Learning Design focuses on developing activities and materials to ensure that students are able to achieve the learning outcomes of their programme of study. It can relate to various forms and modes of delivery, such as blended, face-to-face and hybrid.
As a Lecturer (Teaching) you are likely to be designing learning materials for modules and creating or adapting assessments. Thus it is important to be aware of the key principles of effective learning design to enable your students to meet their learning outcomes and to develop their graduate attributes in a meaningful way.
Essential background
- An important aspect of learning design at Coventry University Group is the institutional Key Teaching and Learning Design Values and Principles. Make sure you are familiar with the four values (Active, Applied, Social, and Inclusive learning).
- The “Coventry Way” approach is very important to learning design at our institution. The eBook “Teaching and Learning Excellence: The Coventry Way” (ed.: Claire Simmons) showcases a range of case studies which exemplify the Coventry Way in action. Or watch this quick explainer (11:46) from the Curriculum Development Team (login required).
- Take a look at this 6 minute video to get an overview of the concept of Constructive Alignment, which is central to learning design and pedagogical practice more broadly. Learning outcomes, as the video explains, play a key role in this.
- For Apprenticeship courses, review the Apprenticeship Course Design and Delivery Principles (login required).
Getting Started
- Coventry University has undertaken a major transformation of the undergraduate curriculum which impacts learning design, assessment, and the student learning experience. The postgraduate level project is now underway. Explore the Curriculum Transformation Project’s (CTP) Undergraduate and Postgraduate pages to familiarise yourself with the key principles, if applicable to your course.
- If you are a member of Coventry University Group you may be taking a block teaching approach. Find some ideas and prompts for learning design for block teaching in this introduction (Times Higher Education).
- Familiarise yourself with the Graduate Attributes guidance. How do your modules foster these skills and attributes in your learning design?
- For Apprenticeship courses, identify relevant stakeholders including regulators, employers, professional bodies and End Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs). Your Apprenticeship Academic Cluster Lead in Better Futures may be able to help.
Take it further
- This article on the Essentials of Lesson Planning (sourced from a FutureLearn course by the University of East Anglia) explains how an educator might create a plan for a session. It demonstrates the importance of learning outcomes, and refers to Bloom’s taxonomy, which is a very influential model for developing learning outcomes.
- For a quick introduction to several other learning design frameworks, including Universal Design for Learning and Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning (a non-hierarchical alternative to Bloom), see this guide on Frameworks & Taxonomies of Learning from the DePaul Teaching Commons site.
- Explore our accredited courses, which focus on developing your academic practice including learning design.
- If your course is monitored by Ofsted (such as Initial Teacher Training or an Apprenticeship) explore AEPD’s Ofsted Support resources and develop your understanding of the Ofsted Education and Inspection Framework for Further Education and Skills.
Try it out!
- Review your lesson plans and Module Information documents (MIDs). Can you identify where Active, Applied, Social, and Inclusive learning is happening? If not, can you talk with other educators in your school to gather suggestions for activities?
- Review the learning journey through your modules. Are there particular pinch points or stress points where students might need more guidance and support? How could you ensure they receive this? When designing new learning activities, how could you avoid these pinch points or lessen their negative impact?