Approaches to course design with technology

Traditionally models of learning adopted by tutors have tended to focus on what the tutor does rather than on what the student will do in order to learn. These models portray face-to-face meetings in which the tutor is seen to 'pour' information into the students' heads by talking about important concepts, ideas and facts. Unfortunately, this allows few, if any, opportunities for the students to ask questions and start to formulate ideas. Early forms of computer-assisted teaching mirrored this model of teaching, with the tutor being substituted by a computer. This often led to online courses that concentrated on materials and content rather than what the student was doing. The result was that students were not fully engaged with the online learning process and perceived webpages and areas developed in VLEs as an 'add on' or an adjunct to their learning but not essential.

More recently, models about the use of online learning including VLEs have focussed more on the students than the tutor.

In this section the work of some of the most influential thinkers in the field of learning with technology is discussed.

As you are working through this section on course design, it is essential to be reflecting on:

• The reasons you intend to use a VLE especially the intended benefits for you, the tutor, and for your students;

• The different ways in which the VLE will assist your students achieve the learning outcomes of the course;

• The student activities you are going to use in the VLE;

• The content you will need to support these activities;

• Gathering student feedback.

You may also wish to work through materials produced at Cranfield University as a background to this unit and the online book, 'Theory and Practice of Online Learning'.