Archive for the ‘Design’ Category
Learning design – making practice explicit
New technologies have immense potential for learning, but the sheer variety possible also creates challenges for learners in terms of navigating through an increasingly complex digital landscape and for teachers in terms of how to design and support learning interventions. How can learners and teachers make informed decisions about what technologies to use in the design and support of learning activities? This presentation will consider this question and present a new methodology for design – ‘learning design’, which aims to shift the creation and support of learning from what has traditionally been an implicit, belief-based practice to one that is explicit and design based. Learning design research at the Open University, UK has included the development of a set of conceptual design views, a tool for visualising designs (CompendiumLD) and a social networking site, for sharing and discussing learning and teaching ideas and designs (Cloudworks). An overview of this work will be provided, along with a discussion of the perceived benefits of this new approach to educational design.
Learning Design Implementation for Distance e-Learning
This paper looks at how the educational design process changes with technology and provides a few examples of how modern tools and techniques are being used and implemented to design high quality (socio)-constructivist learning environments. It proposes an integrated model for learning design supported by implemented case-studies in the context of learning transformation processes that are ongoing at the University of Mauritius. The aim is to demonstrate how the blending of innovative technologies and pedagogies can result in high quality constructive learning experiences that eliminate the ‘distance’ paradox in so-called distance learning environments.
What will drive the expansion of design in digital higher ed?
When we move the locus of education from the classroom environment to the digital environment, we move the student experience to one in which design matters a great deal. Design, here, refers to the field of graphic design and industrial design – where aesthetics and function merge.
Consumer applications tend to offer more sophisticated design quality than education applications. Slowly, but surely, these tools are finding their way into digital higher education. More platforms now support Google docs, and offer Facebook and Twitter integration, for example. This may raise the overall standards for design in digital higher ed.
Educational Software and Learning – Subversive Use and Volatile Design
Discussions about the use of information and communications technology (ICT) based learning environments often assume that use is defined, or at least severely constrained, by the inherent intentions of the designer. However, typical uses of educational software involve a subversion of the designer’s intentions to match contextual needs. Designers should consider designing for subversive use, recognising that users fit the use of ICT environments into contextually tuned ‘situated’ learning environments. In this sense, good design is volatile design, i.e. design which changes with contextual use. These ideas are illustrated with reference to a range of ICT learning environments.
33 Essential Resources for Developers & Designers
Below, we’ve assembled 33 of our favorite resources since January and separated them into three easily digestible lists: inspiration, design and development.
Collaborative Design in Virtual Environments
Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) are multi-user virtual realities which actively support communication and co-operation. This book offers a comprehensive reference volume to the state-of-the-art in the area of design studies in CVEs. It is an excellent mix of contributions from over 25 leading researcher/experts in multiple disciplines from academia and industry, providing up-to-date insight into the current research topics in this field as well as the latest technological advancements and the best working examples. Many of these results and ideas are also applicable to other areas such as CVE for design education.
Overall, this book serves as an excellent reference for postgraduate students, researchers and practitioners who need a comprehensive approach to study the design behaviours in CVEs. It is also a useful and informative source of materials for those interested in learning more on using/developing CVEs to support design and design collaboration.
