Category: Distance learning

  • Tip of the ICEBERG: Updated learning design principles for student retention

    Tip of the ICEBERG: Updated learning design principles for student retention

    Catriona Matthews, James Openshaw, and Jake Hilliard  ~ Learning Designers   When we think about student retention and the factors that can lead to students withdrawing from their studies, learning design is often just the tip of the iceberg. The decision to complete a course – or to withdraw or pause studies – is often […]

  • Study speed and workload: How do they intersect?

    Study speed and workload: How do they intersect?

    Paul Astles and Charlie Knowlson ~ Learning Designers   Imagine, for a moment, that you are standing in front of a pile of food the height of a giraffe. This pile is made up of all your favourite foods, neatly separated by sustainably sourced packaging. If you’re unsure why there is packaging, just consider this: […]

  • Inclusive module design: considering the needs of dyslexic students

    Inclusive module design: considering the needs of dyslexic students

    Courtney Ince  ~ Learning Designer I recently had the pleasure of working with a module team that were designing a Level 2 undergraduate art history module called Art and Life before 1800. It’s a particularly complex and ambitious thematic module that forms a pivotal stage in a new named degree pathway. It aims to incorporate […]

  • Scaffolding learning: What does it mean for students?

    Scaffolding learning: What does it mean for students?

    Clare Hill and Paul Astles  ~ Learning Designers   When you scaffold your learning materials, you build students’ understanding and ability gradually and in a planned way by adjusting the amount of support offered. Researchers have described scaffolding as ‘support from experts enabling learners to accomplish what is beyond their current ability’ (Wood et al. […]