Digital Learning – Page 10 – Digital Learning Dispatches

This week we hosted Professor Grainne Conole who earlier in the year was formally appointed as an Adjunct Professor within the NIDL. A highlight of Grainne’s visit was the half-day workshop she facilitated to an invited group of DCU and linked College staff on the topic of learning design. Drawing on her recent book Designing for Learning in an Open World, and more specifically the 7Cs Framework, Grainne explained key differences between the field of Learning Design and more traditional conceptions of Instructional Design.

She then explained a number of innovative ways of helping academic staff to articulate the design process in order to better realise the affordances and opportunities available through new digital technologies. This was productive line of discussion which generated lots of good ideas. As an outcome of the workshop the NIDL team is already planning when to schedule a design challenge for staff. We are also looking forward to working with Grainne again in her new role in the National Institute.

On Monday 16th June, NIDL professors Mark Brown and Grainne Conole contributed to a very successful event at Athlone Institute of Technology on the theme of the ‘Flipped Classroom’. The event attracted around 80 participants and was part of the National Seminar Series being managed by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. Grainne’s opening presentation looked at the bigger picture of flipping, openness, e-pedagogies and design. She explored the disruptive nature of new digital technology and some of the implications for teaching and learning. Mark then followed up by looking at the concept of flipped learning within an institutional context using a novel ice-cream metaphor. He argued that the right type of institutional culture was essential for fostering and sustaining innovations in teaching and learning. Finally, Dr Bryan McCabe shared valuable lessons and insights from his experience of ‘flipping’ at NUIG which showed that enhancing learner interactivity and engagement was something that any teacher could do through incremental changes. The three presentations worked well together and thanks to the Athlone team for organising such a successful event. Already Grainne, Mark and Bryan have discussed offering another version of this flipped classroom event at other locations and institutions.