JISC 2.1 Demonstrator - Demonstrating Learning Design

PROJECT: JISC (Joint Information Systems Society)

Website: JISC 2.1 website

Project description:
This project develops demonstrators for the learning design services from the SleD project. The SLeD learning design player has been developed since 2004 through a series of projects that combined software development with promotion, dissemination and research into the appropriate ways to use and represent design. In this proposal we seek to undertake a specific programme of work to address the issues involved in taking the player away from the original aims that resulted in a reference player that can be used to explore learning design, into a system that can be used with real students and have a place in the framework for delivering a design for learning approach. It is important to note that SLeD has already been used both with students (Liverpool Hope University) and to support staff development and awareness of Learning Design (UNFOLD) and this project is in a strong position to address immediate identified areas for improvement in a targeted and appropriate way. This proposal fits with strand C of the call: Implementing and evaluation learning design project, with particular emphasis on c) developing or further developing, innovative or emergent tools to enable their wider uptake and implementation.

Objectives:
The project has as a main objective the enhancement to existing work to provide a stable learning design player that can be used to:
• Provide access to LD courses to students
• Integrate with LDs produced by other projects in the design for learning programme
• Offer a component within a pedagogic planner

Outcomes:
The project will produce the following deliverables:
D1: Enhanced release of the SLeD learning design player and CopperCore LD Engine under open source. Current versions of the software are already available through open source release (sourceforge). New versions will be released to the community as available with a significant new releases planned for the end of stage 1 and end of stage 3.
D2: Evaluated use of the learning design tools within Liverpool Hope University. The units of learning produced for this will be available as open content and provided to any database established by the programme.
D3: Report on the impact of the software on design for learning and its relation to the pedagogic planner and other strands of work within the programme.

The project will operate a public facing website and open development blog continuing the good practice established in earlier projects. We are committed to using the Open Source Maturity Model and operating in accordance with JISC policy for open source software.

Project leader and researchers involved:
Project leader: Martin Weller (from the Open University UK, the main contractor of the project)
Contact Person OUNL: Hubert Vogten
Team members: Harrie Martens

Project partners:
Open University UK
Open University of the Netherlands
Liverpool Hope University

Planning:
Begin date: 1 May 2006
End date: 30 June 2007

Current status:

Relations with other projects within the Development Programme:
UNFOLD