Ming Nie

Open educational practices for curriculum enhancement

Open educational resources (OER) and open educational practices (OEP) are relatively new areas in educational research. How OER and OEP can help practitioners enhance curricula is one of a number of under-researched topics. This article aims to enable practitioners to identify and implement appropriate open practices to enhance higher education curricula. To that aim, we put forward a framework of four open educational practices based on patterns of OER reuse (‘as is’ or adapted), mapped against the processes of curriculum design and delivery. The framework was developed from the in-depth analysis of 20 cases of higher education practitioners, which revealed patterns of OER reuse across disciplines, institutions and needs. For each open practice we offer evidence, examples and ideas for application by practitioners. We also put forward recommendations for institutional policies on OER and OEP.

The Role of Podcasting in Effective Curriculum Renewal.

This paper reports on a case study into the contribution of podcasting to the curriculum transformation of two distance-taught master’s programmes. Both programmes attract work-based Occupational Psychology practitioners, most of whom are in full-time employment. Challenges faced by the course team included adding flexibility to the curricula, increasing learner engagement (both with learning materials and feedback) and reducing learner isolation. As part of a coordinated enhancement effort, which included changes to curriculum design and delivery, 59 podcasts were introduced into the curriculum over a 12-month period. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from students and staff throughout the study. Action research ensured a regular flow of relevant evidence informing each stage of the renewal process. Evidence suggested that the students’ learning experiences improved as a result of four key benefits associated with the integration of podcasting in learning design: personalisation; an additional and different format for providing clear and engaging guidance, support and feedback; increased flexibility and mobility within the curricula; and ‘design once, deliver many times’ with minimum adaptation. Keywords: action research; curriculum design; curriculum delivery; curriculum renewal; occupational psychology; institutional transformation; learning design; podcasting DOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.492849

An Evaluation of the Use of Voice Boards, E-Book Readers and Virtual Worlds in a Postgraduate Distance Learning Applied Linguistics and TESOL Programme

We researched the incorporation of three learning technologies (voice boards, i.e. voice-based discussion boards, e-book readers, and Second Life virtual world), into the Master’s Programme in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages offered by distance learning at the University of Leicester. This small-scale study was conducted as part of a JISC-funded research project called DUCKLING (Delivery University Curricula: Knowledge, Learning and INnovation Gains). The project focused on the impact of learning technology innovations on the design and delivery of distance-based postgraduate curricula. Digital audio technologies such as voice boards, used in conjunction with online activities (‘e-tivities’), constitute a low-cost innovation that offered high value to the distance learners who participated in this research. Benefits included a perceived reduction in learner isolation, increased personalisation and further opportunities for tutor and peer feedback. E-book readers, preloaded with course materials, afforded moderate benefits to learners, especially in relation to flexibility and access, at a relatively low cost. Virtual worlds such as Second Life required a steep learning curve for learners and tutors alike and incurred higher development costs, with a lesser impact on the learner experience.