13 Scheduling design workshops
One of the most effective ways to design your Open course is to hold a workshop (or series of workshops) with your key stakeholders.
Consider who at your institution is best placed to support you in contributing to these workshops. Invitees are likely to include:
- subject-matter experts,
- learning designers (or their equivalent at your institution),
- learning technologists,
- students who can make productive contributions to the course design,
- others who provide a structure to ensure the workshops are productive.
Below are some of the outputs from an effective design workshop:
- A set of clear, achievable learning outcomes.
- A course map that identifies the overall duration and timings of the course, divided into logical, themed sections.
- A high-level specification that provides a summary of the learning topics and materials as well as associated tasks and how you plan to assess these against the learning outcomes. At Leeds, we use a specific Course Outline document, which is explained in the following section.
- Initial milestones for the design and development of the project.
Determine how to set up and run the design workshop(s). For example, you may choose face-to-face sessions to capture ideas using flipcharts and sticky notes. Alternatively, you may also consider further creative approaches such as using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®[1] or the e(ducation)-pizza[2] game. Online sessions can also be as effective, and a range of collaborative digital tools will enable you to develop, capture and structure your ideas effectively.
