What needs to change in curriculum design? Innovating e-Learning 2011 Learning in Transition What needs to change in curriculum design? Simon Cross, Alan Masson, Jim Everett, Paul Bartholomew, facilitated by Peter Bullen

Presenters Facilitator 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. Facilitator Peter 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.

Session practice Text-chatting Elluminate layout Audio Whiteboard Technical problems Use the text-chat to engage with other delegates, presenter and moderators about the content of the session. You can send private text-chat messages e.g. to moderators or to individuals. You can change your Elluminate layout to “Wide layout” to make it easier to follow the text-chat (select “View … Layouts…Wide layout”). If you are distracted by the text-chat, you can “unlock” the Elluminate layout to enable you to adjust the size and position of the text-chat sub-window (uncheck “View…Layouts …Layout locked”) It is best to run the Audio Set-up Wizard to test your audio set-up each time you enter an Elluminate room (select “Tools…Audio… Audio setup wizard). You must use a headset/microphone if you want to ask a question in audio. Only use your microphone when guided by a moderator – click on the mic icon (bottom-left of screen) to turn it on and click on it again to turn it off. Only draw on the whiteboard if guided by a moderator. Send a private text-chat message to “moderators” and they will try to help.

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: Cluster B Cluster C TSPARC – Birmingham City University OULDI PiP Cluster A www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/curriculum

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? Designing courses/programmes Teaching Quality Assurance Supporting learners Other – please enter details in the text chat box

What do you think the greatest challenges of institutional approaches to Curriculum Design are? The lack of a common language of Curriculum Design Curriculum Design is currently ‘owned’ by the wrong people A fully integrated Curriculum Design process is too complex Limited opportunity to share useful curriculum designs Other – please enter details in the text chat box

The Viewpoints project Alan Masson facilitated by Catherine O’Donnell

Viewpoints Project – Information Framework 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

Viewpoints Inform, Inspire and Plan workflow 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

Key Benefits of the Viewpoints approach Card sorting workshop environment – promotes discussion, reflection and debate Resources facilitate shared meanings, agreed priorities and consensus building Group participation – builds team ownership of course vision Information model – can be used with range of stakeholders (learners, employers, support staff etc.) Key Benefits of the Viewpoints approach

Viewpoints Poll What do you think participants would say they found most useful about the Viewpoints approach if you used it in your institution? Exploration of creative ideas Considering the learners’ experience Provision of an open and honest environment within which the group could engage Creation of simple models of a key aspect of curriculum design Being able to work effectively as a member of the group

Viewpoint’s Findings

The OULDI project Simon Cross facilitated by Rebecca Galley

Curriculum Design Project OU Learning Design Initiative – JISC Curriculum Design Project Key questions 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? Project Team Grainne Conole Rebecca Galley Simon Cross Juliette Culver Andrew Brasher Paul Mundin Martin Weller

practices and discipline FORMAL STRUCTURES INFORMAL STRUCTURES Institutional Process change 5 Tools for design and representations 2 Design methods, practices and discipline 1 Design Communities 3 Resources and representations 4

What’s on the table? 2 3 4 1 7 5 6

Where is there the most potential to make effective headway in changing practice in your institution? Defined institutional design processes Staff understanding and skills in relation to the designing of courses Tools, resources and representations for helping designers Design community to share experiences Other (please add in the chat box)

The PiP project Jim Everett facilitated by George Macgregor

Principles in Patterns (PiP) Does your institution have a comprehensive online curriculum approval system? Yes No Don’t know

Issues and bottlenecks Principles in Patterns (PiP) Issues and bottlenecks Completing forms creates a teachable moment

Principles in Patterns (PiP) Figure: PiP architecture

Principles in Patterns (PiP) Which of the following PiP features do delegates consider to have the greatest value for an institution? Focus on the teachable moment Single point of truth Transparency Explicit workflows 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 activity B. All stakeholders have some opportunity to influence curriculum design activity C. Some stakeholders have reasonable opportunities to influence curriculum design activity but some stakeholders are excluded D. Stakeholders only have tokenistic opportunities to input into curriculum design E. 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? The lack of a common language of Curriculum Design Curriculum Design is currently ‘owned’ by the wrong people A fully integrated Curriculum Design process is too complex Limited opportunity to share useful curriculum designs 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 Thinking Space 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