How to Design a Module
(and win Module of the Year!)
Dr Andy Clegg
Aims § To iden5fy the key elements of effec5ve module design § To explore a design journey focusing on internal and
external drivers, module design and delivery, learning outcomes, learner support, assessment, and evalua5on strategies
§ To offer prac5cal 5ps on module delivery and the use of
blended and technology enhanced learning
Module Design Ac3vity 1: •  What are the key ingredients of an excellent module
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs External Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
External Drivers External Drivers
• National Benchmark Statements • Requirements of Accrediting Bodies or Equivalent • Higher Education Academy Frameworks • QAA / HEFCE • QAA Level Descriptors • Teaching Excellence Framework • Industry Employers • Changes in society
External Drivers External Drivers
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Internal
Institutional Needs
Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers Aims & Rationale
Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Internal Drivers Internal Drivers
• University’s Corporate Strategy 2020 Vision
Internal Drivers Internal Drivers
• University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy Learning and Teaching Priorities 1: An Outstanding Learning Experience 2: Excellence in Learning and Teaching 3: Enhancing and Embedding Employability and Enterprise 4: Internationalism and Global Citizenship 5: An Outstanding Learning Environment
Internal Drivers Internal Drivers
• Academic Regulations and Processes • Approving a module and minor change
Internal Drivers Internal Drivers
• Academic Regulations and Processes • Approving a module and minor change
• Programme Structure • Programme aims and objectives • Programme prerequisite and co-requisite structures
Learner Needs Internal Drivers
• Who are your learners? • Mode of study – FT / PT? • Domestic/International? • Age profile? • Undergraduate / Postgraduate? • What do they want? • What are their expectations? • Students, clients, partners, customers?
Lecturer Needs Internal Drivers
• What do you want? • Professional development (UKPSF) • Respect • Excellent feedback • Evidence of student attainment
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Aims & Rationale Aims & Rationale
• What are the educational goals for your module? • What conceptions do you have of your learners? • Why is the subject matter important? • What are your beliefs and values about learning and teaching? • How is your pedagogy informed by underpinning theory?
Educational Theory
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes Module Content
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers Aims & Rationale
Module Design Module Module DesignAims
Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Module Design • Think outside the box! • Have you engaged students in the design process? • 3hrs – how are you going to use this? • 12 weeks? Do you need to run sessions every week? • Group size? • What room and equipment do you have access to? (make sure it works!)
Module Design
Module Aims • Module ‘aims’ are a succinct explanation of the module’s purpose • Module aims should be closely aligned with the intended learning outcomes; aims should be informed by the learning outcomes, and learning outcomes should reflect the aims • Module aims tend to be general statements and may be used to illustrate the direction of the module, or indicate the content
Module Design
Module Aims
Learning Outcomes • What should students know or be able to do as a result of the module? • Should reflect levelness
Module Design Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes Module Design
• ‘To describe the critical success factors underpinning training delivery within an organisation’ Verbs that define understanding – a specific ac5on that defines how par5cipants will demonstrate their learning
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes Module Design
• ‘To describe the critical success factors underpinning training delivery within an organisation’ Subject of learning – specific subject material you wish the learning to demonstrate
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes Module Design
• ‘To describe the critical success factors underpinning training delivery within an organisation’ Context of learning – under what context you want the learning to be demonstrated
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes Learning Outcomes
[Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy]
Learning Outcomes • Write in the future tense – preceded with “on successful completion of this module, participants will be able to:” • Write in short clear sentences • Use language to be understood by students – therefore avoid jargon/ ambiguity • Learning outcomes should be achievable and measurable • Identify the most important learning requirements and don’t try to put too much into a single learning outcome
Module Design Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes • Subject-specific knowledge: the subject knowledge that students should acquire by the end of the module • Subject-specific skills: skills specific to the particular subject or discipline • Key skills: transferable skills that are not specific to the subject or discipline (e.g. ‘the structured presentation of information in written form’)
Module Design Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes Words to avoid
• Understand • Demonstrate • Appreciate • Know about • Become familiar with • Learn about • Become aware of
Module Design Learning Outcomes
Delivery & Support • Delivery – lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals • Blended learning • Technology Enhanced Learning • Flipped Classrooms • Module Handbooks • Moodle • Guest speakers / fieldtrips • ChiPlayer • Turnitin
Module Design Delivery Strategy/ Learner Support
Class Charter At the start of the module • 5 things the students expect from me • 5 things I expect from them
Module Design
Delivery & Support Module Design
Experiential Learning/Reflective Practitioner CB1 Employability! Model Outcom
es
Concrete Experience Creative process working with a choreographer, experiencing, engaging directly with professionals, learning new knowledge, placements
Sharing/Engaging Deepening subject knowledge, contextualising sharing what has been learnt with other through teaching workshops, doing, employer engagement and testing out responses to plans
Repetition/Rehearsal
Analysing/Reflective Observation/Sharing Group work, discussing, interpreting, watching, doing
Repetition/Rehearsal Applying/Abstract Conceptualisation/Honing Skills Implementing Experience/ Active Experimentation Taking the studio learning into the theatre, conceptualising, production of publicity literature, posters, programmes, lighting plans
Refining, creating, liaising, reviewing, interpreting
Repetition/Rehearsal
[Adopted from Kolb, 1984]
Childs, C. and Clegg, A. (2016) Dance Maps Employability Journeys, presentation to the HEA Strategic Enhancement Project Dissemination Conference, Birmingham, 11th February.
Delivery Strategy/ Learner Support
Basics • Keep to time • Structured and progressive learning activities • Direct activities to encourage engagement • Make sure that everybody has a chance to contribute to the discussion • Flexibility – ability to cut/add activities if the need arises • Reflect on individual learning outcomes
Module Design Delivery Strategy/ Learner Support
Assessment • How does the assessment capture the attainment of the learning outcomes? • What aspect of learning do you want to assess? • Assessment weighting and equivalencies • Formative v summative assessment • Clear and specific assessment criteria • Process v pedagogy? • Have you engaged with students in the assessment design process? • Group v individual assessment? • Group work, group selection and group dynamics
Module Design Assessment & Feedback Strategies
Feedback • Purposeful and meaningful – feeding forward • Returned in a timely manner • Written or audio feedback? • Consistency • ChiPlayer
Module Design Assessment & Feedback Strategies
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Evaluation • What are the opportunities for feedback and evaluation? • Are you using feedback and evaluative processes throughout the year not just as part of annual monitoring and review? • Who is the evaluation for? • Why are you carrying out the evaluation? • What will your evaluation do? • What kind of information do you want to collect? • What do you plan to do with the information once collected?
Evaluation Strategy
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Sector, Industry & Societal Drivers
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Where Next?
Module of the Year
• Celebrate and share your practice • University Learning and Teaching Conference • JOLT Submission • Blog (coming in September) • External Conferences • Research Papers • Basis for Fellow, Senior Fellow or NTFS application to the HEA • Programme Review Panels/Quality
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Developing a Framework Professional Body Needs Learner Needs
Institutional Needs Lecturer Needs
Learning Outcomes
Industry Expectations
Aims & Rationale Module Design
Module Content
Module Aims Delivery Strategies & Learner Support
Educational Theory
Student Engagement Evaluation Strategy
Assessment & Feedback Strategies
[Adapted from: Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005]
Disseminating Practice UKPSF
Module of the Year
Summary • Make learning fun – use different methods to engage participants in a variety of different ways and keep them interested! • Use humour • Create professional looking resources • Encourage participation and participant reflection – learn by doing! • Build self-esteem and self-efficacy – build-up the self-confidence of the students • Conversations with staff and students!
Designing a Module
Summary
Designing a Module