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Augmented 7Cs of
Learning Design Workshop
Professor Gráinne Conole
gconole@gmail.com
Learning objectives
This is an intensivedesign workshop to help participants makepedagogically informed design decisionsthat
make appropriateuseof digital technologies.This mightincludethe design or re-design of face-to-face,
blended or onlinecourses. A ‘course’ could be an individual moduleor a whole course. It is suggested that
participantshavea coursein mind, for which to design and storyboard the teaching and learning,in this
workshop. By the end of the workshop, participants will beableto:
 conceptualisethe learningdesign process fromdifferent perspectives
 apply a range of learningdesign resources,tools and methods to a learningintervention
 critiquea range of pedagogical approaches and therole played by different technologies ,in
supportingthese
 review and debate the theoretical underpinnings of learningdesign
 develop a storyboard,with associated learningactivities and assessmentelements.
The workshop’s activities arepartof the 7Cs of learningdesign framework, which consists of seven
components:
1. Conceptualise– which initiates the design process and consists of imagine,design and prepare.
2. Create – which covers the ways in which search engines, Open Educational Resource(OER)
repositories and social bookmarkingcan beused to find and collaterelevantresources and activities ,
as well as strategies for creating resources.
3. Communicate – which covers the different ways in which communication can be fostered, this
includes howto moderate asynchronous and synchronous forums,as well as useof social media.
4. Collaborate– which considers how collaboration can befostered and a review of the different tools
that can be used to support collaboration.
5. Consider – which considers howreflection can be fosters and how students can demonstrate
achievement of the learningoutcomes, i.e. the assessment elements.
6. Combine – which enables the designer to step back and look at the design from different
perspectives, this includes creatingan activity profileof how much time students will spend on
different types of activities,as well as creatinga storyboard of the course.
7. Consolidate– implement the coursein a real learningcontext and evaluate how effective itis.
The original 7Cs hasnowbeen augmented with a number of complementary Learning Design frameworks.
Workshop Description
The participants will engage with a range of learningdesign conceptual tools.They will work in groups and will
periodically shareback their discussionswith the rest of the participants. They will benefitfrom havinga
laptop by which to join in activities.The workshop can be run face-to-face or online.Ideally itshould berun as
a one-day workshop, but a condensed half-day workshop is also possible.Longer two- or three-day workshops,
allowfor flexibility and customization of material to meet participants needs. Design can occur at: programme,
module, section or activity level

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Activities1
Components of
the 7Cs
framework
Title Purpose and Description
Overview
Presentation
Overview of 7Cs of
Learning Design
workshop
To providean overview of the 7Cs of Learning Design framework.
Participantswill also havethe opportunity to sharewhat they hope to get
out of the workshop.
Conceptualise
Think
How to ruin a
course
To consider ten ways in which technologies can ruin a courseand then to
identify strategies to avoid these.
Conceptualise
Core
The ABC Course
Tweet
A tweet size description of your course, to contain the essence of the
course.
Conceptualise
Core
Course Features To consider the features you want to includein your course, which will
affect not only the look and feel of the course, but also the nature of the
learners’experience.
Conceptualise
Core
Empathy
Student Personas To imaginethe type of students who arelikely to take your course.
Students on a first-year undergraduate coursewill bevery different from
those doing a post-graduate certificatein teachingfor example. The nature
of your students will influencehowyou design and support the course.
Create
Think
Digital assets
Resource Audit
Media production
and schedule
To decide how you will sourcethe content for your module/course,
includingthepossibility of incorporatingexisting content. Think about the
time and expertise needed to do this.
Communicate
Think
Map course
content to VLE
tools
Tools for
Communication
and collaboration
Three typical tools availablein Virtual LearningEnvironments
(VLEs)/Learning Management Systems (LMSs) areconsidered: forums,
blogs and wikis.
Communicate
Think
SAMR framework A framework for progressiveintegration of technology.
Communicate
Think
ICAP framework A framework for progressivestudent engagement
Consider
Core
Writinglearning
outcomes and
constructive
alignment
Resources for writinglearningoutcomes and ensuringconstructive
alignment.
Consider
Core
SOLE toolkitfor
activeverbs and
Nine elements to ensure that comprehensive learningopportunities are
balanced and constructively aligned.
1 The hyperlinks indicatethe new LearningDesign resources that have been added to augment the 7Cs

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constructive
alignment
Combine
Core
Help material
Review of
support
material
Course Map To startmappingout your module/course, includingyour plans for student
support, assessment, communication and collaboration.This provides more
detail to the design followingon from your use of the coursefeatures
cards.
Combine
Core
Activity Profile To consider the balanceof activity types that will be included in your
course.
Combine
Think
The hybrid learning
model
This consists of 8 specific ways,referred to as LearningEvents, of
learning/teachingthatthe teacher or learningdesigner can use to describe
any point in the development and analysisof learningactivities.
Combine
Core
7Cs Storyboard
ABC Learning
Design Storyboard
To develop a storyboard for your course in which the learningoutcomes
are aligned with the assessmentevents, topics (contents) and student
activities.
Combine
Think
The 3Es framework Enhance, extend empower
Consolidate
Core
Evaluate To develop an evaluation rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of the course
and how it might be improved.

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Activity: How to ruin a course
Image source
Purpose
To identify ten ways in which technologies might ruin a course and then to identify strategies to avoid these.
Task
 With your team, list tens ways in which technologies could ruin a course for learners.
 Now think about strategies to avoid these.
Template
Ten ways technologies can ruin a course Strategies to avoid them

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Activity: The ABC tweet size description of your course
Image source
Purpose
To describethe essence of your course in a tweet.
Task
 With your team, discusswhatarethe important elements of the course.
 Convert these into a tweet.

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Activity: Course Features
Purpose
To consider the features you want to includein your course, which will determine not only the look and feel of
the course, but also the nature of the learners’experience.
Task
1. Think about the courseyou are goingto design. Whatwould you likethe experience to be likefor
your learners? Think of this in terms of the following:
 Principles
 Pedagogical approaches
 Guidanceand support
 Content and activities
 Communication and collaboration
 Reflection and demonstration
2. Work with your team members. Create the followingthree columns:
 This will bea key feature in our course
 This will featurebut in a minor way
 This won't feature in our course
3. Add the cut up coursefeatures cards to the three columns.Ask if a feature is unclear.There are blank
cards for you to add your own ideas

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Activity: Student Personas
Image source
Purpose
To consider the types of students who are likely to take your course.Students on a first-year undergraduate
coursewill be very different to those doinga post-graduate certificatein teaching. The nature of your students
will influencehowyou design and support your course.
Task
1. Think about the types of students who are likely to take your course. Understandingthe types of
students on your courseand their motivations,alongwith the challenges they face is an important
part of the design process.More information on personas can be found here.
2. Fill in the persona template. An example of a completed template is given on the next page.
3. Complete two student personas for your course.
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Student persona
Image source:
https://www.123rf.com/stock-
photo/math_cartoon.html
Name: Daniel James
Age: 19
Lives: Birmingham, UK with his parents
Likes: Computer games and Suduko
Education and experience Daniel has had a standard British education ata local
comprehensive source. He secured nineGCSEs and three A
levels (Maths – A, Further Maths B, PhysicistB)
Responsibilities His father works full-timeand his mother works on Mondays
and Wednesdays so he needs to pick up his younger brother
from school and look after him until his parentget home.
Technical skills He has excellent computer skillsand knows a number of
computer programs.He is an activegamer and particularly
enjoys playingonlineWorld of Warcraft.
Subject domain skillsand
knowledge
He has a good secondary education and in particular an
excellent foundation in Maths.
Motivations and desires He wants to go to university to do Maths and get a student
experience. Ultimately he wants to teach Maths at secondary
level.
Goals and expectations To achievea first-classMaths degree and secure a good job.
Obstacles to their success His parents cannot supporthim financially,so he will haveto
take out a student loan and get a part-time job whilstat
university.
Unique assets He has excellent logical skillsand is a good communicator.

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Activity: Resource Audit
Image source
Purpose
To decide how you will sourcethe content for your module/course, includingthe possibility of incorporating
existingcontent. Think about the time and expertise needed to do this.To decide how you will sourcethe
content for your module/course, includingthepossibility of incorporatingOERs produced elsewhere. An
example of a completed resourceauditis given on the next page.
Task
1. Workingwith your team members, open the LearningDesign Resource Audit. The second page of the
document contains an example of a semi-completed resource audit.
2. Brainstormyour ideas for gathering or creatingcontent for your course.
3. Includein brackets in each of the sessions,whatequipment you will need and the anticipated time to
complete.

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Exampleofa completedResourceAudit
Format
Content (under
the appropriate
licences)
Text &
graphics
Audio Video Slides (e.g.
PowerPoint)
Other (e.g.
Adobe
Presenter)
What I find
and reuse as is
OER for section 1.
Reflective task
from sourceZ.
Guidelines on
assignment writing.
Podcastfor section
3.
iTunesU resources
for sections 1 and
7.
Slideshare resource
for section5.
Organisation X’s
website.
What I find,
tweak and use
OER for section 2.
Assessmentrubric
from W.
What I find,
repurpose and
use
OER for section 3.
New podcastbased
on X.
Slides adaptedfrom
resourceY.
What I create
for this module
Introductionto all
sections ofthe
module.
5 activity
summaries.
Assessment
rubrics.
5 to 8-minute
summaries ofkey
points per section.
Advice and
guidancefor
assessment.
Feedback on draft
assignments.
[Record using
iPhone, 2 hours to
preparescript and
record]
A 5-minutetalking
head to introduce
the programme
and the academic
team.
[Get a member of
ITto record, 2
hours to prepare
script and record]
Support slides for
sections 4, 7 and8.
Detailed
presentations for
sections 2, 3 and6.
What I get
students to
find and
collate

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Activity: Tools for Communication
Image source
Purpose
Virtual LearningEnvironments (VLEs)/Learning Management Tools (LMSs) have a number of tools for fostering
communication. This activity explores this and gets you to brainstormhow these might be used.
Task
1. Brainstormthe different ways in which the followingVLE/LMS tools can be used to foster
communication:forums, blogs,and wikis.
Forums Blogs Wikis

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Activity: SAMR framework
Image source
Purpose
The SAMR Model is a framework that categorizes four different degrees of classroomtechnology integration.
The letters "SAMR" stand for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification,and Redefinition.An example of the
definitions,examples and degree of change is available online.
Task
1. Now complete the SAMR for an aspect of your course.

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Activity: The ICAP framework
Image source
Purpose
The ICAP framework defines cognitiveengagement activities on the basis of students’ overt behaviours and
proposes that engagement behaviours can be categorized and differentiated into one of four
modes: Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive. The ICAP hypothesis predicts that as students become
more engaged with the learningmaterials,from passive to active to constructive to interactive, their learning
will increase.Further details on ways in which ICAP can be used are available online.
Task
1. Now apply the ICAP framework to an aspectof your course.

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Activity: Writing learning outcomes and constructive
alignment
Image source
Purpose
A learningoutcome is the essential measurablelearningor behaviour demonstrated by a student after a
specific period of study. An assessmentis the process by which you can measure the extent to which a student
can demonstrate specific learningoutcomes. Well-written learningoutcomes have three basic elements:
 An action verb to describethe behaviour (what the student will do) which demonstrates the student's
learning
 Information about the context for the demonstration
 How well the outcome will bedemonstrated
A resourceon writingassessablelearningoutcomes is available online.
Biggs defined the term constructivealignment. Constructivealignment has two aspects.The 'constructive'
aspectrefers to what the learner does, which is to constructmeaning through relevant learningactivities.
The 'alignment' aspectrefers to what the teacher does, which is to set up a learningenvironment that
supports the learningactivities appropriateto achievingthe desired learningoutcomes. The key is that the
components in the teachingsystem, especially theteachingmethods used and the assessmenttasks

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are aligned to the learningactivities assumed in the intended outcomes. It describes the relationship between
three elements.
1. The intentions of the teacher expressed as learningoutcomes (what the teacher intends the students
will beable to do because of their learning).
2. The teaching and learningactivities in which the teacher engages the students to facilitatethe desired
learning.
3. The assessmenttasks that test the student abilities in respectof the learningoutcomes .
Task
1. Usingthe resources write some learningoutcomes for your course.

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Activity: SOLE toolkit for active verbs and constructive
alignment
Purpose
The Student-Owned Learning-Engagement model is a conceptual,and practical,model of the learning
experience as itis experienced by the learner themselves. The model consists of nine elements (shown above)
and serves to support learningdesigners,coursedesigners and instructional designers in ensuringthat
comprehensive learningopportunities arebalanced and constructively aligned.The associated SOLE toolkit is
availableonline.
Task
1. Download the SOLE toolkitand startapplyingto your course.

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Activity: Course Map
Purpose
To startmappingout your course, includingyour plans for guidanceand support,content and the learner
experience, reflection and demonstration, and communication and collaboration.
Task
1. Workingwith your team members, open the CourseMap document. You can transfer items from the
Course Features activity to startfillingin the boxes for:
● Guidanceand support(orange)
● Content and learner experience (blue)
● Reflection and demonstration (purple)
● Communication and collaboration (green)
2. The colour codingof the Course Features cards will help you
3. An example of a completed CourseMap is provided on the next page
4. Reflect on the balanceof features in your course, from the students' point of view, and add or modify
anythingyou think would help to make the learningexperience more engaging. For help in deciding
whether to use blogs,wikis,discussion forums or other tools,see "What technology can I use for...?"
(from the University of Oxford's Phoebe project). You might also find the 7 things you should know
about guides from EDUCAUSE useful

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5. As you are workingthrough the four categories,fill in any notes in the "roles and relationships"
columns.You can comment here on what the experience will belikefor students, and briefly describe
the relationship between teacher, learners and materials

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An example Course map
Course: Post-graduate module on accessibility in online learning and teaching
Course summary: This onlinepostgraduatemodule has been designed to promote accessibility and improve
access for disabled students.The module is structured around a series of activities thatask students to
collaboratively read,think,debate and write aboutthe subjectwith reference to their own, or an adopted,
context and practice.
Key words: accessibility;teachingand learning;postgraduate; professional;international;online;collaborative
learning;activity based
Guidance and support Content and activities
Tools & resources Comments Tools & resources Comments
1. Student support
portal
2. Programme website
3. Course website
4. Course Guide
5. Assignment Guide
6. University Library
website
7. General forum
8. Technical self-Help
forum
9. Café forum
10. Specific guidance
and information
(i.e. Delicious
bookmarks)
It is expected that
students will already be
usinggraduatelevel
study skills.
A spiritof mutual
encouragement and
supportis encouraged.
Tutors use a
developmental
mentoring approach.
1. Three blocks of study
activities
2. A set of detailed
learningoutcomes
3. Module material
(categorised as core,
further and background)
which includes articles,
reports, readings.
4. One set book
5. JISC TechDis website
6. Delicious bookmarks
Students study for
approximately 15 hours
per week (Incl.course- &
self-directed study and
the completion of
assignments)
Variety of activities
includereading,
discussing,practical tasks
and collaborative
activities
Students will usea real
or adopted professional
perspective throughout
to frame their
discussions and
reflections and in their
assignments
Reflection and demonstration Communication and collaboration
Tools & resources Comments Tools & resources Comments
1. Personal reflective
blog
2. Tutor group wiki
3. ePortfolio (student
optional)
4. Tutor group forum
(10% of module marks)
5. Assignment 1 (1500
word report 15% of
module marks)
6. Assignment 2 (3000
word report 30% of
module marks)
7. Final assignment
(6000 word report 45%)
8. Assessment guide
9. Markingcriteria for
each assignment
Use of a reflective
personal blogis
encouraged throughout
the module
Assessment of the
module integrated with
the teaching and learning
activities so thatall
assignmentwork is a
learningexperience
Assignments relateto
personal context and
practices
Students and tutors use a
shared markingcriteria
1. 4x Asynchronous
onlineforums
2. Live online
discussions via
Elluminate(optional
student)
3. Telephone (optional
tutor)
4. Email (optional tutor)
5. Delicious (optional
student)
6. ePortfolio (optional
student)
7. Personal blog
8. Tutor group wiki
9. Access to an
international
Strong emphasis on peer
communication and
collaboration,and
learningfrom one
another's experiences
Wide variety of
communication methods
and tools used with an
emphasis on the use of
the tutor group forum
Student activity on the
forum is supported,
guided and assessed

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professional student
community
Activity: Activity Profile
Purpose
To consider the balanceof activity types that will be included in your course.
Task
1. Workingwith your team members, look at the Activity Profilein the Excel spreadsheet.
2. Read the key so that you understand the terminology being used for the six categories.Feel free to
change any of the terms if you want to.
3. Now decide whether you want to use the tool to analysethe existingbalancebetween activity types
in your course,or to determine the ideal balance.
4. Fill in the spreadsheet, indicatingthe amount of each activity type either in hours or as percentages of
the whole course.

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Activity: Hybrid Learning model
Image source
Purpose
The Hybrid Learning Model (formally known as the 8LEM model) was developed to providea simpleand
transparentmethod of articulatingtheinteractions and activities of teachers and learners usinguniversal
concepts and languageto allowdissemination acrossdisciplines and institutions.Itcan be used to describe
learningactivities as a series of understandableand universal setof learningevents where the teachers a nd
students experience and roles areclearly defined at each stage. It proposes a ‘palette’ of 8 specific ways,
referred to as Learning Events, (see diagram),of learning/teachingthat the teacher or learningdesigner can
use to describeany pointin the development and analysis of learningactivities.Aset of resources associated
with the Hybrid Learning Model are available online.
Tasks
1. Use the resources and apply to an aspect of your course.

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Activity: Storyboard
Purpose
To develop a storyboard for your course in which the learningoutcomes are aligned with the assessment
events, topics (contents) and activities.The7Cs storyboard as illustrated in the figure above places the
activities in thecentre with the inputs to the activity aboveand the outputs below. Alternatively you can do a
more sophisticated version usingthe ABC storyboard based on Laurrilard’s categerisation of activity types, by
mappingthe activities acrossthestoryboard.

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Once you have mapped the activity types you can indicatewhether they are visiblelearningelements and how
they are assessed.
E.g. weeks or topic
E.g. weeks or topic
E.g. weeks or topic
E.g. weeks or topic
ABC LD (Arena Blended Connected Learning Design)
Module/course/MOOC title
Learner timeline
Connected curriculum dimensions / other points
ABC Learning Design method by Clive Young and Natasa Perovic, UCL. (2015). Learning types, Laurillard, D. (2012). Resources available from https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/abc-ld/
DateModule lead
Storyboard worksheet adapted from Viewpoints Curriculum Design, University of Ulster. Available at http://wiki.ulster.ac.uk/display/VPR/

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Image source
Task: The storyboard
1. Workingwith your team members, use the ideas from your Course Map to develop your storyboard,
adjustingthe CourseMap if necessary
2. Map out on a largesheet of flipchartpaper,usea number of different coloured pens
3. Start by indicatingthetime frame for your module/course in days or weeks across the top
4. Next, use a different coloured pens to represent the assessmentevents. Indicatehow each
assessmentelements addresses the learning outcomes
5. If you want to review your learning outcomes, see the Cogen-T outcomes tool produced by the
University of Gloucestershire)
6. Dividethe “content” into a series of discretetopics and write each in a box
7. Add learningactivities appropriateto each section usinga third colour post-itnote
Learning types activities , V- Visible learning A - can be assessed (F or S)
Investigation
Interview an expert (video/forum/chat) V
Literature reviews and critiques
(forum/blog/wiki/RSS) V/A
MCQs - formative with automatic feedback V/A
Develop a shared resource library
(database/glossary/wiki) V/A
Shows/demonstrates learning (displays, posters,
presentations) V/A
Portfolios (MyPortfolio) V/A
Case studies (forum, lesson) V/A
Summarisation tasks (upload texts – individual or
group) V/A
Rapid-fire exam questions (forum) V/A
Concept mapping (external) V
Create video of performance (media) V/A
Audio commentary of performance (media) V/A
Skype or virtual classroom 'viva' V/A
Make and give a presentation (external) V/A
Video blog (external) V/A
Write a report (external) V/A
Make an analysis (external) V/A
Case studies V/A
Advanced role play – you are the consultant etc. V
Action plan for workplace V/A
Action plan for further study V/A
Authentic research / data analysis – write a paper
V/A
Prepare professional briefing V/A
Create, make a case (study) V/A
Create podcast (media) V/A
Work assignment (blog/report) V/A
Interview professional colleagues V/A
Lead a group project V/A
Practice Production
Web search (forum, wiki) V
OER resources (external)
Literature reviews and critiques
(forum/blog/wiki/RSS) V
Field/lab observations (media/blog/wiki) V
Action research V
Authentic research / data analysis – write a paper
V
Lead a group project V
MCQs - formative with automatic feedback V/A
Online role play (forum, virtual classroom)
Reflective tasks – group or individual (forum) V/A
Case studies (forum, lesson) V/A
Rapid-fire exam questions (forum) V/A
Advanced role play – you are the consultant etc. V
;
Acquisition
Guided readings (library resources)
OER resources (external)
Podcast (media) V if students do it
Webinars (virtual classroom) V
Q&A forum (forum, where teachers answer
student questions) V
Video lectures (webcast),
YouTube videos (external)
Field/lab observations (media/blog/wiki) V
MCQs - formative with automatic feedback V
Portfolios (MyPortfolio) V
Collaboration
Collaborative wiki - what do we know about ...?
V/A
Develop a shared resource library
(database/glossary/wiki) V
Social networking – participate (external) V
Special interest groups - share on a topic (forum) V
Mentor other learners V
Interview an expert (forum/chat) V
Webinars (virtual classroom) V
Model answers/examples of previous work (forum)
Analyse chat text (in course or uploaded) V
Job/professional reflections (blog) V/A
Group discussions on the topic, problem, reading
(chat/blog/wiki) V/A
Social networking – participate (external) V
Reflective tasks – group or individual (forum) V/A
Special interest groups - share on a topic (forum) V
Lead a group project V/A
Discussion
@ABC_LD
UCL Digital Education

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Activity: The 3Es – questions on technology use for engaging,
enhancing and extending
Image source
Purpose
The 3Es (engage, enhance and extend) focuses on increasingtechnology integration.The engage the
technology allows students to focus on the assignmentwith less distraction,motivates students to start the
learningprocess and causes a shiftin students’behaviour from passiveto activelearning.The enhance the
technology lets students develop a more sophisticated understandingof the content, creates a way to make it
easier to understand concepts or ideas and allows students to demonstrate their understandingin a way that
they could not with traditional tools.The extent the technologies allows students to learn outsideof the
classroom,build their learningwith their everyday lifeexperiences and help to develop them as lifelong
learners.Examples of how the 3Es framework can be used is available online.
Task
1. Apply the 3Es framework to your course.

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Activity: Course Evaluation
Purpose
To develop an evaluation rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of the course and how itmight be improved.
Task
1. In your group brainstorm some criteria to evaluate the success of the design in a real learningcontext
2. Try and focus on measurable/observablethings
3. Think about what data collection you might use – classroomobservation,surveys,interviews:
a. Use the LTDI Evaluation Cookbook to get ideas
b. You might also consider usingpostitnotes around the followingfour topics:things I liked,
three words to describethe session,room for improvement and action plan