Advanced Learning Design, Blended Learning & Evaluation
Learning designs are implicit within all learning objects yet little formal work to make these designs explicit has been conducted so far. Recently the RLO-CETL has focused on the designs within the 'micro-context' for learning that is the learning object. 'Real-world' learning designs, elicited and captured in practitioner-centred workshops using traditional pen-and-paper methods underpin the CETL's learning objects and these have been analysed to start to show commonalities of design within groups of learning objects and to begin to construct a taxonomy of learning object design. This needful work continues and proposals seeking to explore the links between learning designs and learning objects are welcomed.
A blended learning approach has been found invaluable when integrating e-learning materials into traditional teaching and learning practice and RLO-CETL works closely with the Blended Learning Unit (BLU) CETL at the University of Hertfordshire to achieve effective uptake. The BLU CETL defines blended learning as: "Educational provision where high quality e-learning opportunities and excellent campus based learning are combined or blended in coherent, reflective and innovative ways so that learning is enhanced and choice is increased". BLU activities include innovative blended learning developments in areas such as computer supported collaborative learning, learning materials and computer aided assessment, dissemination and communication and evaluation. The BLU-CETL has particular interest in developing new approaches to blended learning curriculum design and transforming learning and teaching practice, enabling and supporting lecturers to change their teaching to benefit student learning; proposals that wish to explore these areas and work closely with colleagues at the BLU-CETL are warmly welcomed. Applicants who are accepted to work on the blended learning theme will be facilitated by staff at the BLU and regular visits to the University of Hertfordshire will be part of their programme.
In a project as complex as the RLO-CETL, a multi-institutional collaboration between three very different universities, there are clearly multiple foci for evaluation, some of which relate to measurable, defined, bounded cases – implementation of RLOs in particular institutions, for example. But there is also a need for more exploratory, formative evaluation of processes and practices within currently poorly-understood contexts, developing communities and emerging networks. This also recognises the multiple audiences of the evaluation process: from university tutors who want to identify the most effective combination of classroom practice and RLO deployment given their specific contexts, to educational managers and leaders who need quality assurance and a guarantee of effectiveness of the educational experience to which students have access; and from multimedia developers of RLOs who want to address the needs of end-users most effectively to students who wish to exercise their right to be involved in developing learning environments in which they are supported yet autonomous. One of the outcomes of the evaluation process is better understanding of the concerns and priorities of each of the audiences. The RLO-CETL evaluation strategy takes into account the complexity of the initiative and reflects the overall design of the CETL, in that a series of RLOs evaluations are embedded within the broader context of the CETL as a developing community. Applicants interested in developing evaluation strategies for e-learning initiatives are encouraged to build and expand on the RLO-CETL evaluation toolkit for RLO use and methods for the analysis of the character, boundaries and evolution of e-learning communities.
