Presentation slides from the 2021 Jisc ConnectMore session on online learning design. The presentation covered planning, resource design, and presence.

1. (My) Key components
of effective online
learning design
John MacMillan – Learning Technology and Design Specialist

2. John MacMillan (@_jmac_)
• Learning design
• Learning technologies
• Experience working in
hybrid and distributed
institutions
Images on upcoming slides are from Pixabay.

3. What we will talk about today
• Planning and storyboarding
• Evidence based resource design
• Presence and community

4. Planning and storyboarding

5. Constructive alignment and authentic
assessment
• “the assessment is the curriculum as far the
students are concerned” (Biggs 2016)
• Write learning outcomes, identify authentic
or relevant ways students can meet them.

6. Learning design
• Variety of models
• Broad similarities
• Storyboarding and
narrative
• Identifying themes
• Planning content
and activities.

7. Active Learning
• We want students to do things.
• Various methods – what is right for your
module?
• What activities should happen at each
stage? Consider social and community
impact (Salmon’s 5 Stages model)
• Moving beyond timetables and campus
limitations
• Notional learning hours

8. Evidence based resource design

9. What are you trying to do?
Transmission? Dialogue?
Collaboration?
Consider what you are doing when
deciding on formats.
• When are synchronous sessions
needed?
• What does video contribute?

10. Video design
• Focus on the fundamentals
• Script or heavily plan the video
• Segmenting – signaling –
weeding
• Ignore the Netflix model
• Consider length – max 6
minutes

11. Video length
Module 1
• Videos between 15 and 60 minutes long
• No scripting
• 65% completion rate
Module 2
• More than 100 videos. Most videos under 6
minutes, a few videos between 6 and 9
minutes.
• Full scripted.
• 92% completion rate
Module 3
• Most videos 6 minutes or less, with some
recorded seminars skewing results
• 87% completion rate
Anonymised findings from three large
modules from the same faculty in
2020/21.

12. Sign-posting
• Structure the content.
• Clear narrative and
journey.
• Give a clear direction,
but balance with
freedom to explore
and discover.

13. Presence and community

14. Defining presence
“…individuals can feel a sense of (or be perceived as)
‘being there’”
Rennie & Smyth 2020

15. Community of enquiry
Social
Presence
Cognitive
Presence
Teacher
Presence

16. What can we do?
• Do synchronous sessions always
create an effective community?
• Impact of video and sharing
• Consider community and presence in
design
• Begin with low stakes interactions
and activities
• Consider Salmon’s Five Stage
Model
• 3E Framework
• Encourage interaction – leave space
for students

17. Applying this to the campus
• Continuing a flipped classroom?
• How do we use lectures now?
• Authentic assessment
• Freedom from timetables
• Online activities

18. (Some) References
• Biggs & Tang (2011) ‘Teaching For Quality Learning At University: What the Student Does’
• Biggs (2016) ‘Aligning teaching for constructing learning’
• Guo, Kim & Rubin (2014) ‘How video production affects student engagement: An empirical
study of MOOC videos’
• Ibrahim, Antonenko, Greenwood & Wheeler (2012) ‘Effects of segmenting, signalling, and
weeding on learning from educational video’
• Kear (2011) ‘Online and Social Networking Communities: A Best Practice Guide for Educators’
• Prince (2004) ‘Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research’
• Rennie & Smyth (2020) ’Digital Learning: The Key Concepts’