Learning Design Approaches to Curriculum Redesign: A Case Study
This paper explores the learning design process a practitioner underwent when tasked with re-designing the curriculum for a fully online programme of study for a campus-based UK university. The process entailed constructive alignment, which is implemented by using the stated learning outcomes as a mechanism to check that the expected learning is likely to take place. The use of learning and teaching taxonomies and the mapping of pedagogy with appropriate technologies aims at avoiding a pitfall of producing e-learning design that mirrors existing practice. Using this approach it has also been possible to identify learning outcomes that have not been addressed within the current online provision. This has allowed the creation of robust pedagogically sound innovative generic activity sequences to be created at the appropriate meta-cognitive level. Furthermore these sequences tap into a variety of learning theories including, social constructivism and situated learning.
The paper proposes that such an approach yields numerous advantages to institutions and practitioners (and ultimately the learners) that are tasked with curriculum re-design including re-use of design models and processes, resource planning and the identification of roles in complex professional subjects. These advantages will be discussed as will the issues relating to their implementation.
Keywords: Learning Design, Constructive Alignment, Curriculum Redesign
Senior e-Learning Developer, Educational Development Unit