Rethinking Learning: A Learning-centred Approach to Curriculum Design
Workshop for ascilite 2005
Dr Diane Salter,
Dean, Centre for Curriculum and Faculty Development,
Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Ontario, Canada
Dr Geraldine Lefoe,
Coordinator, Academic Development,
Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources, University of Wollongong
Objectives:
This full day workshop is designed to allow participants to learn about and apply a model that promotes a learning-centred approach to course design with tasks and feedback as the primary vehicles for learning. This model, originally developed and piloted at the University of Waterloo in Canada, was designed to address the following goals:
Promote a learning-centred approach to course design and delivery
Promote interaction in learning and teaching
Integrate instructional design for online and campus-based learning activities
Encourage the re-use of online learning objects, while reinforcing faculty ‘ownership’ of the learning process design
Scaffold faculty transitions from conceptual design to resource preparation
Intended Audience:
This workshop is open to all conference attendees and will be of interest to faculty who wish to learn about and apply a learning-centred approach to overcome instructional challenges. The approach is suitable for those who teach in blended or fully online settings as well as for use in traditional face-to face-classes.
In addition to faculty, this session will be of interest to educational developers who may wish to introduce this approach at their institution. The facilitators will provide information on how the workshop can be adapted and presented, using a combination of online modules and face-to face workshops, to meet specific institutional needs.
Details of the Activities:
This session is experiential and participants will learn about, discuss and apply the concepts to their specific course needs. The workshop is practical in nature and participants will work on exercises in small groups and in large group discussions. At the end of the sessions each participant will have completed a draft of how the model will be applied to their course to overcome a specific instructional challenge and will have had an opportunity to share ideas within the workshop. The facilitator will also be willing to provide post-workshop feedback to those participants wishing to continue the dialogue on how they apply the concepts discussed in this workshop.
In this session participants will:
learn about each component of this model for interactive learning
discuss the benefits of this instructional design model as a way to promote best practice in curriculum design
share and discuss faculty examples from institutions to learn how others have applied this model to overcome instructional challenges
apply the model to your course by creating tasks and feedback for your course
Facilitators
Dr. Diane Salter has over 15 years experience in leadership in higher education specializing in innovative approaches to e-learning initiatives. Her leadership roles in Canada include leading innovation in program and curriculum development as Dean at the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and extensive work in technology innovation at the Centre for Learning and Teaching through Technology at the University of Waterloo. She is currently located in Canada but relocates to Hong Kong later in the year. Diane designs and facilitates ‘Rethinking Learning’ workshops to faculty internationally, including institutions in Canada, USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Thailand. She can be contacted by email or visit her website
Dr Geraldine Lefoe is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She coordinates the academic staff development program and collaborates with faculty on pedagogically driven integration of technology in course development. Her research interests include new models for staff development in higher education, and designs for blended learning environments. She has presented a number of workshops nationally and internationally in this area. She can be contacted on
References:
Lefoe, G., Gunn, C., & Hedberg, J. (2002). Recommendations for teaching in a distributed learning environment: The students’ perspective. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 18(1), 40-56. Retrieved 30/3/04, from
Lefoe, G., & Hedberg, J. (2005 (in press)). Blending on and off campus: A tale of two cities. In C. Bonk & C. Graham (Eds.), Handbook of Blended Learning Environments: Global Perspectives, Local Designs: Pfeiffer
Salter, D. Richards, L. (2004). Guiding faculty in innovative curriculum Design. E-Learn 2004, Washington, DC, USA, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Nov 1-5, 2004, Washington, DC, USA.
Salter, D.; Richards, L.; Carey, T. (2004). The ‘T5’ design model: An instructional design model to support the integration of online and campus based learning. Special Issue: Educational Media International: Distributed Learning Environments: the convergence of distance and campus based learning.
Salter, D.; Richards, L.; Carey, T. (2003). A Task-based approach to integrate faculty development in pedagogy and technology.Presented at E-Learn 2003, Arizona, USA, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Nov.