Learner: Learning Design

Purpose: To raise questions about the learning design for online delivery with the focus on the learner.

References: 10 , 40

1. How does the learning design support learner engagement?
1. Are the learner’s goals, intentions, and expectations identified and built upon? What assumptions are made?
2. Are the learner’s prior experiences and understandings (e.g., content, language, task, technology-use) recognised and drawn upon?
3. Are the learners enabled to access key concepts in a variety of ways?
4. Does the program provide opportunities for peer interaction and feedback at key points?
5. Does the assessment facilitate learner engagement?
6. Does the program enable reflection on experience, and integration and consolidation of activity?
7. Does the program equip learners to develop metacognitive skills?
8. Does the program engage learners affectively (i.e., feelings & emotions), encourage personal links, and is it inviting?
9. To what extent does the program allow the learner a sense of control over learning engagement?

2. How does the learning design acknowledge the learning context?

Does the program:

1. make links to the specific field of mathematics/numeracy in (vocational and/or academic) context/s?
2. make links to the broader social/political/economic/environmental contexts as appropriate?
3. take account of the learners’ circumstances of application?
4. provide for application of concepts?
5. enable links to other contexts and situations?
6. make realistic knowledge demands on the learner (e.g., level of difficulty, assumed knowledge)?
7. support multiple cultures and diversity?
8. match assessment to learning outcomes; & provide expression for appropriate high-level quality outcomes?

3. How does the learning design seek to challenge learners?

Does the program:

1. help learners to question their own knowledge base and experience?
2. help learners to become aware of the limits of the knowledge they are developing?
3. support the learners to go beyond the knowledge/resources provided, in realistic ways?
4. equip the learner to plan, direct, and assess their own learning in subsequent activities?
5. encourage learners to be self-critical and to test assumptions?

4. How does the learning design provide practice?

Does the program:

1. encourage learners to articulate and demonstrate their learning (to self and others)?
2. provide appropriate feedback at key points?
3. help and equip learners to discern that they are learning appropriately?
4. model expected performance in practice?
5. model expected strategies or performance activity?
6. encourage learner confidence through practice?

5. Are the pedagogies engaging?
1. Does the learning environment and tasks challenge and motivate learners?
2. Are there interesting, complex problems and activities rather than decontextualised theory?
3. Do activities arouse learners’ curiosity and interests?
4. Are activities and assessments linked to learners’ own experiences?
5. Are the learning tasks inquiry and problem-based?
6. Do activities support and develop learners’ metacognitive skills?

6. Are the learning tasks authentic?
1. Do learners investigate issues that are of current importance to the world?
2. Do learners use real-world data to understand current events?
3. Do the learning activities involve tasks that reflect the way in which the knowledge will be used in real life contexts? [i.e., workplace or other realistic settings; simulated where necessary]
4. Are the learning tasks based on authentic or simulated workplace activities?
5. Do the learners have to accept responsibility for their solutions in any real tangible way? Are there any real consequences to the learners’ calculations?
6. Are tasks are complex and sustained?
7. Are goals, tasks, and assessment aligned?

7. In relation to online teaching:
1. How is a lack of personal expertise among inexperienced learners addressed?
2. How are concerns about assumptions of self-directed learning and motivation of learners dealt with?
3. Are the learners capable of working independently and monitoring their time management?
4. Can interdependence and shared responsibility, as well as other aspects of co-operative learning, be built in?
5. Is there appropriate and timely support for technical problems?