D1.1.1

=Technical design and development assistance available to staff designing and (re)developing courses. =

Evidence
Teaching staff are generally not familiar with the extensive literature and techniques of course design and development available to improve student learning outcomes. Support provided to teaching staff in effective learning design is vital if courses are to develop pedagogical approaches that reflect the state of current understanding, as opposed to traditional approaches (Ragan, 1999). By working with pedagogical experts teaching staff can be encouraged to consider pedagogies that may make more effective use of available technology or, alternatively, technologies that enable particularly effective pedagogical approaches that they may not have considered (Wingard, 2004).

Resources
Evidence of capability in this practice is seen in the availability of technical assistance and staff development for the full range of technologies that are provided as standard in the institution, along with expert assistance in the design of the pedagogical approaches for courses. Access to this support is managed to ensure efficient and equitable use of time and the achievement of strategic goals as well as short term requirements. Effective approaches in the institutional context are communicated through examples, case studies, standards and guidelines customized for the institution, as well as during training for teaching staff.

Polsani (2003) begins to describe how to create ‘Learning Objects’ for reuse in e-learning. He describes the need for a learning object to be incorporated in a form and provide a relation to itself such that understanding of the form is facilitated. Reusability, the granularity of a single idea, composition and technical standards are also discussed. The interdisciplinary nature of learning resource creation through collaboration by programmers, graphic designers, and subject experts is explained. Flawless execution of the delivery system is also a must.

Kelly (2007) describes a matrix used by the Manukau Institute of Technology’s Academic Development Unit to determine what support teaching staff will require for their e-courses. Courses are scored on ten dimensions on a 1-5 scale of degrees of blended/distributed course delivery. Mostly 1s and 2s require ‘Level One’ CMS/Web use training. 3s and 4s require Level Two training. 5s require signed institutional approval for the re/developed mode of delivery change, also formal staff development in e-learning teaching is required. Overall it is important to aim support at the level that staff are at. Generic support may not help.