Showcase
Learning Units
Rather than displaying long lists of resource links, I like to package learning units as small groups of web pages. This enables students to work through manageable 'chunks' of content.
Here you'll notice that each 'Key Knowledge Unit' begins with an engaging introduction that does more than just list learning objectives. Its role is to set the scene and to excite the learner's imagination. This may be followed by a presentation, a core text or a video analysis which is followed by one or more activities. Implicitly, the 'iCare' model is used to underpin the type of instruction given; absorb, use and reflect.
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Best practice usually dictates that presentations should be no more than 15 minutes in length and learning units should take about 30 minutes to complete. Students on this course are all in full-time employment and tend to work evenings and weekends. Small manageable units make it easier for them to do a little often.
That said, by using a micro-site format for each learning unit I am able to use sidebars and box-outs to present additional resources for students to explore at their own leisure. These days the majority of our learners are web literate and are well versed in this kind of hyperlinking. Rather than being distracting, this 'just in time' information provides important support materials and creates an immersive learning environment that encourages academic exploration.