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Flavours of design – what’s in a name?
Our team at The Open University has gone through a rebrand. Where before we had Learning Design (LD) and TEL Design components to our team, we are now all Learning Designers. A small change in terminology, but hopefully a big change in mindset. So why have we done this? First, it better encapsulates what we’re…
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Tips for starting out in learning design
We were asked: “Any advice for a new learner, just getting started in the world of LD?” … so we crowd-sourced answers from the team. Here’s what they said: Olivia said: Find as many opportunities to learn as possible. I’d recommend listening to the Pedagodzilla podcast. Clare said: Get to know as wide a variety of your students as you…
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Ten ways to kick off a successful online meeting
A positive start to your online group will help people feel welcome. It’s also reassuring for the facilitator to know that everyone’s ready and able to contribute. We’ve found that these simple tips can ensure everyone can play a part. Greet people as they join the meeting to help them feel welcome. Have a general…
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Skills development is most effective when…
It is fully embedded in the teaching and learning of (inter)disciplinary content (reflects a contextual and epistemological view of skills) At the same time, it is perceived as meaningful and relevant to students’ current and future lives (transferable, flexible) Students are apprenticed into the conventions, techniques, styles and approaches of their field(s) of study (they…
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Supporting students in collaborative online activities
Collaborative learning activities build students’ critical thinking skills and encourage them to reflect on their learning. However, students can struggle to engage with them if they don’t feel supported. Use these steps to build in support for students before, during and after online collaborative activities. The steps are based on a study by Zheng et…
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Six ways to gather student feedback in learning design
When students have the chance to share their insights, they feel more engaged in their study and more connected to their institution. And of course, they can offer fresh perspectives that will benefit future students. That’s why it’s vital to gather student feedback on your courses – not just through with end-of-course evaluations but also…
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Quick ways to make passive learning active: Harnessing the power of ‘and’
Read the following text [‘A bit passive’] :: and:: [‘Ooh, there’s more!’] discuss your interpretation… [‘Bringing in active skills! Now you’re talking!’] Watch this video :: and :: summarise it in an infographic… Listen to this lecture :: and :: present your own research… Read <crossed out> Review <replaces ‘read’. ‘A switcheroo from passive to…
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The ICEBERG principles: Learning design for retention
Retention – helping students complete the studies they’ve signed up for – is an essential element of learning design. Open University researchers Jitse van Ameijde, Martin Weller and Simon Cross developed the ICEBERG principles (2015) to highlight seven learning design elements that support retention. We’ve created a quick guide to the principles and some prompts…