The Learning Design Sequence is illustrates as follows.

REVIEW, INTERPRET, CONSTRUCT AND JUSTIFY PROBLEMS

• The learning design is based on the presentation of a well-researched and justified response to an open-ended situated problem. The design is constructed to build on a series of smaller, collaborative authentic tasks, each scaffolding the skills and concepts necessary for developing a response to the final authentic task.
• The series of tasks needs to be carefully constructed within the chosen context to structure the development of an understanding of the appropriate skills and processes required to review available information, interpret appropriate data, construct a well-argued response to the situated issue and justify the response with appropriate evidence.
• The learning setting is based on a virtual scenario involving a number of smaller, collaborative tasks leading to an accumulation of skills and understanding evidenced in an individual response to an over-arching question. The tasks follow the broad sequence outlined below:
  1. The initial suite of tasks require students to work collaboratively to explore case study data, complete procedural tasks, interpret and critique information and justify responses to a series of related authentic tasks in context.
  2. The developmental sequence of the collaborative tasks provides a structure in which students can develop practical skills underpinning the domain, leading to a growing conceptual awareness of how to address the complexity of the question posed. Students may choose to work through the suite of tasks in any order, however a defined sequence is preferred for cohesion in feedback and to enhance co-construction of knowledge.
  3. The final activity completes the inter-related set of authentic tasks set within the virtual context and is the culmination of the conceptual development outcomes of the group tasks. This task requires students to work individually with higher order analytic skills than before. Students are now expected to use skills and knowledge accumulated through the previous collaborative tasks to evidence their ability to review outcomes of the suite of tasks, interpret and conceptualise the more complex information now available, construct, articulate and justify a response to the question posed. Each response is expected to reflect a sophisticated understanding of the complexity of the issue in context.

HOW TO DESIGN THE PROBLEM?

• The first step in designing a setting where this form of problem solving can be most effective is to recognise that the integrity of the experiential learning tasks, the context and the situated learning is dependent on the clarity of the expected outcomes of the learning experience.
• The suggested sequence for developing a similar learning design is
  • Identify expected over-arching learning outcomes.
  • Identify and sequence skills, processes, concepts required to meet these learning outcomes.
  • Identify a social context and a significant situated problem which complements the expected learning outcomes.
  • Clarify the over-arching open-ended problem in context.
  • Create a sophisticated virtual learning context, including appropriate personnel, data sets, documents.
  • Develop a suite of collaborative tasks within this virtual context to meet the learning needs of the identified skills, processes and concepts.
• In creating a context for this learning design it is important for the following elements to be included:
  • The problem upon which the learning is based must provide students with supported opportunities to develop knowledge in context, using authentic information-processing criteria.
  • Each activity should involve learners in the knowledge processes of reviewing, interpreting, constructing and justifying.
  • The learners should be expected to transfer the experiential knowledge of the context to a broader understanding of the problem posed.
  • The sub-tasks should not be completed alone, but within a collaborative network of fellow students who can provide feedback and constructive advice

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES?

• The activities need to be sequenced to allow students to develop increasingly sophisticated skills and experience in reviewing and interpreting information, leading to conceptualising and justifying a sensible response to a problem.
• The activities need to provide students an experiential structure for developing and articulating accumulated knowledge and understanding in context.
• The role of collaboration in the reflective nature of developing knowledge needs to be accommodated in the activities. Each task needs to provide students a wide range of opportunities to share their knowledge development.

EXAMPLES OF TASKS

WHAT RESOURCES ARE NEEDED?

All resources made available for this form of learning design need to be consistent with the chosen authentic context and provide a set of complementary case studies. A wide range of resources needs to be developed to encourage students to develop critical selection skills. The following resources are suggested:

• authentic data sets to analyse;
• virtual characters, complete with case histories;
• virtual documents modelling real life documents and materials related to issue;
• procedure guide outlining learning tasks;
• a reading guide posing differing theoretical and research-based perspectives on the issue;
• URLs for appropriate journal articles and book chapters;
• documents and evidence of a range of stakeholder perspectives;
• a data analysis manual for any required analysis skills;
• access to group responses to each task - Bulletin board.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THE RESOURCE CHOICE?

• It is essential that all resources made available/developed for the students are consistent with the authenticity of the situated issue which is the experiential basis for the learning design.
• All resources must complement the virtual setting which forms the basis of the experiential learning design.
• The resources must provide multiple perspectives related to the issue being explored, and a range of virtual experiences from which students can develop an informed position on the 'problem'.
• Although virtual, the resources should provide a sense of being primary sources, reflecting real-life data.
• Resources must provide links and suggested further exploration to allow opportunities for students to source their own information.
• Data analysis examples and analysis guides must be consistent with the virtual setting, modelling appropriate skills and processes needed for interpreting and conceptualising responses to the problem.
• Students must be provided with more resources than needed to facilitate the process of selection of information and justification of their response to the problem.
• The public nature of responses to each learning task must create an on-going resource pool for the cohort.

EXAMPLES OF LEARNING RESOURCES

WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT IS NEEDED?

• Tutor guidance: Students need easy access to a support system and regular, informed feedback to assist their development of essential skills of ICT access, analysis, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and selection of appropriate evidence to support an argued position.
• Discussion forums: Students need access to a range of public forums such as bulletin boards and email for asynchronous sharing of information, resources, responses to learning tasks, peer opinions, mentor and expert feedback and whole cohort reflection on issues. The discussion forums need to accommodate individual, group and cohort interaction.
• Learning pathways: Students need access to a structure outlining expected outcomes, useful resources and timeframe for all activities, group and individual tasks underpinning the learning design. Students need access to a related set of directed activities in context, modelling skills outcomes of group tasks.
• Collaborative teams: Students need the opportunity to work within a small, collaborative team. The team will provide a networked system to support independent skills development, understanding of the roles and responsibilities required to function effectively as a group, development of problem solving strategies, ability to articulate a response to differing ideas and to submit a consensus solution to learning tasks.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL FORMS OF SUPPORT?

The critical forms of support include:

• Institutional and instructional support for easy access to ICT communication tools and resources;
• Clear guidelines and expected outcomes for each learning task, including the significance of each task in the over-all individual student outcome of developing a justified response to the authentic 'problem';
• Collegial support from peers in collaborative teams;
• Support from tutor to guide skills development and problem-solving processes;
• Regular feedback from tutor on proposed group solutions to learning tasks.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SUPPORT STRATEGIES?

In this learning design, students are expected to work through a series of experiential learning tasks structured to develop skills and processes needed to conceptualise and articulate solutions to a situated, open-ended problem. The support is necessary to ensure that:

• students remain in contact with the cohort through continued ICT access to discussion tools;
• students effectively access intra- and inter-team collegial support in their learning;
• students develop appropriate skills to enable them to select and interpret data;
• students carry out appropriate analysis of available resources, have access to wider resources and a conceptualisation of the situation is developed in group responses to learning tasks;
• each student understands the complexities of the situation, the openness of the problem posed and the potential for a range of well justified, sensible responses;
• students develop the knowledge and skills to review, interpret, construct and justify a response to the posed problem.

EXAMPLES OF LEARNING SUPPORTS