2008 - 2013 Flexible Learning Course

Now is time for you to start thinking about putting up some ideas for your design plan on your blog if you haven't already done so. For example, which course or part of a course will be designed for flexibility, who are you targeting (the learners) and what sort of strategies do you have in mind?

You might like to look at the guidelines for a project scope on the course Wiki. There is a Project Scope template there. Your final design plan will need to have detail under headings similar to those on the Project Scope, however, the initial ideas you put on your blog can be a lot briefer. You may want to give us a general overview of what you want to do first i.e. the big picture.

For the Project Scope/Design Plan for the final assignment, you will need to put detail under each of the headings on the Project Scope working from the aim through to the issues and considerations. Or you may wish to start with the issues and considerations and work backwards - whatever works for you.

When thinking about your design, you may want to consider providing an authentic learning experience for your students. The article by Lomabardi and Oblinger (2007), prepared for Educause, has some practical solutions to help students learn by doing e.g. simulations, e-portfolios for reflection, student-created media and a lot more.

There is more about this learning strategy in the book chapter, Authentic learning on the web: Guidelines for course design by Herrington, Oliver & Herrington (2007) page 26 in Flexible learning in an information society by Badrul Khan- it is a part chapter in the book on Google Books.

There is a very practical example given in the chapter of how tasks can be provided in the form of real life scenarios with which students can engage. The scenario provides the basis for all the course assessment and the students learn by participating in real projects which are assessed.

Do you see a place for this type of learning strategy in your courses?