the actual learning experiences of students to make the learning design a more accurate representation of the learning process.

A taxonomy for simulation learning designs: implications for repositories

Sandra Wills — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:30:00 PST

Project EnROLE2 has been a two year $200,000 project funded by the Australian Learning & Teaching Council (ALTC) to encourage uptake of online role based learning environments, with particular focus on what is commonly referred to as role play. Role play is widely acknowledged to be a powerful teaching technique in face to face, blended and online teaching contexts and has been previously singled out as an example of good practice by ALTC predecessors: CAUT, CUTSD and AUTC. The first known example in Australia, and possibly the world, was Middle Eastern Politics Simulation by Andrew Vincent & John Shepherd which started at The University of Melbourne in 1990, continued when they moved to different universities in another state in 1994, and is also run by other universities (see Vincent & Shepherd, 1998). MEPS’ 20 year history is well documented in books and videos (for example Alexander, 2005; Wills, 2009).

Learning designs to engage and support learners

N. Baharun et al. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:00:00 PST

This paper reports on a case study aimed at developing a better understanding on how to design student learning experiences using of digital technologies and in particular using video resources within the subject to engage and support learners with a view to impacting on their learning. Drawing on student learning experiences, the study examines the circumstances under which students are more likely to engage with a variety of learning resources. It seeks to identify how best to place the resources and to determine which resources components could play important roles within the subject. Outcomes from the study presents the rationale for designing the learning experiences in technology-based teaching to effectively engage and support learners within their learning context.

Towards a learning design for student-generated digital storytelling

M. Kearney — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:15:00 PST

The literature on digital video in education often emphasises the use of pre-fabricated, instructional style video assets. Learning designs for supporting the use of these expert-generated video products have been developed (e.g. Burden & Atkinson, 2008). However, there has been a paucity of pedagogical frameworks for facilitating learner-generated video projects. This paper outlines an emerging learning design for a popular genre: learner-generated digital storytelling.

How learning design can illuminate teaching practice

L. Cameron — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:00:00 PST

The field of learning design holds the promise of providing teachers with a framework that will enable them to design high quality, effective and innovative learning experiences for their students. By creating the possibility of deconstructing their existing teaching strategies; aiding reflection on their own practice; documenting and scaffolding innovative learning activities; and sharing and reusing expert practice, learning design has the potential to improve the quality of teaching throughout the higher education sector. A key challenge for the future of Learning Design is to continue to bridge the gap between rich, descriptive models and technologies (such as IMS-LD), and the everyday practice and understanding of teachers. This paper highlights the distinctions between the central concepts, such as the differences between a formal learning design framework, the active teacher process of creating a learning design, and the requirements for creating, transmitting and adopting effective learning designs with an aim to improve student learning.

Learning design, design contexts and pedagogical knowledge-in-pieces

P. Goodyear et al. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:15:00 PST

This paper argues the case for conducting theoretically well-grounded empirical research into teachers’ design activities, including their design thinking, as a strategically important complement to practical development work in the field of learning design. We identify some issues arising from two related lines of empirical research in which we have been engaged – drawing attention to the importance of context in design cognition. We also introduce a conception of teachers’ personal pedagogical knowledge as ‘knowledge in pieces’, and examine some of the implications of this view for thinking about the relationships between pedagogical beliefs, design decisions and teaching practices.

Understanding the design context for Australian university teachers: Implications for the future of learning design

S. Bennett et al. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:00:00 PST

Based on the premise that support for university teachers in designing their units will improve teaching and ultimately improve the quality of student learning outcomes, recent interest in the development of tools and strategies has gained momentum. This paper reports on a study that has examined the contexts in which Australian university teachers design in order to understand what role design support tools and strategies could play. It appears that Australian university teachers can exercise a high degree of choice in terms of design, indicating that there may be opportunities for teachers to consider using reusable learning designs.