Planning your online module

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ContentIntroduction...........................................................................................................................................3

The UCEM student experience..............................................................................................................4

Designing Transform modules: UCEM approach...................................................................................4

Learning design model: Student outcome-led design.......................................................................5

Pedagogical principles and approaches: Participatory......................................................................5

Learning support strategies: An online presence..............................................................................6

Module descriptor review.....................................................................................................................9

TASK 1: Module position in the programme(s)..................................................................................9

TASK 2: Student attributes and competences..................................................................................10

TASK 3: What is the purpose of the module?..................................................................................11

TASK 4: Module learning outcomes: Are they clear and achievable?..............................................12

TASK 5: Assessment plan.................................................................................................................13

TASK 6: Indicative content...............................................................................................................14

ACTION: Minor modifications..........................................................................................................15

Aligning module assessments..............................................................................................................16

TASK 7: Drafting the assessments....................................................................................................16

Student feedback and observations: What can we improve and how can we support students more?.............................................................................................................................................................17

TASK 8: Your observations...............................................................................................................17

TASK 9: Previous module feedback..................................................................................................17

Drafting a module plan: Align topics, concepts, outcomes and assessment.......................................18

TASK 10: Draft a module plan..........................................................................................................18

Explore learning tasks and activities....................................................................................................19

TASK 11: Note activities and tasks that you would like to explore further......................................19

Content: What do your students need to know to meet the learning outcomes?..............................20

TASK 12: Review previous existing module.....................................................................................20

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Introduction

Welcome to Transform module development! This workbook has been created to support you in undertaking a number of tasks in preparation for the design of your module. By the end of this process you will be able to:

review a module descriptor to ensure that it is fit for purpose; apply backward design to the development or revision of an online module; develop appropriate ways to assess whether students have achieved the learning

outcomes for your course; plan the high-level structure of your module; begin to curate your own content and content from other sources based on your

outcomes, assessments and learners’ prior knowledge.

The main outputs of this process are:

a reviewed, finalised module descriptor draft assessments a high-level module plan aligning learning outcomes, assessments, topics and

content.

With these tasks completed, we will be able to focus on the design of your module’s learning activities, narrative, multimedia and interactive content in a two-day design jam and in the allocated development time. We expect the assessments and plan to undergo revision during the design process, so please don’t feel that what you produce is set in stone.

Your completed tasks should be uploaded to your module’s file area on Teams (you will be sent a link). You are free to edit this workbook or create separate submissions.

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The UCEM student experience

Our flexible approach to online learning gives students the freedom and support to balance their study, work and home commitments, while working towards their career goals. Students can take personalised routes through their study, choosing where and when they want to study, and what resources and activities they engage with. While weekly learning activities are provided to support students in planning their time, none are compulsory. Students are offered multiple options to engage with content and exchange with the learning community, which creates an inclusive and accessible environment.

Despite its flexibility, online learning is challenging. Evidence suggests that while online provision gives more access to education, once inside the digital space those learners can find that they are in fact more disadvantaged and that achievement gaps are widened (Moore and Greenland 2017; Kizilcec and Halawa 2015). This is largely due to employment commitments combined with a lack of flexibility in assessment policies. UCEM aims to overcome this through providing students with relevant learning experiences and assessments aligned with workplace challenges, along with support throughout their studies from academic tutors, facilitators and support tutors. We will be implementing a much more consistent curriculum design in the VLE to ensure students know where they are in their studies and what they need to do to be successful in their assessment. The move from studying multiple modules at the same time, to just one module at a time, and re-sits offered on all modules, is also a significant step in supporting students with employment commitments.

Designing Transform modules: UCEM approachTo give our students the greatest chance of success, learning design at UCEM starts with learning outcomes and assessment design, with appropriate pedagogical approaches employed to provide tasks and activities that clearly support student assessment.

Our approach can be broken down into three core areas:

1. Learning design: Student outcome-led design (SOLD). A learning design model to structure our modules and provide consistency and a clear student journey.

2. Pedagogical approach: Participatory. This approach builds knowledge, skills and competencies valued in industry through active engagement with learning content, engagement among learners and engagement with industry networks.

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Student Experiencee

3. Learning support: Online presence. Tutoring and facilitating presence online from the beginning of the module, including teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence, to create a holistic supported learning environment.

Learning design model: Student outcome-led designSOLD is our learning design model. It is based on the principles of backward design, a model used for designing courses for both online and face-to-face settings across the world. Wiggins and McTighe, in their book Understanding by Design (2nd edn, 2005), describe the three steps of backward design:

1. Identify desired results. What should students know and be able to do at the end of the course? These are your learning outcomes.

2. Determine acceptable evidence that students have achieved these learning outcomes. These are your formative and summative assessments.

3. Plan learning experiences, instruction and resources that will help students be able to provide evidence that they have met the learning outcomes.

This alignment of desired learning outcomes, assessments, and teaching and learning activities provides consistency for students and supports more accurate construction of course concepts.

We begin our module design with the end in mind, using an assessment-first approach. We start with desired learning outcomes, clearly stated in measurable terms, and work backwards through assessment activities, teaching and learning activities and content delivery.

Pedagogical principles and approaches: Participatory Our pedagogy builds on theories of constructivism (Piaget), social constructivism (Vygotsky), and cognitivism. We group these perspectives into a ‘participatory’ approach, which encompasses the concept of active learning. Our focus is to foster engagement with learning content, engagement

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among learners and engagement with industry networks. This is in contrast to more transmissive approaches, which require students to be more passive, for instance watching or listening to lectures. Consider the difference between listening to someone report on a meeting versus when you are in the meeting debating a topic with colleagues. The differences in approach are self-evident.

Fink (2013) suggests thinking about active learning as the intersection of three components:

doing or observing (what Fink calls a ‘rich learning experience’)

information and ideas reflective dialogue.

A ‘rich learning experience’ is a concept that aligns with both learning outcomes and assessments and provides opportunities for students to learn new concepts and skills or to practise concepts and skills they have recently learned. Providing activities for students that ask them to actively participate, either individually or in groups, is an important way to both increase motivation and support learning.

Educators around the world have used participatory pedagogies to create many different techniques and approaches to support learning and teaching. In our module design, UCEM uses a number of different approaches that particularly support our learners to have an authentic experience, i.e. to be of relevance to industry. These include inquiry-based learning, competency-based learning, problem-based learning, situated learning and design-based learning.

An example from a real estate development module might be having students explore a local building they feel is successful for their community. They observe the types of amenities, design and surrounding area and demographic, and connect their observations to course concepts about environmental, economic and social sustainability and place-making. Online, the students could share pictures or video of their exploration and their reflection with the class through a tool such as FlipGrid or in a discussion forum, where they can compare and contrast their experience with those of their classmates.

Learning support strategies: An online presenceActive learning requires active teaching, and our modules will be designed to encourage a greater online presence for our module teams. Being actively involved in your module will promote student success. While online classes provide students with more flexibility and new ways to collaborate, success in the online environment is directly related to how present and engaged the tutor is in the virtual classroom. This is supported by a number of researchers in teaching and learning, and many others studying the psychological and sociological aspects of learning and computer-mediated communication.

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Being present in your online class is not only about good practice and supporting student learning and engagement. Tutor presence and communication is what makes the difference between a class being considered as a distance education class versus a correspondence course. Distance education contrasts with a correspondence course in that it includes ‘regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor’ (OLC, UPCEA and WCET (no date)). Interaction cannot be primarily initiated by the student. The instructor must initiate interaction too. Simply posting recorded lectures or textual materials online, along with exams or quizzes, are unlikely to meet evolving teaching excellence guidelines and may influence whether students can use financial aid to enrol (for US students a course must have ‘significant faculty-student interaction’).

Garrison (2011: 22) proposed an approach which addresses holistically the social dynamic of learning without a face-to-face context. We have adopted his three types of online presence in the planning and design of UCEM’s modules.

Teaching presence. This is tutor interaction with students and content. This includes course design, facilitating discourse, direct instruction, and responding to students.

Social presence. Students interacting with each other and their instructor. This includes trust and respect; community and purpose; and open conversation.

Cognitive presence: This is students and faculty interacting with content. This includes critical thinking about content area and constructing meaning.

While the module design process does not cover development of online teaching skills, this is an area we can explore together to identify useful resources or approaches to support particular activities. At the end of a module, a Tutor’s Guide will be provided to support tutors and teams in delivering the module, facilitating discussion, in-the-moment interaction and online presence.

References

Biggs J (2003) ‘Aligning teaching and assessment to curriculum objectives’ [online], LTSN Generic Centre. Available at: www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/aligning-teaching-and-assessment-curriculum-objectives [accessed 5 April 2019).

Fink D (2013) Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses (2nd edn), San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Garrison D R (2011) E-learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice, New York: Routledge.

Kizilcec F and Halawa S (2015) Attrition and Achievement Gaps in Online Learning, Proceedings of the Second ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale (L@S ‘15). ACM, New York: ACM, 57–66.

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Moore C and Greenland S (2017) ‘Employment-driven online student attrition and the assessment policy divide: An Australian open-access higher education perspective’, Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 21(1), 52–62.

OLC, UPCEA and WCET (no date) Regular and Substantive Interaction: Background, Concerns, and Guiding Principles, OLC, UPCEA and WCET.

Wiggins G and McTighe J (2005) Understanding by Design (2nd edn), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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Module descriptor reviewThe following six tasks will enable you to become familiar with your module and programme descriptors.

TASK 1: Module position in the programme(s)

To ensure all those involved in the module design process understand the position of the module in the programme of study please answer the following questions:

1. Which programme(s) does this module fit into? Some modules are used in more than one programme.

2. Will apprentices study this module? If so, please refer to the Apprenticeship Frameworks in Task 2 below.

Yes/no

3. Where does the module fit within each programme?

Level:

Year:

Semester:

Block:

Direct entry?

4. What modules feed into this module on each programme?

5. What modules follow on from this module in each programme?

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6. What relevant concepts and/or skills do students bring to this module from previous modules they have studied?

7. What future modules will specifically build further on the concepts and skills developed in this module?

If you would like to provide your course map graphically, Popplet and Lucid Chart provide free concept/mind-mapping tools.

TASK 2: Student attributes and competencesRefer to the programme descriptor and identify the PRSB attributes and competencies that students are required to gain by completing this module. List these below:

QAA:

PRSB:

Apprenticeship Frameworks

Refer to the QAA’s (2018) UK Quality Code for Higher Education (Part A) Setting and Maintaining Academic Standards. Which points in the descriptor for this academic level will be addressed in the module?

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TASK 3: What is the purpose of the module?In no more than 150 words, promote your module. Consider these questions in your response:

How does it help students in their career? Why are the skills and concepts covered important for the built environment?

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TASK 4: Module learning outcomes: Are they clear and achievable?

The learning outcomes are at the heart of the module design, so it is essential that they are as precise as possible, and achievable. Consider each of the module’s learning outcomes in turn and answer the following questions:

1. Which of the programme learning outcomes do the module learning outcomes contribute to?

2. Is the outcome measurable?

3. Is the outcome focused on student action?

4. Is the outcome describing the level of performance?

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TASK 5: Assessment plan1. Does the assessment for the module test all of the learning outcomes?   

2. Is the weighting of the assessment appropriate for the learning outcomes?  [For example, if the first assessment is a tutor-marked assessment, is there enough time to cover the content required to meet the learning outcomes? Note that each module can have only one tutor-marked assessment.]

3. Is the assessment schedule correct for the block the module is being delivered in?

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TASK 6: Indicative contentIs the indicative content in the module descriptor relevant to the learning outcomes and assessment?

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ACTION: Minor modificationsAfter working through the above, have you identified any necessary changes to be made to the module descriptor? For instance, do you need to change any wording of the learning outcomes to add clarity to what we expect learners to do? Are the learning outcomes mapped to the appropriate assessment?

Submit any minor modifications via email to Ruth Grindey (r.grindey@ucem.ac.uk). Please include your reasons for these changes.

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Aligning module assessmentsAlignment between assessments and desired learning outcomes is essential if your assessments are to be valid. Assessments that are aligned with your learning outcomes provide dependable evidence as to how well students are reaching the desired outcomes.

If you would like to read more about assessment types and developing balanced assessments, the following module from Fletcher College provides a useful overview.

Fletcher College (2017) ‘Aligning and developing assessments’ [online]. Available at: https://mybpcc.instructure.com/courses/130466/pages/3-dot-1-aligning-and-developing-assessments?module_item_id=2458952 [accessed 5 April 2019].

At UCEM, we are particularly keen to embed authentic assessment into the student experience. Authentic assessment requires students to demonstrate skills and knowledge by performing realistic tasks within the discipline they may encounter in the workplace. Tasks can also reflect some of the challenges they may face at work. This approach supports students to develop and evidence the competencies they need in industry. They will also receive feedback so that they will be able to refine their skills and performance. Strategies such as case-studies with real-life situations, problem solving, studio portfolios, simulations, project work and report writing are examples of authentic assessment.

TASK 7: Drafting the assessmentsDraft an outline of the assessments for your module which will measure its stated learning outcomes.

How does your assessment meet the criteria below? Do you need to revise your assessment or your learning outcome(s)? It’s not uncommon to refine learning outcomes during this process as you may find measuring your outcomes is not as clear-cut as it appears at the beginning.

Are the assessments based on observing and/or measuring student action? Do the assessments align with one or more learning outcomes? Do you have an appropriate mixture of assessment types?

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Student feedback and observations: What can we improve and how can we support students more?

TASK 8: Your observations Consider what is covered in your module. From your teaching and industry experience:

1. Where do students always ask you the same question?

2. What concepts are the most difficult to understand and apply?

3. What do students always get wrong when they are tested/assessed?

TASK 9: Previous module feedbackLook at student feedback from previous (or related) modules. Also consider comments on the programme made in the latest NSS.

Note down any particular areas that relate to the module you are developing that require improvement.

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Drafting a module plan: Align topics, concepts, outcomes and assessment

TASK 10: Draft a module planReferring the learning outcomes, assessment rationale, and indicative content in the module descriptor, map the structure of your module using the provided template (Appendix A). Ensure that there is a logical flow between topics so that students are clear about how they will progress through the module and meet the required learning outcomes.

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Explore learning tasks and activitiesThe purpose of the Design Jam at the start of the module design process is to storyboard your module’s tasks and activities. We recommend that you look at the following resources (and any others you find) and take inspirations from others’ ideas and practice.

TASK 11: Note activities and tasks that you would like to explore further

We have added some useful resources to the following Wakelet: https://wke.lt/w/s/P1Csq-

Bookmark any activities that you find. You may like to create a Padlet Board to work together on this as a team.

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Content: What do your students need to know to meet the learning outcomes?

Given the technology and volume of information available today, how much information is too much? How much of the information in your module needs to be memorised by a student versus the student knowing that that information exists and can go and find it?

If your module already exists at UCEM, look through it and note what content you have already. If you would like a document listing all the content (articles, Storyline e-learning, study papers, etc.), please request it from the OETs.

Use the questions below to help you consider whether there is any content you could use in your new Transform module.

TASK 12: Review previous existing module

1. What content do students need to know to successfully meet the learning outcomes based on the assessments you have developed? (Differentiating between what they need to know – foundational knowledge and skills – and what would be nice for them to know – supplemental knowledge and skills – is the first step in prioritising content development.)

2. What types of content will students use to learn what they need to know? (Are you using multiple types of content?)

visual or graphic video text-based audio

3. Does the content have interaction built in? If not, how could you add interaction through an activity or assignment?

4. Is the content up-to-date?5. Is the content accessible for students with disabilities? If not, what sort of

accommodation will you need to make?6. Relating to copyright, can the content be used?7. Is the content of the right academic quality and rigour?

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A1: MODULE PLANThe table below follows the backward design process from left to right, taking into account the logical structure of the module (topics). Completing the table in this fashion will maximise your opportunity to align your learning outcomes with your assessment, practice method and content.

Make sure to note the types and levels of interaction in the assessment, activities and content columns.

Module topic / subtopicWith concepts to be covered

LO Assessment Methods

Learning/Practice Activities

Content Delivery/Exploration Methods

Introduction to sustainabilityConcepts: environmental sustainability; economic sustainability; social sustainability; Triple Bottom Line

LO1 Formative: MCQ, Peer and tutor feedback on student’s Padlet projects and examples of sustainability challenges in the built environment.

Summative: Definition of sustainability (to be submitted to ePortfolio)

Task: Guided reading and Padlet project in small groups. Then post to class board. MCQ on key concepts.

Task: Find examples of sustainability challenges in local environment, share and discuss as whole class.

Online Seminar to discuss questions.

Reading in small groups: UN Sustainable Development Goals; Charters; UN Declaration of Human Rights; Our Common Future.

Wordclouds of above documents

Animation: The Triple Bottom Line and the built environment

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