1. Jessica Gramp
(Clive Young and Nataša Perović)
UCL Digital Education
Arena Blended Connected (ABC)
learning design
@ABC_LD
blogs.ucl.ac.uk/abc-ld/
2. • Introduction.
• The origin of ABC workshops.
• The pedagogic and change theories underpinning ABC.
• The ABC process.
• Impact of ABC on programme enhancement.
• Modifying ABC to fit local contexts.
• The growing ABC international community.
• How is ABC being further developed?
• Where to find out more.
What I’ll cover today
4. • 10 years working as a learning technologist at UCL.
• Bachelor of Multimedia (studied one e-learning
module).
• Worked at a school in Brisbane supporting their
laptop program & developing Moodle & Intranet.
• Completed 2 online masters (Project Management
and Digital Education) – hands on experience
learning online.
• Currently working part-time at UCL to support an
Erasmus+ ABC to VLE project with 12 partners
across Europe.
My background as a Learning Technologist
5. • Helped to lead ABC workshops since 2015 Including in:
Brisbane, Qatar, Denmark and the UK.
• Other projects I’ve led at UCL include:
• UCL E-Learning Baseline.
• UCL E-assessment policy (& e-examination pilots).
• Moodle My Feedback report development.
• Accessible Moodle project (theme & enhancements).
• Accessible Teaching Practices online course (developed using
ABC).
ABC is just one of many initiatives we develop & support.
My background as a Learning Technologist
6. • Our academics have very limited time.
• We need practical tools to implement change.
• Learning design is a key point of innovation.
• But need to link to:
• Strategic direction and priorities.
• Pedagogic theory and practice.
• Blended learning.
• Digital competencies.
• Etc.
• Academics may have little experience in formal educational
design
Why learning design?
8. The ABC learning design method is an effective and
engaging hands-on, card-based approach to
learning design.
• For (re)design of programmes and modules
research intensive universities
• Used at UCL and numerous other institutions
world-wide (2015 >).
• 500+ participants to date at UCL.
• Adapted from the JISC Viewpoints (2008-2012)
• Enhanced to include Diana Laurillard’s “learning
types” – activity-based design method.
• Viewpoints: http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/29227748/Viewpoints%20project
• Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology.
New York and London: Routledge.
ABC learning design - origin
9. ABC - High-energy collaborative academic engagement
workshop used at UCL since 2015.
• time-bound (90’).
• activity-based design.
• student-perspective.
• deliberately analogue.
• conversational.
• creative.
• consensus – shared vision.
• narrative – storyboard.
• based on theory.
ABC learning design workshop - features
10. Source: Teaching as a Design Science (Laurillard,
Learning in the context of adult education:
The Conversational Framework
Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital
Technologies, UCL Institute of Education
Teaching as a design science: Can we unlock the power of technology?
https://youtu.be/eh9254T2ZYg
11. `
L
C
Teacher
concepts
Peer
concepts
Peer
practice
Learning
environment
L
C
L
P
L
P
Generate
Modulate
A sequence of learning activities for a specific outcome uses the appropriate
balance between all these types of learning, conventional and digital
Generate
Modulate
Learner
concepts
Learner
practice
Source: Teaching as a Design Science (Laurillard, 2012)
Inquiring Discussing
Practising Collaborating
Acquiring
Producing
Learning in the context of adult education:
Diana Laurillard’s Conversational Framework
12. Learning types
Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology.
New York and London: Routledge.
ABC learning design workshop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnERkQBqSGM
13. Learning types cards (front)
learning activity types on one side and examples of activities on the other
ABC learning design workshopABC learning design workshop
14. Learning types cards (back)
ABC learning design
learning activity types on one side and examples of activities on the other
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnERkQBqSGM
ABC learning design workshop
15. Encourages blended learning
ABC learning design
1 - a combination of face-to-face and online teaching
2 - a combination of technologies
3 - a combination of methodologies
Pete Sharma (2010)
Subtle “nudge” approach but compatible with e.g. SAMR transformation model
ABC learning design workshop
16. ABC turns learning outcomes into activities
Where does ABC learning design fit?
ABC brings a different viewpoint of the course and overall programme…
“The focus should be on what the student does: activity-centred design…“
Goodyear and Dimitriadis (2013)
MACRO
values
strategy
vision
MESO
validation
outcomes
assessment
MICRO
activities
sequences
combos
19. Workshop schedule:
1. Module info and graphs sheet
• Tweet your module – tweet size description of your module
• Module shape (Learning types activities graph) distribution of
learning types
• Blend – (blended graph)
2. Storyboard sheet
• Storyboard – learning types sequences and activities
• Assessment – align activities and assessment
3. Module info and graphs sheet
• Review the graphs – what has changed? Why?
4. Actions – what next for team?
ABC learning design
20. @ABC_LD
Arena Blended Connected (ABC) learning design workshop
Programme
Module name
new module / module review
Academics
Module summary (tweet size description of your module):
ELE workshop facilitators
Workshop date
How do you envisage your module will look on the graph above? (in red - at the beginning of the workshop)
Your module activity graph at the end of the workshop (in blue)
Learning types activities graph
Where do you want to be on the scale (in red)
What is your position at the end of the workshop (in blue)
face to faceonline
Blended graph
Acquisition
Investigation
Production
Practice
Collaboration
All you need to know about use of videos in 21st
century teaching
Arena digital
Use of videos in teaching
Anna Moore, Jon Grabol
CY, NP
5th June 2015
x
Pre - workshop
Discussion
25. ABC learning design
Once happy with your module design, turn the cards to the other side and select learning activities
Select learning activities
29. @ABC_LD
Arena Blended Connected (ABC) learning design workshop
Programme
Module name
new module / module review
Academics
Module summary (tweet size description of your module):
ELE workshop facilitators
Workshop date
How do you envisage your module will look on the graph above? (in red - at the beginning of the workshop)
Your module activity graph at the end of the workshop (in blue)
Learning types activities graph
Where do you want to be on the scale (in red)
What is your position at the end of the workshop (in blue)
face to faceonline
Blended graph
Acquisition
Investigation
Production
Practice
Collaboration
All you need to know about use of videos in 21st
century teaching
Arena digital
Use of videos in teaching
Anna Moore, Jon Grabol
CY, NP
5th June 2015
x
Post - workshop
x
Discussion
40. Impact at UCL
Two case studies conducted at UCL (n=9) found ABC:
• Improved participant attitudes towards learning
design, of which most had limited experience.
• Did not improve their attitudes to learning technology,
due to their existing experience.
• Participants appreciated the learner-centred approach
and the chance to collaborate and reflect on their
teaching.
• One group felt constrained by the options on the back
of the cards and did not realise they could add their
own.
Evers, K. (2018) Breaking Barriers with Building Blocks: Attitudes towards Learning Technologies and Curriculum Design in the ABC Curriculum Design Workshop.:
http://eruditio.worldacademy.org/volume-2/issue-4/article/breaking-barriers-building-blocks-attitudes-towards-learning-technologies-and-curriculum-des.
42. Impact at University of Milan
Staff at the University of Milan valued:
• having a common language to discuss learning design.
• the localised, translated version, mapped to their strategy.
• being involved in a local & international community of
practice. E.g. sharing practice within disciplines across
institutions.
• a positive climate to discuss learning design.
• introduction from the programme lead to set the aims.
LERU Digital Higher Education Summit, November 2018
43. Impact at University of Glasgow
At the University of Glasgow ABC…
• Is used for MOOCs and campus-based courses.
• Cards were modified to group digital learning
activities.
• Has informed good practice in active learning
design across the university:
“I've seen positive changes in my in-person teaching as a
result, both in delivery but, more importantly, in lecture
and whole module design. I think about it all in a much
more informed way: less like bits and pieces of
information, more as almost a story arch…”
44. Impact at University of Reading
The University of Reading found that ABC was:
• Easy to use & engaging.
• Academic ownership over process.
• Works for different disciplines.
• Common language & consensus building.
45. Impact at University of Bristol
A customised version of ABC is used for:
• implementing changes to programme level
assessment.
• embedding Bristol Futures themes into the core
curriculum.
One participant commented:
“How useful the method is as a review tool (as I had
previously used it to design new courses). It helps
people visualise and recognise all the great things
they already do, before thinking about how they
might want to develop their course for the future.”
47. Erasmus+ ABC to VLE project
• 12 partners from 11 countries
across Europe secured funding for
2018-2020 (UCL led).
• Looking at how to move beyond
ABC workshops to implementing
the designs in the VLE (aka LMS).
• What support is required to help
staff implement their designs?
• Evaluating the impact of ABC on
VLE use.
50. ABC in local contexts
Localisation
Translated versions are available in:
• Danish
• Estonian
• Flemish and Dutch
• Italian
• French
• Norwegian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Welsh
Translations in progress:
• German
• Croatian
• Finnish
• Russian
• Romanian
ABC
workshop
STRATEGY SUPPORT
TRANSLATE
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/abc-ld/
53. Aligning ABC with Education strategies
Localisation: Strategy
CONNECTED CURRICULUM
At UCL we have closely aligned ABC
with the Connected Curriculum
concepts and activities.
Localisation: Strategic alignment
At Reading they aligned ABC with
their curriculum framework.
54. The University of Milan (UNIMI) have closely
aligned ABC with their EXEL PROJECT.
University of Milan: EXEL Project
EXperiments in Enhanced Learning
• foster capacity and community around teaching
• promote an institutional culture that values effective
teaching and meaningful learning
Localisation: Strategic alignment
Aligning ABC with Education strategies
55. ABC in a nutshell
• ABC focuses on education, rather than content.
• It is simple, fast & collaborative.
• Staff are not forced to adopt new technologies.
• Staff are given opportunity to consider options that
work for their students and for them.
• Staff leave with a blueprint for their course.
• Follow up workshops can support implementation.
• Students can also be involved in the design process.
56. For ABC to work you should have…
• Participants bringing their intended learning
outcomes to the workshop.
• Participants working in groups (no individuals).
• The programme lead provide a short intro (5 min)
about the purpose of the workshop in that context.
• E.g. is the focus on redesigning assessments, considering
the education strategy, using more technology.
• Participants need to understand the learning types.
• Shared the tweets summarising each course.
• For programmes, summarise development of each
design to see how courses interrelate (2hr workshop).
57. Try ABC for yourself : http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/abc-ld/
• Materials are free to use and modify (CC BY licence)
ABC learning design
@ABC_LD
58. In summary
More research is needed, but we are starting to see:
• Staff embracing the learning design process more
positively than before they had the ABC framework.
• Appreciation for:
• opportunities to collaborate and reflect on teaching
practices.
• the learner-centred approach.
• having a shared language to discuss learning design.
• a positive environment to improve teaching practices.
59. For questions and collaboration contact:
j.gramp@ucl.ac.uk
(c.p.l.young@ucl.ac.uk & n.perovic@ucl.ac.uk)
ABC learning design ABC learning design
60. Acknowledgments and References
ABC LD, Curriculum design workshop and resources:
Clive Young and Nataša Perović, Digital Education, UCL, 2015
Connected Curriculum: Dilly Fung, UCL Arena Centre for Research-based
Education, UCL 2014.
Evers, K. (2018) Breaking Barriers with Building Blocks: Attitudes towards
Learning Technologies and Curriculum Design in the ABC Curriculum Design
Workshop. Eruditio e-Journal of the World Academy of Art & Science.
Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical
Patterns for Learning and Technology. New York and London: Routledge.
Viewpoints project (2008-2013), JISC funded, Lead by University of Ulster
73. ABC learning design
Without our presence
Toronto (Ryerson) , CANADA
Community College Cornwall, UK
Universities Adolfo Ibáñez and Santiago, Santiago, CHILE
Editor's Notes
UCL overall is primarily campus-based teaching
Research-intensive
We do some wholly online courses (especially within the IoE) and a few MOOCs
There are various different models for staff development when it comes to learning design.
At UCL we developed ABC, based on the Jisc Viewpoints project from Ulster to design and redesign modules in a quick, simple and collaborative way.
Identify throughlines, redundancies, gaps.
Refer to list of workshop features on slide…
I’m going to talk a bit about that theory in the coming slides.
Professor Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital Technologies, UCL Institute of Education developed the ‘Conversational Framework’ theory, which underpins ABC.
Diana’s keynote lecture at Abertay University's Unlocking New Ideas in Teaching and Learning Conference explains her ‘Conversational Framework’ theory and the broad theories it is based on.
“For a long time now the excitement about what digital technology could do in education has tended to focus on the technology.
The point of the Conversational Framework is to say lets consider first what the learner might need help with. And then we can ask ‘how can technology help?’”
Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology. New York and London: Routledge.
The 6 types of learning represent interactions between teachers and learners, learners and their learning environment and learners and learners.
“We can use [the conversational framework] to represent all the main types of learning we use. We can link each one to a specific part of the framework.
1 So we can represent ‘learning through acquisition’, where the teacher is communicating concepts and ideas;
2 ‘learning through inquiry’, where the learner explores or interrogates the teachers’ concepts;
3 ‘learning through practice’, where the learner puts their concepts into practice to achieve a task goal, and then responds to feedback;
4 ‘learning through discussion’, where the social construction of ideas helps them develop their concepts;
5 ‘learning through collaboration’, where discussing and sharing practice helps them develop both concepts and practice with each other;
6 and ‘learning through production’, where they reflect on and represent what they have learned to communicate it to the teacher.
There is no special ordering to this. All the cycles should continually iterate as much as possible to promote learning, and for any one session can start anywhere.
7 So for the teacher, the message of the framework is that ideally we design learning sessions that use all these types of learning.”
From D. Laurillard (2012) Teaching as a Design Science, Routledge: New York.
And we can consider each of these learning types in terms of how we could teach them with conventional face to face methods and how we might use digital technology as well or instead.
So for example, for acquisition, many reading materials are now available electronically, and teachers may also use video. And for production, a student might publish a blog instead of submitting an essay.
In the ABC workshop each learning type is represented by a different coloured card.
And on the back of each card are suggestions for conventional face to face teaching methods alongside digital technology options for that type of learning. These digital technologies are deliberately broad so these cards can be used regardless of the particular technology being used at an institution. Learning Management Systems offer similar functionality and there are many supporting technologies available too.
It is important when participants are using these cards that they feel comfortable adding their own options to these cards. Otherwise they may feel unnecessarily constrained. I’ll talk about some studies done on the impact of the workshop at UCL in a moment, but one group fed back that they felt limited by the options, showing the important role the workshop facilitator plays in encouraging new ideas to be shared and documented.
Mention flipping
The nudge approach suggests nudging people in a particular direction, as decided by experts, and then providing limited options to enable staff to make small voluntarily changes to get there. This is reflected in the dichotomous categorisation of conventional teaching methods versus use of technology on the back of the activity cards.
The SAMR model similarly talks about slow movements towards the adoption of learning technology through four phases from enhancement to transformation.
We start by explaining and stepping through the process so participants understand what they need to complete in the 1.5 hours. The facilitator keeps time and moves participants through each stage.
At the start the programme lead is given 5 minutes to explain the purpose of the workshop.
5 courses (so 5 tables maximum) are designed within 1 workshop, so that would make a total of 20 staff, assuming 4 people per course/table. It is important for at least 2 staff to work on each course to enable
We then apply stars to mark formative (feedback) and summative (credit bearing) assessments.
We then return to the spider graph and draw (this time in blue pen) on the graphs to show what was actually designed (or redesigned) compared to what was predicted at the start of the workshop. Participants are often surprised at how much more collaboration and discussion they have designed in to their modules.
Evers, K. (2018) Breaking Barriers with Building Blocks: Attitudes towards Learning Technologies and Curriculum Design in the ABC Curriculum Design Workshop. Eruditio e-Journal of the World Academy of Art & Science. [Online] Available from: http://eruditio.worldacademy.org/volume-2/issue-4/article/breaking-barriers-building-blocks-attitudes-towards-learning-technologies-and-curriculum-des.
flipping
In terms of support, UCL has developed the App Wheel to show what is supported centrally, recommended and acknowledged. The inner (supported) circle focuses on Moodle LMS functionality and integrated systems (like Blackboard Collaborate and Echo360 lecture capture system).
At the University of Reading they have developed a version of the App Wheel for their Blackboard LMS. As part of the Erasmus+ project we are also developing a super app wheel between all the partners and this will be shared as an output of the project.
Two partners (Oxford University and the University of Amsterdam) use Canvas LMS, so may develop a Canvas version of the app wheel.