EDU721: Module Brief: Developing Flexible Learning Environments
- Alice Walton
- May 25
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Module Aim
The Developing Flexible Learning Environments module aims to enable you to:
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Summary Module Description
This module enables you to build on what you have learnt in the first module EDU711, to further explore and develop the ways in which you can support student learning in a variety of different learning environments, especially via online and a mixture of face-to-face and online, blended learning environments. You will have opportunities to learn from your peers and share your practice and experience of supporting learning in different types of learning environments, and discuss the relative advantages and challenges for learning offered by these. You will be encouraged to engage with and apply pedagogical learning theory and scholarship relevant to supporting learning in different environments, especially online and blended learning environments, to your reflection on and development of your practice. You will engage with the design, implementation and evaluation of use of technology to enhance learning as part of a blended or online learning approach. You will engage in reflective discussion and generation of strategies for curriculum design for supporting flexible, inclusive learning in online and/or blended learning environments; considering different elements that need to be considered, compared to curriculum design in other learning environments. You will evaluate and critically reflect on your practice and learning to inform your continuing professional development. You will have opportunities to engage with and critically evaluate different tools and strategies for supporting learning as part of online/blended learning approaches. You will be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities offered by taking this PGCHE as an online distance learning course, to reflect on, share and discuss your own experience as a learner in this type of online learning environment, to identify and evaluate different opportunities and challenges for student learning and how these might be best maximised and addressed in your own practice. You will arrange a ‘learning conversation’ with an experienced colleague in your own teaching context, where you will observe and give structured peer feedback on your colleague’s practice in supporting student learning, and engage in developmental dialogue together, to help mutually enrich each other’s practice. |
Module-Specific Employability Skills
Knowledge and Understanding You will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of your subject specialism with consideration of appropriate environments conducive to supporting learning. You will demonstrate knowledge and understanding around modes of technology enhanced learning, including distance, blended, mobile, social media, and open learning as well as technologies available within lecture and studio spaces. Intellectual Skills You will be able to account for how students learn, both generally and in the subject taking account of different technical capabilities and individual learning needs. You will be able to adopt appropriate methods for critically evaluating the effectiveness of environmental and technological initiatives for teaching and learning. Practical Skills You will demonstrate appropriate approaches to teaching and supporting learning in a range of environments and using a variety of digital technologies. Transferable Skills You will reflect on your own professional awareness, selfmotivation, and responsibility within your institution. You will demonstrate that you can communicate clearly and effectively in a range of contexts. You will demonstrate your ability to work across a range of professional contexts. |
Assessment Strategy
Learning Outcomes
LO # | Learning Outcome Name | Assessment Criteria Category |
1 | 1. Pedagogical Theory & Scholarship Identify, apply, and critically engage with theories of learning and pedagogical scholarship in the articulation, justification, evaluation and development of practice in teaching/supporting learning in higher education. | Work demonstrates application of, and critical engagement with, learning theory and pedagogical scholarship to evaluate, justify and develop practice in teaching/supporting learning in higher education. |
2 | 3. Pedagogical Practice: Learning and Teaching Develop, apply and evaluate learning and teaching activities to support student learning within a higher education context. | Work demonstrates deliberate development and application of possible learning and teaching strategies; rationale for decisions is based on evaluation of learning and teaching strategies to support student learning. |
3 | 5. Pedagogical Practice: Learning Environments Demonstrate a critically reflective approach to design and synoptic development of inclusive, flexible and supportive learning environments and tools to enhance the student learning experience. | Work demonstrates a sound knowledge and thoughtful consideration of elements and issues that contribute to inclusive, flexible, and supportive learning environments and tools; a critically evaluative and reflective approach to design and synoptic development to enhance the student learning experience is evidenced. |
4 | 6. Personal and Professional Development Critically reflect on pedagogic and subject-specific practice for supporting student learning, to inform continuing professional development as a teaching and learning practitioner within higher education. | Work demonstrates evaluation and critical reflection on own and others’ pedagogic and subject-specific practice for supporting student learning; evaluation and critical reflection is used to effectively inform professional development as a teaching and learning practitioner in higher education. |
5 | 7. Collaborative Professional Working Discuss and critically appraise different perspectives on supporting student learning with fellow practitioners | Work demonstrates thoughtful engagement with peer discussion and offers critical appraisal of different perspectives on teaching practice from fellow practitioners on supporting student learning. |
Assessment Methods
Assessment Method | Description of Assessment Method | % | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Compulsory or Compensatable |
AR | Design, implementation and evaluation of a blended or online learning approach (50%) | 50 | LO: 1,2,3 | Compulsory |
OT | Reflective Blog (50%) | 50 | LO: 1,4,5 | Compulsory |
The following codes for assessment methods apply | |
AR | Artefact (a made object) |
OT | Other method |
Modes of delivery
Indicatively this module will comprise:
The module is 15 weeks in duration, of which three are assigned to assessment processes, including and concluding with, individual summative feedback for students. Indicatively there are 300 study hours across the 15 weeks. You can anticipate the need for approximately 15-20 hours engagement with the course per week, of which: * 3-4 hours are identified as ‘online contact hours’ facilitated by teaching staff; and * 4 hours independent study. The remaining hours will typically comprise the reflective application of learning from the PGCHE to your usual weekly practice of supporting student learning, in your own teaching context. |
Indicative list of resources
Core reading: • Littlejohn, A., (2007). Preparing for blended e-Learning. [online] London: Routledge. • Macdonald, J. (2008). Blended Learning and Online Tutoring: Planning learner support and activity design. 2nd Edition. Aldershot: Gower. • Salmon, G. & Edirisingha, P. (2008). Podcasting for Learning in Universities. McGraw Hill/Open University Press/Society for Research into Higher Education Suggested further reading: • Beetham, H and Sharpe, R (eds). (2007). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age designing and delivering e-learning. London: Routledge. • Bekerman, Z., N. C. Burbules and D. Silberman Keller (2006) Learning in Places – the informal education reader, New York: Peter Lang • Biggs, J & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching For Quality Learning At University. (4th Ed). Maidenhead: Open University Press. • Bloxham, S. and Boyd, P. (2007) Developing effective assessment in higher education: a practical guide. Maidenhead: Open University Press. • Clarke, A., (2008). E-learning skills. [online] New York: Palgrave Macmillan. • Dineen, R. & Grove White, A. (2012) 'Audio assessment and student learning' in Networks Issue 16 available at: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-16-january2012/audio-assessment-and-student-learning • Edirisingha,P. and Salmon, G. (2007) Decisions on developing academic podcasts, IMPALA, Available online from: http://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/impala/documents/IMPALA_podcast_models • Edirisingha, P. (2009) 'Balancing e-lectures with podcasts: a case study of an undergraduate engineering module', Engineering Education, vol. 4, no. 2. Available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.11120/ened.2009.04020014 • Fritsch, J. (2008) ' Can a ‘Communities of Practice’ framework be applied to the creative industries as an identified audience for the V&A?' in V&A Online Journal, No. 1 Autumn 2008Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/research-journal/issue-01/can-acommunities-of-practice-framework-be-applied-to-the-creative-industries-as-an-identifiedaudience-for-the-v-and-a/ • Hawkridge, D. (2006) Options for Audio, IMPALA, Available online from: http://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/impala/documents/resources-and-tools-for-creatingpodcasts/options-for-audio.doc (Accessed 21 October 2013) • IMPALA (2006) Podcasts and Other Project Outputs: A first transferable and testable model (online Leicester: Informal Mobile Podcasting and Learning Adaptation. Available online from: http://www.impala.ac.uk/outputs/model.html (Accessed 21 October 2013) • JISC (2006) Designing Spaces for Effective learning: A guide to 21st century learning space design Bristol: JISC/HEFCE available at: https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20140616001949/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ media/documents/publications/learningspaces.pdf • Jump, L. (2010) 'The Experiences of University Lecturers When Enhancing Their Teaching Through the Use Of Digital Technology: A Systematic Review available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/experiences-university-lecturers-whenenhancing-their-teaching-through-use-digital • Land, R., Meyer, J. (2006) Overcoming barriers to student understanding: Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge London: Routledge • Maculan, L. (2007) Producing academic-related podcasts – helpful hints. IMPALA, Available online from: http://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/impala/documents/resources-and-tools-forcreating-podcasts/academic_podcast_helpful_hints (Accessed 21 October 2013) • McGarr, O. (2009) A review of podcasting in higher education: Its influence on the traditional lecture. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp.309-321. available online at: https://ajet.org.au/index.php/AJET/article/view/1136 • Moon, J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge. • Newsham, I. & Buckingham, L. (2012) 'Gurus and Grasshoppers: A Community of Practice in Graphic Design ' in Networks Issue 17 available at http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-17-april-2012/gurus-and-grasshoppersa-community-of-practice-in-graphic-design • Pirie, I. Cordiner, S. & Triggs, J. (2011) Digital Spaces for Learning and Assessment in Art and Design: Designs on E-Learning, Edinburgh College of Art • Race, P. (2007) The Lecturer’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Assessment, Learning and Teaching (3rd ed). London: Routledge. • Rennie, F and Morrison, T. (2013). E-Learning and Social Networking Handbook: Resources for Higher Education. 2nd Edition. London: Routledge • Salmon, G. (2003). E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online. London : RoutledgeFalmer. • Salmon, G. (2002). E-tivities the key to active online learning. London : Kogan Page. • Shank, P. (2007). The online learning idea book : 95 proven ways to enhance technologybased and blended learning. (2007). [online] San Francisco: San Francisco: Pfeiffer. • Sykes, J. (2012) 'Locating the value and opportunities for online collaborative creativity within advertising' in Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, Vol. 11 No. 2 • Tennant, M. (1999) ‘Is learning transferable?’ in D. Boud and J. Garrick (eds.) Understanding Learning at Work, London: Routledge • Wenger, E. (2000) 'Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems' in Organisation Vol.7, No.2. available at: http://wenger-trayner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/09-10- 27-CoPs-and-systems-v2.01.pdf
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