Course Writing And Development

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1 Bases for Education

• Approaches to Education
• Teacher Centred Learning
• Student Centred Learning: PBL, Experiential, Montessori, Self paced learning
• Specialist or Generalist Education
• Competency Based Training; CBT
• Homework
• Delivery Modes
• Issues For Learning; Lifelong learning, Foundation skill development, Reinforcement
• Problem Based Learning; characteristics of PBL,Why PBL, Benefits of PBL, PBL Problems, PBL project stages
• Education Contextualisation
• Trends, Ethics, Equity
• Establishing Course Aims

2 Course Writing Methodologies

• Developing Courses
• Course Outlines
• Curriculum Documentation
• Study Notes
• Continuous or Periodic Course Review and Development
• Identifying Needs; student perspective, educators perspective, family perspective, community and industry perspective
• Identifying Resources; student and teacher
• Writing Aims, Competencies and Assessment Criteria
• Writing Course Notes
• Writing Practicals
• Writing for Clarity and Understanding; principles of good writing, structuring the course
• Coding Courses
• Flexible Delivery
• Applying Strategies for Flexible Delivery
• Course Components; Assignments, Exercises, Brainstorming, Buzz Groups, Demonstration, Discussion, Case Study, Guest Speakers, Laboratory Work, Lecture, Mutual Lectures, Practical Workshop, Project, Tutorials

3 Level of Study

• Determining Appropriate Level of Study; Quantitative and Qualitative Factors
• Descriptors
• Duration
• Assessment
• Levels of Training; eg. varying certificate levels between UK and Australia
• Lessons and lesson plans
• Determining level required
• Identifying student needs
• Allowing for different modes of study
• Structuring a lesson
• Timing a lesson
• Evaluating and improving a lesson
• Levels and kinds of Language
• Language of learning, and Professional language
• Determining level of Training
• Skills and Training Objectives; Competence

4 Curriculum Documentation

• Scope and Nature
• Examples
• Structure and Layout

5 Course Materials

• Introduction
• Teaching Resources
• Learning Resources
• PBL Project; Develop a new course with minimum use of limited resources: financial and other.

6 Course Material Creation

• Developing knowledge
• Applying Knowledge
• Reflection and Review
• Developing Skills
• Innovation and Flexibility
• Types of Support Materials; documentation, visual elements and illustration, technical aids
• Factors to Consider when Writing Support Materials
• Writing for Distance Education; Problems and Solutions
• Writing a Question
• Dealing with Practical Aspects of Education
• Clarity and Consciousness
• Improving Clarity
• Understanding Causes of Confusion
• Ways to Write Concisely
• Differentiating between Guidelines, Instructions and Procedures
• Correspondence Course Structure
• Writing PBL Documentation
• Handouts
• Visual Materials; Illustration, Charts
• Audio Materials, Recorded Presentations
• Digital Technology; Educational Applications for Digital Technologies
• Multimedia
• The Internet

7 Reviewing and Updating Courses

• Change and Inertia in Education
• Policies and Procedures to Support Change
• How to Review a Course
• Procedure for Changing an Established Course
• Procedure for Maintaining Currency

8 Recognition and Accreditation

• Who can Provide Education
• Universal Recognition; Is it Possible
• Scope of Endorsement Systems
• Recognition and Qualifications
• What is Accreditation
• The Value of Accreditation
• Accreditation Myths
• Recognition and Accreditation Systems
• Trends
• Who accredits or recognises what
• Secondary, Vocational, University Education
• Industry Training Boards
• Accreditation Authorities
• Other Forms of Recognition

9 Application and Implementation

• Delivering Classroom Based Courses
• Session Organisation
• Delivering Practical Courses Outside a Classroom
• Delivering Distance Education Courses
• Customising Distance Education
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Purpose of Assessment
• Forulative, Cumulative and Sumative Assessment
• Assessment Policies and Procedures

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Marking Guidelines for Assignments