What needs to change in curriculum design?

Simon Cross, Alan Masson, Jim Everett, Paul Bartholomew, facilitated by Peter Bullen

Innovating e-Learning 2011Learning in Transition

FacilitatorPeter Bullen is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Hertfordshire and a Critical Friend

to a number of Universities involved in JISC and HEA supported projects and until very recently was the Director of the Blended Learning Unit at the University of Hertfordshire.

Presenters

Simon Cross works in the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University and is project manager for the OULDI (Open University Learning Design Institute) JISC curriculum design project.

Alan Masson is Head of Technology Facilitated Learning at the University of Ulster with responsibility for the development and delivery of innovative tools and support services to enhance the teaching and learning experience of staff and students.

Jim Everett (University of Strathclyde) has been working in universities and colleges for over 15 years, developing and promoting online and technology enhanced learning across a wide range of subject areas and academic levels.

Paul Bartholomew is the Head of Curriculum Design and Academic Staff Development at Birmingham City University. He is also the Academic Lead / Project Manager for his institution's JISC-funded T-SPARC (Technology-Supported Processes for Agile and Responsive Curricula) project.

Text-chatting

Elluminate layout

Audio

Whiteboard

Technical problems

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Session practice

What Needs to Change in Curriculum Design?

Cluster C and B project teams from the Curriculum Design Programme:

University of Ulster; Alan Masson & Catherine O’Donnell (Viewpoints)

The Open University; Simon Cross & Rebecca Galley (OULDI)University of Strathclyde; Jim Everett & George Macgregor (PiP)Birmingham City University; Paul Bartholomew & Oliver Jenkins

(T-SPARC)&Peter Bullen – Critical Friend

Objectives of this session

• An opportunity to learn more about the 4 projects

• To stimulate discussion about the challenges of introducing new approaches to curriculum design and ensure relevance of the work to the sector

• To enable participants to consider how this work can be transferred into their contexts

Plan for the session• Introduction

– Peter Bullen• Short presentations on each project (Including

some interaction through polling)– Viewpoints, Alan Masson– OULDI, Simon Cross– PiP, Jim Everett – T-SPARC, Paul Bartholomew

• Discussion – responding to your questions

3 Themes or Clusters:

c

Cluster C

www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/curriculum

Cluster B

TSPARC – Birmingham City University

OULDI PiP

Cluster A

Why?• Curriculum Design is a complex process

involving all areas of the Institution• Existing processes focus on quality assurance

and not on ‘design for learning’• There is much duplication in exisisting processes• Effective use of learning resources (including

learning technology and OER) requires a more structured and supported approach to curriculum design

• Greater focus on the learner ................

What is your primary interest in this session?

A. Designing courses/programmesB. TeachingC. Quality AssuranceD. Supporting learnersE. Other – please enter details in the text chat

box

What do you think the greatest challenges of institutional approaches to Curriculum Design are?

A. The lack of a common language of Curriculum DesignB. Curriculum Design is currently ‘owned’ by the wrong

peopleC. A fully integrated Curriculum Design process is too

complexD. Limited opportunity to share useful curriculum designsE. Other – please enter details in the text chat box

The Viewpoints project

Alan Masson

facilitated by Catherine O’Donnell

• Card Card sorting approach

• Mapping key sets of principles to a learner timeline-Assessment and Feedback (REAP)

-Information Skills and Literacy (SCONUL)

-Learner Engagement (8LEM)

Viewpoints Project – Information Framework

• Card Cards timelines facilitate reflection and “brainstorming”;

• Resources provide prompts for ideas and practices to consider;

• Worksheet – challenge / issues / plan (i.e. strategy)

Viewpoints Inform, Inspire and Plan workflow

A. Card sorting workshop environment – promotes discussion, reflection and debate

B. Resources facilitate shared meanings, agreed priorities and consensus building

C. Group participation – builds team ownership of course vision

D. Information model – can be used with range of stakeholders (learners, employers, support staff etc.)

Key Benefits of the Viewpoints approach

What do you think participants would say they found most useful about the Viewpoints approach if you used it in your institution?

A. Exploration of creative ideasB. Considering the learners’ experience C. Provision of an open and honest environment within

which the group could engageD. Creation of simple models of a key aspect of

curriculum designE. Being able to work effectively as a member of the

group

Viewpoints Poll

Viewpoint’s Findings

The OULDI project

Simon Cross

facilitated by Rebecca Galley

Project Team

Grainne ConoleRebecca GalleySimon CrossJuliette CulverAndrew BrasherPaul MundinMartin Weller

What does a quality design process look like? and what needs to change to get there?

In what ways can the efficiency and effectiveness of time spent designing be improved?

OU Learning DesignInitiative – JISCCurriculum Design Project

Key questions

Design methods,practices and discipline

Design Communities

Resourcesand representations

Tools for designand representations

InstitutionalProcess change

FORMAL STRUCTURES

INFORMAL STRUCTURES

1

2

3

4

5

1

2 3

4

56

7

What’s on the table?

Where is there the most potential to make effective headway in changing practice in your institution?A. Defined institutional design processesB. Staff understanding and skills in relation to

the designing of coursesC. Tools, resources and representations for

helping designersD. Design community to share experiencesE. Other (please add in the chat box)

The PiP project

Jim Everett

facilitated by George Macgregor

Principles in Patterns (PiP)Principles in Patterns (PiP)

Does your institution have a comprehensive online curriculum approval system?

A. YesB. NoC. Don’t know

Principles in Patterns (PiP)Principles in Patterns (PiP)

Issues and bottlenecks

Completing forms creates a teachable moment

Principles in Patterns (PiP)Principles in Patterns (PiP)

Figure: PiP architecture

Principles in Patterns (PiP)Principles in Patterns (PiP)

Which of the following PiP features do delegates consider to have the greatest value for an institution?

A. Focus on the teachable momentB. Single point of truthC. TransparencyD. Explicit workflowsE. Other

The T-SPARC project

Paul Bartholomew

facilitated by Oliver Jenkins

Technology Supported Process for Agile and Responsive Curricula

T-SPARC

Technology Supported Process for Agile and Responsive Curricula

T-SPARC

Technology Supported Process for Agile and Responsive Curricula

T-SPARC Which of the following statements most closely resembles curriculum

design at your institution?A. All stakeholders (including students and employers) have a great deal of influence

in shaping curriculum design activityB. All stakeholders have some opportunity to influence curriculum design activityC. Some stakeholders have reasonable opportunities to influence curriculum design

activity but some stakeholders are excludedD. Stakeholders only have tokenistic opportunities to input into curriculum designE. Stakeholders are offered no opportunities to input into curriculum design

Discussion

What do you think the greatest challenges of institutional approaches to Curriculum Design are?

A. The lack of a common language of Curriculum DesignB. Curriculum Design is currently ‘owned’ by the wrong

peopleC. A fully integrated Curriculum Design process is too

complexD. Limited opportunity to share useful curriculum designsE. Other – please enter details in the text chat box, e.g.

‘constrained thinking about curriculum design’

What do you think the greatest challenges of institutional approaches to Curriculum Design are?

Please enter a short phrase to describe the ‘greatest challenge’ in the text chat box → we will produce a WORDLE.

To see the WORDLE and to continue the debate please join the asynchronous discussion.

Follow-on activities

Asynchronous discussions

You can continue the discussions in the asynchronous discussion area: http://www.online-conference.co.uk/WebX?230@@.eedd498

Thinking Space

Sally Graham and Joy Jarvis will chart the developing story of the conference, creating a virtual thinking space to visually present ideas, common themes, connections, views, issues and questions that arise from the conference.  You can access the online Thinking Space at http://bit.ly/tieV01. As Sally and Joy develop the Thinking Space during each day of the conference, please contribute towards the Thinking Space by tweeting your ideas and feedback using the tag #jiscel11space.

Sally Graham

Joy Jarvis