The ABC learning design method is a student-centered, card-based approach to curriculum design that addresses the need to develop richer blended learning designs and allows for dialogue around learning design reviews. It is based on curriculum design research and Diana Laurillard's learning types, adapted for use in workshops to map existing module designs and develop new designs using graphs and storyboarding of learning type sequences and activities.

1. ABC Intro Presentation for EMBED
Clare Gormley & Suzanne Stone, DCU Teaching Enhancement Unit
ABC Learning Design workshop by Clive Young and Nataša Perović, UCL. Learning types, Laurillard, D. (2012).

2. The ABC learning design method is an effective and engaging hands-on, card-based
approach to curriculum design.
• It is a student-centered rapid curriculum development approach
• It addresses a need to develop
- richer learning designs for blended learning
- dialogue about the learning design or review of programmes and
modules
• It is based on curriculum design research from the JISC* (Viewpoints) and
Diana Laurillard’s learning types (UCL IoE)** adapted for UCL
* Viewpoints project (2008-2013),
**Laurillard, D. (2012). Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology. New
York and London: Routledge.
ABC Learning Design

3. Blended learning
1 - a combination of face-to-face and online teaching
2 - a combination of technologies
3 - a combination of methodologies
Blended Learning Definitions (Sharma P, 2010)
ABC Learning Design

4. Blended learning
“Blended learning is the thoughtful integration of
classroom and online learning that takes best advantage
of the strengths of the two learning modes. Classroom
activities must support online activities and vice versa for
the full potential of blended learning to be realized.” (See
Contact Nord site)
ABC Learning Design
Potential benefits include:
● Students seem to perform better in blended courses (Means et al., 2013 - Meta
Analysis of Effectiveness of Online and Blended Learning)
● Increased opportunities for discussion & collaboration
● Potentially more engaging (Jarman, 2019)
● Potentially more flexibility for students

5. ABC to VLE: beyond curriculum
design
01-09-2018 – 31-08-2020 (24 months)
The partnership will develop ABC as a downloadable
toolkit that can be used globally by any institution in
the sector.
EU Project

6. ABC Learning Design – Strategic approach

7. Strategic Connections Grid
ABC Learning Design – Strategic approach
See this doc at: http://bit.ly/dcustrat

8. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
ABC Learning Design
CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 [graphic organizer]. Wakefield, MA:
Author.

9. Learning Types Cards (front)
Learning activity types on one side and examples of activities on the other
ABC Learning Design

10. Learning Types Cards (back)
Diana Laurillard introduces the six learning types:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=59&v=wnERkQBqSGM
ABC Learning Design

11. Learning types cards (back)
ABC Learning Design

12. Learning types cards (back)
ABC Learning Design

13. Learning types cards (back)
ABC Learning Design

14. Learning types cards (back)
ABC Learning Design

15. Learning types cards (back)
ABC Learning Design

16. Learning types cards (back)
ABC Learning Design

17. ABC Learning Design

18. Workshop schedule:
1. Module info and graphs sheet
• Tweet your module – tweet size description of your module
• Module shape (Learning types activities graph) distribution of
learning types
• Blend – (blended graph)
2. Storyboard sheet
• Storyboard – learning types sequences and activities
• Assessment – align activities and assessment
3. Module info and graphs sheet
• Review the graphs – what has changed? Why?
4. Actions – what next for team?
ABC Learning Design

19. @ABC_LD
Programme
Module name
new module / module review
Academics
Module summary (tweet size description of your module):
ELE workshop facilitators
Workshop date
How do you envisage your module will look on the graph above? (in red - at the beginning of the workshop)
Your module activity graph at the end of the workshop (in blue)
Learning types activities graph
Where do you want to be on the scale (in red)
What is your position at the end of the workshop (in blue)
face to faceonline
Blended graph
Acquisition
Investigation
Production
Practice
Collaboration
All you need to know about use
of videos in 21st century teaching
Arena digital
Use of videos in teaching
Anna Moore, Jon Grabol
CY, NP
5th June 2015
x
Pre - workshop
Discussion
ABC Learning Design

20. Selecting activities and assessment
Select formative ( ) and summative assessment ( )
ABC Learning Design
✓

21. ABC Learning Design

22. @ABC_LD
Arena Blended Connected (ABC) curriculum design workshop
Programme
Module name
new module / module review
Academics
Module summary (tweet size description of your module):
ELE workshop facilitators
Workshop date
How do you envisage your module will look on the graph above? (in red - at the beginning of the workshop)
Your module activity graph at the end of the workshop (in blue)
Learning types activities graph
Where do you want to be on the scale (in red)
What is your position at the end of the workshop (in blue)
face to faceonline
Blended graph
Acquisition
Investigation
Production
Practice
Collaboration
All you need to know about use
of videos in 21st century teaching
Arena digital
Use of videos in teaching
Anna Moore, Jon Grabol
CY, NP
5th June 2015
x
Post - workshop
x
Discussion
ABC Learning Design

23. Questions: Contact clare.gormley@dcu.ie
Twitter: @clare_gormley