Review of Week 4's lecture

E-learning design is an important aspect of e-learning.

It is inferred from the readings that the e-learning designs have much impact on the learning experiences of learners and this would in turn determine whether the planned learning outcomes are achieved. How do we assess whether a design is effective?

A well designed learner flow is one that provides a motivating environment that engages the learners. It is also one that provides the learners with flexibility to choose activities they want to engage in. This is essential as learners need to feel empowered and have ownership over their learning experiences. However, it is to be noted that there is no perfect standalone approach or activity to achieve this outcome as different types of approaches cater to different learning objectives or contexts.

There are four kinds of designs: rule-based, incident-based, strategy-based and role-based learning designs.

Rule-based designs require learners to apply a standardized sequence of procedures in order to accomplish the outcomes. This can be seen in approaching algorithm problems where students need to follow a set of formulae in order to solve the problems.

Incident-based designs are based on learner’s contact & engagement in events that mirror reality. In such designs, learners participate in activities that require them to reflect and consider their actions with regards to the events. This can be seen in NM2220 Media Writing Assignment where students are given a real life incident to read and think about. They are then asked to come up with a response based on their understanding and knowledge gained from lectures. Exploration of the issue is supported by whole class discussions to stimulate ideas and thoughts.

Strategy-based designs are based on tasks that call for strategic planning and activity. Learners are provided with sample tasks and answers, cases, strategies and treatment.

Role-based designs allow students to acquire skills, knowledge and understanding through assumption of roles within real life settings. Role-playing in scenarios is common in this aspect as it provides various learning opportunities for learners (who are participants in the settings) to apply their knowledge and concepts based on individual’s understanding. Learners are given descriptions of scenarios and roles. This can be seen in the upcoming NM3219 Writing for Communication Management assignment where students are portrayed as a corporation’s public relations officer. Students are hence required to respond to a looming corporate crisis which requires timely responses. In this mock-up scenario, the lecturer will send out emails on a daily basis to inform students of new developments in the crisis, and students have to reply based on their own understanding.

To be continued ...