Sharing the ABC approach to learning design across three European universities
The three major European research-intensive universities, Università degli Studi di Milano (UniMi), Sorbonne Universite and University College London (UCL) all have ambitious strategies to develop digitally rich teaching programmes. Yet only a minority of their teachers possess the design skills, technology knowledge and time to remodel their courses.
To address the introduction of blended formats, in 2014 UCL developed ABC, a dynamic hands-on learning design workshop. Using rapid prototyping, course teams work collaboratively over 90 minutes to create a visual ‘storyboard’ of the learning activities (both online and offline) required to meet the course learning outcomes. Assessment methods, cross-program themes and institutional strategies are also integrated into the process. The ABC method was trialed successfully at UniMi and Sorbonne University in 2017 but the approach raises complex issues of academic development prior to the workshop and learning design support afterwards. Effective adoption of shared methodologies requires considerable cultural and linguistic localisation.
ISSN 2593-9602
This paper was presented at the 2019 European Learning & Teaching Forum and reflects the views of the named authors only.
