Shirley Agostinho

Handbook of Research on Learning Design and Learning Objects: Issues, Applications and Technologies

Designing effective learning experiences is a significant challenge for educators. While there is a wide range of expert advice available for technology supported teaching and learning, translating theories and good practice principles into practice can be a daunting task. The Handbook of Research on Learning Design and Learning Objects: Issues, Applications and Technologies provides an overview of current research and development activity in the area of learning designs in terms of teaching perspective and technological advances. This essential reference brings together xxx studies that encompass the latest research of leaders in the field to provide an up-to-date and complete picture of the subject.

Naturalistic inquiry in e-learning research

In this article, the author explains how and why one particular qualitative research approach, the naturalistic inquiry paradigm, was implemented in an e-learning research study that investigated the use of the World Wide Web technology in higher education. A framework is presented that situates the research study within the qualitative research literature. The author then justifies how the study was compliant with naturalistic inquiry and concludes by presenting a model for judging the quality of such research. The purpose of this article is to provide an example of how naturalistic inquiry can be implemented in e-learning research that can serve as a guide for researchers undertaking this form of qualitative inquiry. As such, the focus of the article is to illustrate how methodological issues pertaining to naturalistic inquiry were addressed and justified to represent a rigorous research approach rather than presenting the results of the research study.

Understanding the design context for Australian university teachers: implications for the future of learning design

Based on the premise that providing support for university teachers in designing for their teaching will ultimately improve the quality of student learning outcomes, recent interest in the development of support tools and strategies has gained momentum. This article reports on a study that examined the context in which Australian university teachers design in order to understand what role design support tools and strategies could play. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 30 academics across 16 Australian universities. The findings suggest that most Australian university teachers have a high degree of flexibility in their design decisions suggesting that opportunities exist for learning design tools and strategies to be adopted.

Learning objects and learning designs: an integrated system for reusable, adaptive and shareable learning content

This paper proposes a system, the Smart Learning Design Framework, designed to support the development of pedagogically sound learning material within an integrated, platform-independent data structure. The system supports sharing, reuse and adaptation of learning material via a metadata-driven philosophy that enables the technicalities of the system to be imperceptible to the author and consumer. The system proposes the use of pedagogically focused metadata to support and guide the author and to adapt and deliver the content to the targeted consumer. A prototype of the proposed system, which provides proof of concept for the novel processes involved, has been developed. The paper describes the Smart Learning Design Framework and places it within the context of alternative learning object models and frameworks to highlight similarities, differences and advantages of the proposed system.

The engagement of social media technologies by undergraduate informatics students for academic purpose in Malaysia

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the perceptions, acceptance, usage and access to social media by students and academics in higher education in informatics programs in Malaysia. A conceptual model based on Connectivism and communities of practice (CoPs) learning theory was developed and were used as a basis of mapping the research questions to the design frameworks and the research outcomes. A significant outcome of this study will be the development of a design framework for implementing social media as supporting tools for student engagement and teaching and learning of informatics programs in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-method research methodology with a significant survey research component was employed for this research. This methodology focused on collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to better understand the research problems. For this study, a mixed-method sequential transformative research strategy based on a...

Implementing generic learning designs based upon quality ICT exemplars

Within the context of an AUTC funded Project: Information and Communication Technologies and Their Role in Flexible Learning, this paper presents an analysis of learning designs using ICTs and how this grounded approach might be a more useful structure to design effective learning environments. The project has developed generic or reusable frameworks for technology-enhanced high quality learning experiences in higher education and this paper will present several examples, of the original design and how the key elements were selected and developed for use by others. As this project is currently developing these generic exemplars of learning designs, the final presentation will demonstrate how the designs might be reengineered to become useful templates for other instructors and other knowledge domains.

Adaptive diagrams: A research agenda to explore how learners can manipulate online diagrams to self-manage cognitive load

This chapter presents an emerging research agenda focused on empowering learners to apply well-known instructional design principles, reserved mainly for application by instructional designers, to the design of diagrams to support their learning. Significant advances have been made in terms of developing design principles that can be applied to the design of diagrams to facilitate the efficient learning of diagrammatic information. However, little is known about how these design principles can be applied by learners themselves. In a technologically rich environment where learners can access a range of online diagrammatic information, we argue that it is imperative that learners’ are equipped with strategies on how to physically manipulate digital diagrams in ways that optimise their learning. This can be considered an example of human-centric visualisation. The chapter explains the theoretical basis for our research, presents two empirical studies and concludes with a discussion of our ideas to build on our current work as a future research agenda.

Researching learning design in open, distance, and flexible learning: investigating approaches to supporting design processes and practices

Taylor and Francis CDIE_A_402490.sgm 10.1080/01587 10903023173 Distance Education 0158-7919 (pri t)/1475-0198 (online) Origi al Article 2 09 pen and D st nce Learning Association of Australia Inc. 3 000 ug t 2 SueBennet sbenn tt@uow.edu.au The past decade has seen a significant expansion of distance, open, and flexible learning as advancements in information and communication technologies have offered new opportunities for teachers and learners to interact without their needing to be in the same place at the same time. Online technologies have transformed traditional print-and-post distance education and enabled campus-based institutions to offer flexible study options. The effect has been particularly significant in higher and further education, but also of importance in K-12 school education, training, and continuing professional education. This expansion has promoted a greater awareness of the need for carefully planned and designed learning experiences that are based on principles of effective pedagogy. While long recognised by institutions that have had a history of participation in distance education, for many universities the notion of educational design as an important part of an academic’s routine activities is a relatively new one. Many universities offer support for academics through central units or faculty-based instructional designers; however, challenges remain in supporting the educational design process and disseminating successful designs for use by other university teachers. Learning design and pedagogical pattern approaches seek to address this challenge in two ways. The first is by providing a means for teachers to document and work with their designs to support the planning and implementation process. The second is by offering a format in which designs can be shared, and therefore reviewed and adapted by others. All learning design approaches are based on the assumption that learning and teaching experiences must be systematically described using an appropriate formalism to make apparent critical features. The intention is that high-quality designs, if described in such a way, can be adapted and customised by another teacher to suit his or her context. The aim is not to prescribe a particular design to be copied but to extend a teacher’s pedagogical repertoire through the process of modifying someone else’s design. A central theme of learning design research has been the application of this concept to distance and flexible delivery with an emphasis on design sharing and reusability for online learning, including distance and blended educational approaches. The range of current research foci include: