Unit name | Design and Development for Learning |
---|---|
Unit code | EDUCM5804 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
Unit director | Professor. Howard-Jones |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Education |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will introduce students to the principles of effective user-based design. It will include issues of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) as well as providing opportunities to apply concepts encountered elsewhere on the course, such as learning principles and theory. It will also draw upon insights from non-educational contexts such as gaming. Through critical analysis of existing products and case studies that provide insights into design processes, the unit offers engagement with the many interacting factors that contribute to effective and innovative applications of technology within educational contexts. The unit will: Introduce students to the processes of designing effective computer-based learning environments such as virtual learning environments and web-based resources; Provide students with an understanding of pedagogical issues influencing the successful design, development and implementation of technology intended to support learning; Provide students with the knowledge and skills required to design, develop and evaluate computer-based learning environments.
Aims:
By the end of the module the students will be able to:
The course will be taught face-to-face, but will be supported by a virtual online learning environment. All students will be required to use the VLE as standard, to communicate with fellow students, with the lecturing staff, to obtain administrative details about the course, to access course materials and, in some instances, for submission of coursework. Students will be encouraged to work in groups to support collaborative learning and to provide user feedback on design ideas. The principle teaching and learning methods will include the following:
The assignment will arise from reflective account (4000 words or equivalent) of the students’ attempt to follow a user-based process in the design and development of a learning resource for implementation on a computer platform. This account should detail how the final design integrates user feedback, concepts from educational research and knowledge regarding human-computer-interaction, with details about the various design decisions that were made along the way. The account should demonstrate a critical awareness of the relationship between design and learning in the context chosen by the student, and provided a balanced appraisal of the final outcome in these terms.
Aldrich, C. (2005). Learning by Doing: A Comprehensive Guide to Simulation, Computer Games, and Pedagogy in e-Learning and Other Educational Experiences, San Fransisco, CA: Pfeiffer Wiley
Druin, A. (2002). The Role of Children in the Design of New Technology, Behaviour and Information Technology, 21(1) 1-25.
Facer, K and Williamson, B. (2004) Designing Educational Technologies with users, Bristol: NESTA Futurelab.
Gee, J.P. (2003) What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Laurillard, D., (2002). Rethinking University Teaching: a Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology, London: Routledge.
Shneiderman, B. and Wald, C. (2005) Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction, 4th Edition, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.