Our Pilots

The project initially set out to pilot approaches to learning design and the tools, resources and activities associated with these in 8 settings: 4 within the Open University, and one each at our 4 partner institutions. In addition, the project has also worked with the University of Leicester in a 9th pilot. Each pilot has a slightly different look-and-feel due to differing needs, contexts, aims and extant institutional and faculty processes.

1. Reading University Pilot
Reading University’s participation in the OULDI project has been led by Maria Papaefthimiou (e-Learning Manager) and builds upon and is a natural continuation of the work started in the Pathfinder project, which aims to drive forward enhancement by assisting academic staff to adopt innovative approaches to designing the curriculum. The Learning Design methodology is providing a way of embedding changes and enhancements at the course and programme levels. more…

2. Brunel University Pilot
The project is working with the central e-Learning Support Team to help explore how the tools, resources and approaches could help enable Brunel to drive forward enhancement strategically through effective design, approval and review of teaching programmes and modules. more…

3. Open University Library Pilot
This pilot sees the project working closely with the university library to consider how curriculum design approaches can help support their strategic objectives. In particular, the pilot aims to increase the number and range of library resources embedded in courses, especially those enabling the development of Information Literacy skills and to more effectively support the creative use of 3rd party resources, especially those enabling the development of Information Literacy skills. A combination of workshops, small groups, peer to peer and side by side mentoring has been used.

4. Open University Faculty of Education and Languages (FELS) Pilot
We have been working with FELS management to support their embedding of a more learning design informed approach within the faculty. The key aim is to reorganise the design and production process so as to place greater emphasis and support in the design phase of pedagogy and learning design.Alongside this, the faculty aims to have an integrated and effective development of students’ digital literacy is demonstrated and promote a culture supportive of a cost-effective and pedagogically strong course development approach. This work has included workshops, use of the range of OULDI tools and small group and one to one meetings. This pilot ends February 2012

5. Open University ‘Supporting Design’ Pilot
This pilot will focus on the differences in process between designing online and traditional print based modules, and the impact of these differences on design activity and design relationships between non-academic support units and module teams. We will trial activities and representations which aim to inform the design process, and facilitate the sharing and discussion of pedagogical designs to support the development of materials for production. One output will be a shared set of recommendations about the continuing development of the learning design approach. This pilot ends February 2012

6. London South Bank University Pilot
This pilot will trial the workshop activities and tools developed by the OULDI project with the aim of improving academic practice in terms of articulating the links between outcomes, teaching materials and assessment methods and evaluating the use, effectiveness and impact of these curriculum maps. Final report expected soon.

7. Open University Bridge To Success Pilot
Recently we have taken the opportunity to work with another large IET project that is working with a number of American community colleges to offer free, open educational resources to prepare adults to successfully and confidently transition to a college environment. This pilot is focusing on the use of design tools for evaluation and reflection.

8. University of Cambridge PilotIn this pilot several of the OULDI design tools were included in a CARET project that sought to trial 13 curriculum design related tool with 12 volunteer academics and understand how they responded and used these tools.

Additional Pilot. University of Leicester Pilot

In this pilot the OULDI tools and methodology were combined with the tools and methodology of the Carpe Deim project in a series of new learning design workshops that were trialled at the University of Leicester and in an online workshop to a group of nine academics from SAIDE (South African Institution of Distance Education).

In addition to these pilots, we have also been involved with several auxillary trials or scoping activities. For example:

9. Open University: Institute of Educational Technology Pilot
In this micro-pilot we worked with a module chair to trial the use of selected design tools during the redesign of a post-graduate module

10. Open University: Arts Faculty Pilot Scoping
The project approached two modules that were in the early stages of development, however, neither felt able to commit to being involved in the pilots.