Arena Blended Connected Curriculum Design – Workshop resources and participants’ feedback

• A 90 minute hands-on workshop to help module teams design engaging learning activities.
• Teams work together to create a visual ‘storyboard’ showing the type and sequence learning activities required to meet the module’s learning outcomes and how these will be assessed.
• ABC is particularly useful for new programmes or those changing to an online or more blended format.

Between March and September we had 11 workshops with 37 teams from SLMS and BEAMS.

The feedback from participants:

• “This process was really useful. It helps us think about the modules in their entirety. It is really good how everything maps out in a clear framework like this.“
•  “We haven’t had such level of detailed discussion as a team. I think the structure and the materials are facilitated well. “
  “It is a good way of focusing on creating the balance within a course.“
• “It makes you think about: OK , we are going to use this technique, but where, how, for what and how does it fit with everything else? And this is the way into that, I think.“
• “It helped us formulate in our own mind the course structure. Yes, very useful.“
• “Made me more conscious of a formative assessment, which really did not occur to me before. “
• “This has been extremely useful. Not only that we start to think about individual modules and how we can use electronic resources, but it makes us think about the degree together, rather than as separate modules. “
• “It reminds you of all different formats that you can use, rather than sticking to the same old same old.“
• “I think it was good to take a step back from the content and look at the varied type of activity. “
• “We are not trying to be very innovative, but it is a question of being open to new ideas“

To organise ABC workshop for your programme contact Clive Young and Nataša Perović.

ABC Curriculum Design workshop resources:

• ABC CD leaflet – PDF –  ABC_leaflet
• ABC CD Workshop presentation – PPT 
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• ABC CD graph blend – PPT – 
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• ABC learning types cards  – PPT –  (print double sided, two a page) 
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• ABC additional online activities – PDF – 
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• ABC CC and learning types – PDF – 
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• ABC CD worksheet  lansdcape A1 – PDF – 
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    PPT – 
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• ABC CD workshop facilitation plan – Word – 
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• ABC Action plan – Word –
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The resources are also adapted for ABC CPD and Life learning courses.

To organise ABC workshop for your programme contact Clive Young and Nataša Perović.

More:

• ABC 2015 Summary
• ABC beginnings

References:

*Viewpoints project JISC

**UCL IoE: Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology. New York and London: Routledge.

Connected Curriculum

The ABC curriculum design method is a ninety-minute hands-on workshop for module (and programme) teams. This rapid-design method starts with your normal module (programme) documentation and will help you create a visual ‘storyboard’. A storyboard lays out the type and sequence learning activities required to meet the module’s learning outcomes and how these will be assessed. ABC is particularly useful for new programmes or those changing to an online or a more blended format.

The method uses an effective and engaging paper card-based approach based on research from the JISC* and UCL IoE**. Six common types of learning activities are represented by six cards. These types are acquisition, inquiry, practice, production, discussion and collaboration.

The team starts by writing a very short ‘catalogue’ description of the module to highlight its unique aspects. The rough proportion of each type is agreed (e.g. how much practice, or collaboration) and the envisaged blend of face-to-face and online.

Next the team plan the distribution of each learning type by arranging the postcard-sized cards along the timeline of the module. With this outline agreed participants turn over the cards. Each card lists online and conventional activities associated with each learning types and the team can pick from this list and add their own.

The type and range of learner activities soon becomes clear and the cards often suggest new approaches. The aim of this process is not to advocate any ‘ideal’ mix but to stimulate a structured conversation among the team.

Participants then look for opportunities for formative and summative assessment linked to the activities, and ensure these are aligned to the module’s learning outcomes.

The final stage is a review to see if the balance of activities and the blend have changed, agree and photograph the new storyboard.

The storyboard can then be used to develop detailed student documentation or outline a Moodle course (a module in Mooodle).

The ABC team is developing a program-level version based on the Connected Curriculum principles.

Participants’ thoughts about ABC curriculum design workshop:

https://youtu.be/Il5OraUrRnM

For questions and workshops contact Clive and Nataša

More:

• ABC 2015 summary
• ABC Curriculum Design Workshop resources and participants’ feedback

References:

*Viewpoints project JISC

**UCL IoE: Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology. New York and London: Routledge.