A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

Curriculum design and development
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Case study 3: Module design for an e-learning
environment in theology
We used a team approach, of academic staff supported by the University’s Centre
for Academic Development (CAD), in the design and development of a
curriculum for a Graduate Diploma of Theology qualification offered in an
e-learning environment. Our potential students were university graduates who
came new to the study of theology and e-learning but had previous learning and
skills at advanced levels. Our main constraint was that the curriculum for the
Graduate Diploma had to be drawn from the existing curriculum of the Bachelor
of Theology programme which was delivered in a classroom environment.
Our challenge was to design a curriculum that could work with flexibility in
e-learning situations where the courses did not rely on the cumulative effects
of sequential learning but could offer an integrative experience of theology.
The courses were developed on the university e-learning platform which
interfaced with the library catalogue and databases, the Student Learning Centre
and other resources.
Learning outcomes, assessment and criteria
After identifying a selection of courses in the three subject areas of theology and
planning an e-mode development timetable, we began designing courses by
articulating the learning outcomes of each course and then relating the outcomes
to appropriate assessment activities around which we eventually constructed
criteria that directed students to the quality of their assessment activities in terms
of deep learning, as well as to the literacy information skills needed to complete
the assignment.
Content design and learning facilitation
We outlined the content topics that related to the learning outcomes and
assessment activities of each course. Design decisions centred mainly on how
best to transform topics into student e-learning experiences. As the academic
team generated ideas for learning, the CAD team transformed them into audio
and visual media components and the librarian searched out the electronic
resources and created the course library pages.
The range of learning tasks and activities included in topics varied according to
the level of the course. For example, in a level 1 course we built in teacher
facilitation as a scaffold to learning by engaging students step by step in a
theological process. At each step students participated in learning activities
individually and in groups, such as guided reading, reflection and response to
media, online group discussion and a weekly journal. Initially students received