Course
Design and Planning
8.1
The Northern College designs and plans the totality of its educational
provision at two broad levels: the programme level, and the course
level.
- At
the programme level the students' learning is organised within
a range of programmes (e.g. the Pathways Programme, the Diploma
Programme, the Higher Education Programme, etc.) The programmes
are validated and moderated by outside bodies, and each programme
is managed by a co-ordinator.
- At
the course level the students' learning is organised within
discrete or identifiable short courses (in the Pathways Programme),
modules (in the Diploma Programme) or units (in the Higher Education
Programme). Each short course, module or unit is further broken
down into sessions or lessons. Quite often a short course, module
or unit is apportioned to one member of the tutorial staff,
and that member is given the responsibility for its development
and delivery.
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Case
study
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This
account of the College's three-week linked Women's Studies
course illustrates the progression route of some students.
It also shows how the College's flexible delivery mode makes
the course an attractive one.
The
course comprises three periods of five days residential
education and a complementary programme of study to be completed
in between each period of residence. It is aimed at students
who are interested in returning to full-time study but who
need a more gradual introduction to academic study. It combines
aspects of the Women's Studies curriculum with Key Skills,
and is designed to provide students with a more continuous
and integrated experience of study than that afforded by
discrete short courses.
Each
student is allocated a personal tutor who is involved in
the delivery of the teaching on the course. The role of
the personal tutor is to provide students with individual
feedback on their academic work, both that completed during
the residential blocks and that completed at home, as well
as guidance on future educational opportunities.
An
important feature of the student experience is peer support.
Students not only form friendships, they also provide support
for each other with the academic demands of the course,
including contacting each other between the residential
blocks and arranging to meet up to share ideas about the
work to be completed in preparation for the next period
of residence.
Often
a considerable proportion of any one intake progresses onto
the Northern College Diploma Programme - in some intakes
as much as fifty per cent. Feedback from students suggests
that the regular contact with tutors and other students
(including those already following the Diploma Programme)
over an academic year, plus how each residential block of
learning is designed to build on the previous one, and how
the work completed in between periods of residence serves
to reiterate and consolidate learning, all help to deepen
knowledge and understanding and therefore to increase self-confidence
in relation to further study. Moreover, having a personal
tutor and being part of a group which provides positive
support, are important factors contributing to the likelihood
of progression onto a more demanding course.
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8.2
What currently informs course design and planning at the College
is the outcomes-based approach. Such an approach requires a short
course, module or unit to be designed in such a way that both tutors
and students are clear about not just what is to be learnt (the
course content) but also where the learning is to finish (the learning
outcomes).
8.3
Learning outcomes define the learning that students are expected
to have acquired at the end of a session, course, module, unit or
programme. The College identifies this as the 'primary learning
goal'. Learning outcomes indicate that a change in the behaviour
of students has occurred as a result of a learning experience. When
this change is observed, it is possible to assert that learning
has taken place.
8.4
Learning outcomes are intended to make the expectations of a learning
experience transparent and explicit. They should be:
- written
in a language that is easily accessible and understandable
- related
to explicit statements of achievement
- capable
of being achieved and assessed
Unambiguous words, no matter the level of learning to be achieved,
should be used to word learning outcomes. Below are some suggested
words for outcomes at different levels:
| Level |
Suggested
Words |
|
Knowledge
|
Define,
list, name, identify |
|
Understanding
|
Describe,
explain, discuss, clarify |
|
Application
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Show,
illustrate, apply |
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Analysis
|
Analyse,
dissect, distinguish |
| Evaluation |
Evaluate,
assess, appraise, compare |
Table
1. Advice for Writing Learning Outcomes
8.5
The College ensures that students learn what they view as educationally
desirable or important. The process of identifying learning aims
defines what tutors want students to learn; it focuses on the inputs
to the learning experience and can be described as tutor-centred.
By contrast, the process of identifying learning outcomes defines
what students will be able to do at the end of a session, course,
module, unit or programme; it focuses on outputs of the learning
experience and can be described as student-centred.
8.6
The advantages of adopting an outcomes-based approach to organising
teaching and learning are manifold. Such an approach allows tutors
to:
- make
learning manageable and achievable
- give
purpose and direction to student learning
- allow
for flexibility and innovation in learning activities
- focus
on the more important elements of a subject
- make
specific interventions if students experience difficulties in
learning
An
outcomes-based approach helps tutors to clarify for themselves the
explicit or intended outcomes as well as (by, for example, paying
careful attention to what and how students learn) the implicit or
unintended outcomes that are always part of any teaching and learning
activity.
8.7
The outcomes-based approach to organising teaching and learning
can be implemented systematically. Its various steps are outlined
in the table below.
Step
1
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Step
2
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Step
3
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Step
4
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Step
5 |
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Identify
the learning
outcomes
Sequence
the topics to be covered in accordance with the learning
outcomes
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Consider
important aspects of the students:
- their
starting points
- their
learning styles
- their
attitudes
- their
motivation and needs
Relate these to the learning
outcomes
|
Design
the
courses, modules or units |
Choose and use appropriate teaching methods and learning
activities
Relate these to the learning
outcomes
|
Assess student achievement in terms of the
learning
outcomes
|
Table
2. The Outcomes-Based Approach
In all of the steps indicated above the identification of learning
outcomes is a central concern.
8.8
The College is concerned with organising all of its educational
provision systematically and effectively. Thus:
- The
College avoids making the design and planning of courses a haphazard
or ad hoc process. Tutors are briefed individually or through
staff training sessions as regards the in-house requirements
for developing a course curriculum.
- The
College allocates the task of designing and planning the curriculum
of a course within a programme of learning to those who have
knowledge, expertise or experience in teaching that course.
- Programme
co-ordinators produce evaluation reports to identify those aspects
of course design and planning that might require improvement.
Similarly, course tutors engage in reflective inquiry of their
approach to the organisation of teaching and learning with a
view to improving it. They record their observations on an evaluation
pro-forma once they have completed a course.
