Learning design: requirements, practice and prospects

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe research into the requirements, practice and prospects for the field of learning design and provide the findings of this study to date alongside early recommendations for furthering the profession in the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the findings of a review of the literature on learning design and the study's research methodology, which comprises focus groups, an online questionnaire deployed for use in the UK, North America, Australia, telephone interviews, and surveys of higher education programmes.FindingsInitial analysis of the data indicates that learning design professionalisation and training in the UK are behind those found in other areas of the world.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was of an exploratory nature and thus limited. However, it shows that additional research into distinct aspects of learning design is required to explore further phenomena described in this paper.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that more and appropriate training opportunities are required for UK learning designers. This could be supplemented by further professionalisation of the field.Originality/valueKey aspects are revealed in the paper of the learning design field in the UK where development is required in order to place learning design on a par with the field in other countries. These findings should be of interest to learning designers, the institutions that train them, their employers and those that use their services.

Competencies for learning design: A review of the literature and a proposed framework

“…The roots of instructional design and learning design have been examined and discussed elsewhere (MacLean & Scott, 2007) with justification for how, theoretically, the latter subsumes the former. Within the discussion, the authors describe how the Sharable Content Object Reference Model and IMS LD (IMS Learning Design) metadata standards might be exploited by learning designers to address the specific requirements of designing online learning in different contexts.…”

“…Part one, which examined the historical origins of the terms 'learning design' and 'instructional design', is not included in this paper. For more, see MacLean & Scott, 2007). This discussion leads into the second part of the review and an examination of professionalism, competencies and various statements of competencies for learning design in the light of current developments in online learning.…”

New Perspectives in Instructional Design using Semantic Web Technologies: A Systematic Literature Review

“…One typical characteristic is that it allows for the handling of complex structure queries for data stored in RDF repositories. ID is the application of teaching and learning theories for the creation of educational resources and online educational experiences [30], [31]. This process is performed by applying a set of methods that help the designer plan the learning activities.…”

“…There is a very similar design approach called Learning Design, which is the application of an educational model for a specific learning objective and specific context or knowledge domain [32]. assert that Learning Design is used more generally [30]; therefore, we will use ID to refer to the systematic process based pedagogically on the theories of teaching and learning that allow for the development of educational materials and analysis of their application in virtual learning environments.…”

Editorial: Educating minds for the knowledge economy

“…Traditional 'chalk and talk' approaches to undergraduate teaching, as critiqued by Laurillard (2001) and Perkins (1992), are often replicated within e-learning programmes based upon behaviourism and instructional design (MacLean and Scott 2007). Such approaches are particularly seductive in e-learning for a variety of economic reasons.…”