JISC

Start date: 1 May 2006

End date: 30 June 2007

Funding programme: e-Learning Pedagogy programme

Project website: http://aled.swancoll.ac.uk

JISC theme(s): e-Learning

The key aim of the project is to implement and evaluate tools and systems that support Design for Learning within post-16 education. This will be achieved by embedding existing tools – i.e. LAMS and Moodle – within teaching and learning in all partner institutions. Within the curriculum areas it is envisaged that the ILT Champions’ network, after training, will be the main conduit for implementation and evaluation and will subsequently be in a position to train other practitioners.

It is envisaged that these will be tested in at least two FE colleges for their effectiveness and reusability. Outcomes of the project will be disseminated among all FE institutions nationally. The process will involve, for the purposes of this project, practitioner and learner evaluation to establish the quality of the project deliverables. A key outcome of the project will be a bank of exemplars that will illustrate best practice in the use of Learning Design tools. We intend to work closely with the Support Project in making Learning Designs generated through the project available for sharing and re-use between projects and wider community.

Aims and Objectives

The key aim of the project is to implement and evaluate tools and systems that support Design for Learning within post-16 education. This will be achieved by embedding existing tools – i.e. LAMS and Moodle – within teaching and learning in all partner institutions. Within the curriculum areas, it is envisaged that the ILT Champions’ network, after training, will be the main conduit for implementation and evaluation and will subsequently be in a position to train other practitioners.  For the area of student induction the LRC staff will receive training and develop exemplars for use within induction. It is envisaged that these will be tested in at least two FE colleges for their effectiveness and reusability. Outcomes of the project will be disseminated among all FE institutions nationally. The process will involve, for the purposes of this project, practitioner and learner evaluation to establish the quality of the project deliverables. A key outcome of the project will be a bank of exemplars that will illustrate best practice in the use of Learning Design tools. We intend to work closely with the Support Project in making Learning Designs generated through the project available for sharing and re-use between projects and wider community.

Project Methodology

The process of designing and planning learning activities
While activity design and planning is learner centered, FE institutions often find that there are inconsistencies in the quality of preparation of learning activities, including the application of sound pedagogic principles. Further, assumptions are often made about effectiveness without a rigorous evidence base. The focus of this project will be to bring sound standards based systems into the learning and teaching environment which will help to ensure consistency of quality, effectiveness and underlying pedagogic principles.

Implementation
The project team will seek to use its technical expertise (including experience gained from JISC-funded projects) to explore, evaluate and implement the IMS Learning Design Specifications and report to the wider Design for Learning Programme on its findings. Concurrently, the practitioners and pedagogic experts will be working on the implementation and embedding of said Learning Design tools. The project will provide a number of accessible and re-usable Learning Design exemplars with specific relevance at Levels 3 and 4 including a number whose focus is initial student screening and induction; which can be shared with the wider learning community via the JORUM National Repository. Learning Design exemplars will be developed by practitioners, pedagogic experts and the technical team with extensive experience in the issues surrounding developing, re-using and repurposing content.

Sharing of best practice
The project will expand the knowledge of partner institution staff and serve to embed the use of Learning Design tools within post-16 learning. Through its close relationship with the South West Wales E-Training Network, the Fforwm LRC Managers’ and ILT Champions’ networks, and the RSC, the project team will disseminate the processes, tools and learning materials to a broad UK audience.

Sustaining effective practice in design for learning
The project will host, run and maintain a project-VLE with practitioner input to facilitate the creation of communities of practice not only within the project itself, but to a wider community of educational practitioners. This will also serve as a technical discussion and support forum that could be open to all partners working in the Design for Learning community.

Deliverables

The outcomes of the project will be:

The implementation and evaluation of LAMS and Moodle by:

• Training practitioners who will use these Learning Design tools
• Providing pedagogic and technical support for practitioners in use and dissemination of good practice
• Implementing and supporting a community of practice to facilitate ongoing user evaluation of the Learning Design tools
• Devising a methodology for evaluating the Learning Design tools and systems that support design for learning.
• Produce a minimum of 18 Learning Design exemplars from a range of curriculum and support areas and levels that illustrate best effective pedagogic practice of using Learning Design tools

Produce a minimum of 5 case studies from a range of curriculum and support areas, including:

• LRC Student Induction
• Holistic Therapies
• Initial Assessment
• Modern Languages
• Art / Design / Media

Work with colleagues from other Design for Learning projects to review the potential for re-use of Learning Designs.

• Investigate and evaluate the interoperability of the Learning Design exemplars in a range of existing Learning Design players
• Instigate a Moodle community of practice for the project to facilitate training and the sharing of pedagogical guidelines.
• Undertake an evaluation of the impact of this project on design for learning practice within the partner institutions.

Stakeholders