A practitioners view of Learning Design

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A practitioners view of Learning Design

• Mark Baxendale, Liverpool Hope University, UK.

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Background

• Using IMS Learning Design tools in a real Higher
  Education context
• Installed CopperCore and SLeD
• Developing and running courses using Learning
  Design
• Tutors drawing up and using IMS LD with support
• JISC SLiDe
• JISC LD4P
• JISC D4LD
• JISC LD4Users
• JISC DesignShare

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Why learning design?

• Structuring of learning materials in the
  institutional VLE- where is the pedagogy?
• LD as an educational modelling language was the
  main attraction
• Richness of the specification
• Capturing a wide range of pedagogical approaches
• Focus on activity rather than content
• Sharing/re-use was a secondary consideration

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The plan (and the reality)

• The plan small steps- start with level A
• Building up to B and C
• The reality at least level B was required for
  real teaching e.g.
• Submission of work
• Conditional completion/showing of activities
• Collaboration
• Information about the learner

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Live Units of learning

• Networks and Operating Systems (PBL)
• Design and Implementation of Multimedia
• Twentieth Century writings (English Literature)
• MSc Multimedia
• In development MSc course fully on line

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Supporting the teacher

• Methodology based on IMS Best Practice and
  Implementation Guide
• Teacher attends authoring workshop(s)
• Teacher authors design to level A using Reload
• Author design to level B
• Edit XML as necessary

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The Learning Designs

• Level B
• Used properties to control progress e.g.
• Tutor monitors activities and allows to progress
• File upload triggers progression
• Group work
• QTI

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Tutor experience

• Sebastian Groes, English Tutor
• Saw the potential of the approach to help him to
  visualise the learning design, and to provide the
  learners with a visual overview of their route
  through the topic
• Amanda Oddie, Computer Science tutor
• E-learning sceptic converted by LD
• Chris Beaumont, Computer Science tutor
• Liked the way could guarantee students would
  follow the PBL process correctly

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Learner experience

• The idea of SLeD is very good
• SLeD much better than the institutional VLE,
  but would be even better if there was a forum
• SLeD for me is an excellent way of studying as
  you can progress through it at your own pace and
  you also have the advantage of going back over
  what you have done if you feel you need to ...
• Learners canvassed for opinion on the software
• Generally positive about
• guidance offered
• usefulness of the software
• Earlier trials negative about reliability of the
  software

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Expert experience

• Initially working with IMS LD- complex, few
  real examples
• Especially level B
• Realised it was a scripting task (level B)-
  developing (and debugging!) algorithms

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Authoring to level B

• Reload well suited to tasks
• Collaborative authoring was a problem
• Reference clashes - used XML editor - time
  consuming
• Viewing/setting properties- producing form in XML
• form builder within editor would have been
  useful
• Scripting (conditions) was easier in XML editor

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Challenges and Problem Areas

• Installing tools- during SLiDe project CopperCore
  and SLeD were developing- a lot of tweaking and
  self reliance
• Installation much improved now
• Threw up institutional/cultural/political issues-
  heavy reliance on enthusiasts, activity not
  seen as a priority, keeping students onboard

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Bill Oliviers presentation (TENCompetence _at_
Manchester 2007 )
Where are we?
http//www.tencompetence.org/files/gmex/presentati
ons/olivier1.ppt
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Crossing the chasm

• How to get there and get up the hill?
• Need more usable and robust tools
• JISC LD4P
• JISC D4LD
• JISC LD4Users

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JISC LD4P

• Partners St Helens College, Phosphorix,
  University of Bolton
• Practitioners producing IMS LD units of learning
  with support
• User interface to Reload for practitioners
• Sharing IMS LD UoLs in other situations

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JISC D4LD

• Led by UK OU
• Partners OUNL, LHU
• Preparing SLeD (UK OU) and Coppercore (OUNL) for
  institutional use
• Addressing performance issues
• Usability
• Improved course and user admin

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JISC LD4Users

• Part of the Emerge community of practise
  (http//emerge.elgg.org/) developing a model of
  user centred design
• LD4Users will Investigate the issues surrounding
  management of learning activities in personal
  environments

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Summary

• Non-experts can use IMS LD
• But plenty of support needed
• The tools do benefit learners?
• But we need tools that they will use they will
  easily give up
• Need more LD services implemented (cf. LAMS)
• Tool developers and user communities must
  interact
• This is happening e.g. through TENCompetence,
  JISC