Search

Interest in how to support the design work of university teachers has led to research and development initiatives that include technology-based design-support tools, online repositories, and technical specifications. Despite these initiatives, remarkably little is known about the design work that university teachers actually do. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that investigated the design processes of 30 teachers from 16 Australian universities. The results show design as a top-down iterative process, beginning with a broad framework to which detail is added through cycles of elaboration. Design extends over the period before, while, and after a unit is taught, demonstrating the dynamic nature of design and highlighting the importance of reflection in teachers' design practice. We present a descriptive model of the design process, which we relate to conceptualizations of higher education teaching and learning, and compare with the characteristics of general design and instructional design. We also suggest directions for future research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the types of learning profiles that evolve from student use of video annotation software for reflective learning. The data traces from student use of the software were analysed across four undergraduate courses with differing instructional conditions. That is, the use of graded or non-graded self-reflective annotations. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, four profiles of students emerged: minimalists, task-oriented, disenchanted, and intensive users. Students enrolled in one of the courses where grading of the video annotation software was present, were exposed to either another graded course (annotations graded) or non-graded course (annotations not graded) in their following semester of study. Further analysis revealed that in the presence of external factors (i.e., grading), more students fell within the task-oriented and intensive clusters. However, when the external factor is removed, most students exhibited the disenchanted and minimalist learning behaviors. The findings provide insight into how students engage with the different features of a video annotation tool when there are graded or non-graded annotations and, most importantly, that having experience with one course where there are external factors influencing students' use of the tool is not sufficient to sustain their learning behaviour in subsequent courses where the external factor is removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]