The learning design model on which this learning strategy is based is collaborative experiential learning using Backwards Design (Bowen, 2017), which is further discussed in Part 3. Kolb (2015) describes experiential learning as a process in which learning happens in a practical, shared way through iterations in which learners can modify their approach to problems according to experience gained through previous iterations and reflection. In order to apply this in Professional Practice for IT, learners need to have the opportunity to undertake communicating and collaborating in teams more than once, with the opportunity to reflect on their performance at the end of each attempt with a view to improving their performance next time. Reflection is the key component here as it allows the experience to be converted to learning (The University of Texas at Austin, 2017). This can be tied to an educational trend of computing for social good, as the subject of the group work can be anything so long as it’s relevant to IT (Goldweber et al., 2013).
The learning strategy will work like this: learners will be put into teams and given a social problem to solve, for example to reunite families after a natural disaster (Goldweber et al., 2013), and will work toward producing a report and presentation about their solutions. These deliverables are marked formatively, although this is part of a different learning strategy and beyond the scope of this paper. The point of this team activity is to learn team processes such as time management, task division and team communication, all of which are taught in a learning module that takes place before the team work exercise.
At the end of the team work, each learner will write their own reflection on what went well during the exercise and what could be improved, including their analysis of what they learnt and what they still need to learn about team work. These reflections and other evidence of professional performance will form the assessment portfolio. After another module of learning in which more skills and knowledge about group work are explicitly taught, for example how to deal with conflict, new teams are given a new problem and are to produce another report and presentation about their solution.
| Activities | Content | Interaction | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Produce a report and presentation | Solving a social problem | Team collaboration and communication | Professional portfolio |
| The actual learning strategy-related activity is a group work exercise in which the deliverables are merely a means to an end | The content related to the learning strategy is the team work itself, which is initially taught in modules which each end in the experiential exercise | The interaction between learners is the important part as this is what the focus of the reflection is - during this process the lecturer acts as a kind of coach to keep learners focussed on the real content (i.e. the team processes, not the “subject” of the team work) | The assessment is individually marked: each learner is to put together a portfolio of evidence in which they demonstrate their professionalism in team processes |
| Suplimental learning activities: modules of learning which provide preparatory material | The content of the learning modules which take place before each iteration of the group work exercise is learning material designed to build the knowledge and skill set in ways which will aid the learners to act on their reflections. For example, the learners might reflect that their group lacked leadership, and in the next module of learning there is a lesson on styles and approaches to leadership. This way, the learners identify the need for the learning and already know how they will need to apply it | Modules of learning between experiential team activities take the form of classroom lessons. This includes interaction such as face-to-face teaching, group discussion and online activities or worksheets | The assessment that relates to the learning modules is wrapped up in the portfolios - learners gather evidence during the experiential learning phases in order to demonstrate their use of the things they learn in the modules |
Learning outcomes:
This learning strategy will be mostly working with LOs 1 and 3. The correlation with LO 2 in the deliverable aspect of the activities is intended as well, and is to some degree related to experiential learning in that learners are assessed on their own individual reports and presentations later in the course.
i. The main activity, which covers both LOs 1 and 3, is the team exercise described above in which learners work in a team to solve a social problem.
ii. The supplemental activities include those done in the modules of learning which take place before each iteration of the main activity. These include, for example, case study discussions of conflict scenarios, making individual time management plans and a worksheet in which learners break down a large task into smaller parts which can be delegated to team members.
i. The main sources of content are Moodle and an integrated One Note Class Notebook. Of course, with experiential learning as a strategy, much of the content is generated during the learning activity itself and as part of the reflection (Kolb, 2015). Learning that happens during the preceeding modules is therefore, in some ways, supplementary.
ii. Content is delivered via several formats and media. For example, TED talk videos, content written by the lecturer on Moodle and in the Class Notebook, readings online and face-to-face discussion in class.
iii. As learning outcome 1 specifies using technology as a fundamental part of the course, obviously there is a large digital component to this learning strategy. Learners will collaborate like the IT industry does, using platforms like GitHub, Slack and shared cloud applications such as Google Drive and Office 365. Learners are also encouraged to use online project management software such as Trello. A computer-based environment which allows the use of different tools can help to achieve a balance between several instructional approaches (Hung, 2001).
As the learning strategy largely centres around collaborative experiential learning, learners will interact with each other as the fundamental focus of the learning design. This is in order to practice team processes, for example learners will have discussions to come to agreements about task delegation, time management and communication channels. Once these are in place, learners will interact with each other through their chosen channels, which should be both synchronous (e.g. organising group meetings) and asynchronous (e.g. having a Slack channel) and will work together to ensure all the work is completed.
Interaction with the lecturer will also be both synchronous and asynchronous, in the form of face-to-face class time, class Slack channel messages and communications on group project repositories in GitLab. For example, if a team is not recording their task breakdown anywhere clearly, the lecturer might add a GitLab issue to their project that suggests that they do so.
i. Formative assessment will be used informally to give feedback about group processes, which will occur as a kind of verbal debrief session at the end of an experiential learning activity. This will therefore be guided peer feedback, where the lecturer adds to the discussion where needed. Summative assessment will follow on from this when learners write reflections and gather evidence of team work performance for their portfolios. It might also be wise to include formative assessment of portfolio content on a regular basis to ensure learners are on the right track.
ii. The activities contribute to the assessment portfolios as they are the material about which the evidence and reflection is written.
iii. As outlined in (i), feedback includes peer (in discussions), self (in written reflections) and lecturer (as formative assessment marking).
| References | < Part 1 | Part 3 > |