There are many theories of learning definition and design and a variety of best practices in development, deployment and delivery. The module aims to:

• Present the general principles and learning theories used in the definition and design processes
• Explore the problems associated with developing eLearning software pieces
• Discuss the issues surrounding deployment
• Present the best approaches to delivering the learning in a real environment

Course Benefits:

• Produce a learning needs analysis and proposal for industrial or educational learning context clients
• Acquire knowledge and create learning designs
• Develop a working piece of eLearning using available software tools and delivery mechanisms
• Demonstrate critical awareness of issues in eLearning design and development

Course Workshop:

An eLearning case is to be completed in several component stages that reflect the eLearning design and development process. Learners will work as an eLearning design and development team on the case as a group project.

Both a peer eLearning development team and a member of staff will review each component that teams submit. The project groups will be expected to act on the feedback given to them. Each group will then submit a final project report, consisting of a complete eLearning design and a working software model deployed and integrated into an available learning or content management system.

Course Content:

Defining an eLearning Product for People to buy
This section will develop an understanding of the relationship with the buying client, learning client and learning designer. It will look at how learning strategies fit in with business strategies and show how to present learning solutions to clients.

Setting Learning Outcomes, Learning Objectives, Learning Assessments and Content
This section will introduce the concept of outcome and objective writing, how to acquire the most appropriate material content to meet these, and how to break content down into usable eLearning materials.

Understanding the Capability of the Technical Infrastructure
This section will deal with technical and developmental issues that can have an impact on eLearning design and production.

The Fundamental Principles of Learning Design
This section will deal with the fundamental principles of learning and educational psychology theory and introduce the important principles of real-world learning design.

The Varieties of an eLearning World
This section will deal with the components of eLearning and cover definitions of different blends of learning. It focuses on profiles of eLearners, skills and abilities they need to develop, and deals with problematic issues in eLearning and its overall place in learning generally.

Design and Psychology
This section brings in an understanding of the way in which an eLearning piece is created to meet with the needs of learners, and the processes that need to occur in the conceptual design of a piece of eLearning. It considers issues such as interface, learner navigation, activity planning and assessment.

The Nature of Collaborative and Supportive Learning Environments
This section looks in to the role of collaboration in virtual learning communities and how learner activities need to be developed and supported.

Producing and Deploying a Software eLearning Piece
This section introduces the practice of activity-storyboard production and the software production and deployment stages.

Introduction to instructional design

• Defining the job scope of an instructional designer
• Using an eLearning needs checklist
• Instructional systems design - what is it?
• Conceptualising an eLearning solution
• Writing learning objectives and what you should avoid
• Preparing a framework for eLearning starters
• Mini case study

Instructional design and storyboarding strategies (behaviourist and constructivist)

• Pedagogical strategies – behaviourism vs constructivism
• Applying these strategies for storyboarding
• Gagne’s 9 events of instruction
• Bruner’s 3 principles
• Bandura’s social learning theory Carroll’s minimalist theory
• Working with subject matter experts
• Design guidelines prior to storyboarding
• Designing simulations and playing elements in eLearning
  

How to create and design reusable information objects (RIOs) by applying Bloom’s taxonomy

• Classification of learning domains
• Introduction to the component display theory
• Classifying information types using Bloom’s taxonomy
• Designing learning objectives
• What are RIOs?
• Classification of RIOs and why we should classify them
• RIO templates