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Implementation
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Sequence
Tasks
Resources
Supports

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Sequence

 

The learning design comprises four main activity stages, with a a range of resources and support mechanisms. The Learning Design Sequence is illustrated as follows.

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Task

 

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO
As illustrated in the Learning Design Sequence, the sequence of activities students are required to follow are:

  1. Decide on a team role (project manager, graphic design, programmer, instructional designer or content developer).
  2. Negotiate within a team of four students the exact responsibilities of this role, which include major deliverables for each assignment, the approximate hours of work, and an estimate of the quality of work (grade expectation).
  3. Once teams are formed and contracts are signed, the team then decides on a suitable project the team can develop that will help enhance their employment opportunities. Completed projects are hosted on the university's server as part of an electronic portfolio.
  4. Students then use all the resources (both face-to-face & online) to develop documentation (project proposal, costing, design specification, legal contracts and evaluation reports) and products for clients.
  5. As all the teams are developing these projects, individual students complete weekly self/peer assessment journals. Based on these entries, the online application prepares confidential reports for tutors.
  6. Tutors then use these reports to conduct "Tutor Led Peer Assessment" sessions, and moderate marks of individual students within each team according to their contributions and quality of work.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ORDER
Students must firstly take ownership of and commit to their team role within a team of four students before commencing the project. It is important for students in this unit (final year multimedia students) to consider what job placements they will be focusing on when they finish the course. This unit gives them the opportunity to experience these skills in an authentic setting with a variety of supports.

After each student has committed to a team role (through the contract system) they them engage with activities that promote project management skills, as well as generic skills needed in the industry.

CRITICAL ACTIVITIES
The critical activities that underpin the design include:

  • Deciding on a team role, and committing to it through a contract.
  • Selecting a team of 4 students and selecting a suitable project that will help promote their skills to the industry.
  • Using the self/peer assessment tools to help "keep the team honest".
  • Selecting appropriate resources needed to complete the project.

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Resources

 

ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES

  • A text book written specifically for this course.
  • Two Readers with contemporary information on multimedia project management.
  • Procedures and templates appropriate to each topic covered each week.
  • Hits and tips for each topic.
  • URLs and other resources for each weekly topic.
  • Documentation and projects developed by previous students (online).
  • Generic skill definitions, information and strategies for improvement.

RESOURCES IN CONTEXT
The resources provide the basic domain-specific knowledge required for this unit. Students decide which of these resources are most appropriate for their needs and roles i.e. students are required to make decisions about which resources are most relevant for their tasks and skills.

VARYING THE RESOURCE SET
The self-regulated nature of the environment requires a large resource base, so that students can freely make choices about which resources are most appropriate for their skills. It would be difficult to remove any of the above resources.

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Supports

 

SUPPORTS SUPPLIED
The supports provided to the student includes:

  • Samples of multimedia job adverts and specifications to help students determine required skills for their team role.
  • Online contract template. Requires students to determine – project topic, client name, team role, estimated time, major deliverables and quality (grade).
  • Online procedures and templates to help with content specific tasks such as project proposal, design specifications, legal contract etc.
  • Online application for self and peer assessment. Enables students to confidentially report on their peers. This allows tutors to quickly gauge how students are operating within their teams.
  • Tutor led peer assessment sessions. Allows tutors to discuss and negotiate how marks should be re-distributed within the team on the basis of deliverables and quality of work.
  • Feedback obtained from clients, other teams and tutor on the quality of their products, documentation and presentation skills.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SUPPORT STRATEGIES
The supports provide authentic tools that encourage students to engage with the content, and motivate them to complete the given exercises.

SUPPORT STRATEGY ADAPTATION
Almost all of the supports are necessary to help students engage with the content. The contract, self/peer assessment, tutor-led peer assessment and feedback all provide authentic learning experiences.

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