Architectural design and the learning environment: A framework for school design research

This article develops a theoretical framework for studying how instructional space, teaching and learning are related in practice. It is argued that a school’s physical design can contribute to the quality of the learning environment, but several non-architectural factors also determine how well a given facility serves as a setting for teaching and learning. Supporting evidence for this argument is drawn from research on school climate and organisation, as well as from the author’s study of three open-plan high schools. Facilities design, educational practice, school culture, and student learning are found to be interrelated aspects of a school’s total learning environment.     

Designing for impact: a conceptual framework for learning analytics as self-assessment tools

Abstract

Although it is frequently claimed that learning analytics can improve self-evaluation and self-regulated learning by students, most learning analytics tools appear to have been developed as a response to existing data rather than with a clear pedagogical model. As a result there is little evidence of impact on learning. Even fewer learning analytics tools seem to be informed by an understanding of the social context and social practices within which they would be used. As a result, there is very little evidence that learning analytics tools are actually impacting on practice. This paper draws on research in self-regulated learning and in the social practices of learning and assessment to clarify a series of design issues which should be considered by those seeking to develop learning analytics tools which are intended to improve student self-evaluation and self-regulation. It presents a case study of how these design issues influenced the development of a particular tool: the Learning Companion.     

A wiki-based framework for collaborative learning design in teacher education

Education and Information Technologies - Harnessing the potential of wikis in teacher education is a significantly challenging task. Researchers suggest that incorporating wikis in the educational...     

Competencies for learning design: A review of the literature and a proposed framework

The term ‘learning design’ is used in this paper to refer to the process of designing effective learning experiences for a variety of contexts: in the classroom or laboratory, in the field, online and via standalone packages using a range of media. Learning design involves a wide set of knowledge, skills and competencies, including: learning theory and its applications, course design principles and procedures, use of media, use of different technologies, relevant business processes and so on. This paper briefly introduces a research project that investigated the field of learning design in the UK and elsewhere, and describes the production of a competency framework derived from the results of that research.     

A skills development framework for learning computing tools in the context of engineering practice

Informatics is a first-year subject in the new Bachelor of Engineering/Graduate Diploma in Engineering Practice degree at the University of Technology, Sydney. All undergraduate engineering students must do this subject irrespective of their intended engineering discipline (civil, mechanical, environmental systems, electrical, telecommunications, computer systems). The focus of this subject is to introduce students to computational tools (such as spreadsheets and programming languages) and information retrieval tools (such as the World Wide Web), which support engineering, as well as looking at the effective and professional use of these tools. Informatics has three core elements: the development of specific skills which will assist students in both their studies and their professional practice; the development of an ability to continue to develop further skills independently; and consideration of a wide variety of issues related to the computational tools that the students are using. Examples of the issues covered include: privacy; accuracy of content; fraud; security; the professional and ethical responsibility of engineers for the results of their calculations; selecting the best tool for the job; and limitations of computational tools. This paper will review the activities and challenges the students faced, describe the approaches that we adopted and the various issues we raised, the expected and actual outcomes arising from the activities, and our plans for the future of the subject.     

An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments

The instructional technology community is in the midst of a philosophical shift from a behaviorist to a constructivist framework, a move that may begin to address the growing rift between formal school learning and real-life learning. One theory of learning that has the capacity to promote authentic learning is that of situated learning. The purpose of this three-part study was first, to identify critical characteristics of a situated learning environment from the extensive literature base on the subject; second, to operationalize the critical characteristics of a situated learning environment by designing a multimedia program that incorporated the identified characteristics; and third, to investigate students' perceptions of their experiences using a multimedia package based on a situated learning framework. The learning environment, for preservice teachers, comprised a multimedia program on assessment in mathematics together with recommended implementation conditions for the classroom. Eight students were observed and interviewed to explore their perceptions of the situated learning environment. Findings suggest that the use of the situated learning framework provided effective instructional design guidelines for the design of an environment for the acquisition of advanced knowledge. Since 1992, as a Senior Instructional Designer, she has worked principally in multimedia and Web-based projects. He has been teaching with, and researching innovative uses of, instructional technologies in secondary schools and universities for the past 20 years. The authors would like to thank Professor Tom Reeves for his encouragement and support, and to acknowledge the significant role he has played in the development of our ideas and research direction.     

Dimensions of personalisation in technology‐enhanced learning: A framework and implications for design

Personalisation of learning is a recurring trend in our society, referred to in government speeches, popular media, conference and research papers and technological innovations. This latter aspect—of using personalisation in technology‐enhanced learning (TEL)—has promised much but has not always lived up to the claims made. Personalisation is often perceived to be a positive phenomenon, but it is often difficult to know how to implement it effectively within educational technology. In order to address this problem, we propose a framework for the analysis and creation of personalised TEL. This article outlines and explains this framework with examples from a series of case studies. The framework serves as a valuable resource in order to change or consolidate existing practice and suggests design guidelines for effective implementations of future personalised TEL.     

Designing databases as tools for higher-level learning: Insights from instructional systems design

This article reports on a naturalistic study of online and CD-ROM databases to identify design characteristics that are important to high school students' use of these information resources for higher-level learning as well as for information access and retrieval. Primary data collection techniques were interactive observations of 92 students and informal interviews with 54 students, 4 teachers, and the school library media specialist. The article presents an inventory of specific problems students experienced while using 7 CD-ROM and 18 online databases and discusses implications for database design based on the study results. By showing how the lens of instructional systems design can be applied to the study of a specific information technology, this article provides a new perspective on database design and suggests how electronic information resources can be designed to promote higher-level learning through enhancing students' opportunities to process, evaluate, and apply the information they retrieve from these resources.The paper on which this article was based received the 1993 AECT Special Research Award for qualitative research.     

A framework to design open educational resources-integrated online courses for undergraduate learning: A design-based research approach

Open Educational Resources (OER) integrated online courses provide a rich and a flexible learning environment to acquire knowledge and skills among undergraduates. A significant issue with OER-integrated online courses is the poorly addressed instructional design features. Instructionally rich online courses will have a greater impact on both teaching and learning. This study is aimed at exploring different support systems in relation to the undergraduate learning process through the design of OER-integrated online courses. It explored design features under four main Instructional Design (ID) aspects, being: Information Design, Instruction Design, Interface Design and Interaction Design. The study adopted a Design-Based Research approach through analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation of an intervention in multiple phases, using mixed methodologies. This resulted in a design framework with reusable design principles for OER-integrated online learning. The outcomes of this study will contribute to enhance OER-integrated course design and to develop undergraduate education.

     

A design framework for educational hypermedia systems: theory, research, and learning emerging scientific conceptual perspectives

This paper focuses on theory and research issues associated with the use of hypermedia technologies in education. It is proposed that viewing hypermedia technologies as an enabling infrastructure for tools to support learning—in particular learning in problem-based pedagogical environments involving cases—has particular promise. After considering research issues with problem-based learning related to knowledge transfer and conceptual change, a design framework is discussed for a hypermedia system with scaffolding features intended to support and enhance problem-based learning with cases. Preliminary results are reported of research involving a new version of this hypermedia design approach with special ontological scaffolding to explore conceptual change and far knowledge transfer issues related to learning advanced scientific knowledge involving complex systems as well as the use of the system in a graduate seminar class. Overall, it is hoped that this program of research will stimulate further work on learning and cognitive sciences theoretical and research issues, on the characteristics of design features for robust and educationally powerful hypermedia systems, on ways that hypermedia systems might be used to support innovative pedagogical approaches being used in the schools, and on how particular designs for learning technologies might foster learning of conceptually difficult knowledge and skills that are increasingly necessary in the 21st century.

Instructional design tools: A critique and projections for the future

This article critiques the instructional design tools described in the special issue of Educational Technology Research and Development, Volume 50 Number 4, “Computer-Based Tools for Instructional Design.” Although focusing on four tools, (a) digital management systems, (b) CASCADE, (c) knowledge management systems, and (d) ADAPT^IT, the author also comments on the introductory article (van Merriënboer and Martens), and compares the four described tools with earlier models.     

A flexible framework for online collaborative learning

This paper presents a framework for online collaborative learning, also known as telecollaboration. At the centre of this flexible framework are online collaborative educational experiences where knowledge creation and knowledge in action are the nexus of social, teaching and cognitive presence based on the Community of Inquiry model of Garrison, Anderson and Archers [Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., and Archer, W. (1999). Critical thinking in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105]. The framework provided should guide educators as they design, develop and implement authentic educational experiences within local, national or international settings in partnership with other educational stakeholders.     

A framework for intentionally fostering student learning

Recognizing the mismatch between a philosophy of holistic development and evaluation focused on external, quantitative criteria led Miami University's Honors and Scholars Program to revise its curriculum in accordance with student development theory.