Designing and Developing Digital and Blended Learning Solutions

The continuous advancement in computing, together with the decline in its cost, has resulted in technology becoming ubiquitous (Arbaugh, 2008, Gros, 2007). Technology is growing and is part of our lives in almost every respect, including the way we learn. Technology helps to collapse time and space in learning. For example, technology allows learners to engage with their instructors synchronously, in real time and also asynchronously, by enabling sessions to be recorded. Space and distance is no longer an issue provided there is adequate bandwidth, which determines the most appropriate format such text, audio or video. Technology has revolutionised the way learners learn; courses are designed; and ‘lessons’ are delivered, and continues to do so. The learning process can be made vastly more efficient as learners have knowledge at their fingertips, and unfamiliar concepts can be easily searched and an explanation found in seconds. Technology has also enabled learning to be more flexible, as learners can learn anywhere; at any time; and using different formats, e.g. text or audio. From the perspective of the instructors and L&D providers, technology offers these same advantages, plus easy scalability. Administratively, preparatory work can be undertaken more quickly even whilst student numbers grow. Learners from far and new locations can be easily accommodated. In addition, many technologies can be easily scaled to accommodate new functionality and/ or other new technologies. ‘Designing and Developing Digital and Blended Learning Solutions’ (5DBS), has been developed to recognise the growing importance of technology in L&D. This unit contains four learning outcomes and two assessment criteria, which is the same for all other units, besides Learning Outcome 3 which has three assessment criteria. The four learning outcomes in this unit are: • Learning Outcome 1: Understand current digital technologies and their contribution to learning and development solutions; • Learning Outcome 2: Be able to design blended learning solutions that make appropriate use of new technologies alongside more traditional approaches; • Learning Outcome 3: Know about the processes involved in designing and developing digital learning content efficiently and what makes for engaging and effective digital learning content; • Learning Outcome 4: Understand the issues involved in the successful implementation of digital and blended learning solutions. Each learning outcome is an individual chapter and each assessment unit is allocated its own sections within the respective chapters. This first chapter addresses the first learning outcome, which has two assessment criteria: summarise the range of currently available learning technologies; critically assess a learning requirement to determine the contribution that could be made through the use of learning technologies. The introduction to chapter one is in Section 1.0. Chapter 2 discusses the design of blended learning solutions in consideration of how digital learning technologies may support face-to-face and online delivery. Three learning theory sets: behaviourism; cognitivism; constructivism, are introduced, and the implication of each set of theory on instructional design for blended learning discussed. Chapter 3 centres on how relevant digital learning content may be created. This chapter includes a review of the key roles, tools and processes that are involved in developing digital learning content. Finally, Chapter 4 concerns delivery and implementation of digital and blended learning solutions. This chapter surveys the key formats and models used to inform the configuration of virtual learning environment software platforms. In addition, various software technologies which may be important in creating a VLE ecosystem that helps to enhance the learning experience, are outlined. We introduce the notion of personal learning environment (PLE), which has emerged from the democratisation of learning. We also review the roles, tools, standards and processes that L&D practitioners need to consider within a delivery and implementation of digital and blended learning solution.

Designing and Developing Digital and Blended Learning Solutions

Chapter 6 concerns ‘Designing and developing digital and blended learning solutions’, however, despite its title, it is not aimed at developing L&D professionals to be technologists (in so much as how Chapter 3 is not aimed at developing L&D professionals to be accounting and financial experts). Chapter 6 is about developing L&D professionals to be technology savvy. In doing so, I adopt a culinary analogy in presenting this chapter, where the most important factors in creating a dish (e.g. blended learning), are the ingredients and the flavour each of it brings. The chapter first explores the typical technologies and technology products that are available for learning and development i.e. the ingredients. I then introduce the data Format, Interactivity/ Immersion, Timing, Content (creation and curation), Connectivity and Administration (FITCCA) framework, that helps L&D professionals to look beyond the labels of technologies in identifying what the technology offers, its functions and features, which is analogous to the ‘flavours’ of the ingredients. The next section discusses some multimedia principles that are important for L&D professionals to consider in designing and developing digital learning solutions. Finally, whilst there are innumerable permutations of blended learning, this section focuses on the typical emphasis in blended learning and how technology may support such blends.

Designing Creative Destruction

This research aims to make a contribution in the context of design thinking at a global cultural scale and specifically how design methods are a feature of the homogenising and heterogenising forces of globalisation via creative destruction. Since Schumpeter’s description of economic innovation destroying the old and creating the new, a number of other interpretations of creative destruction have developed including those driving cultural evolution. However a design model showing the impact of different types of design method on cultural evolution can develop an understanding on a more systemic level from the medium to longer term impact of new designs that homogenise or increase the differences between various cultures. This research explores the theoretical terrain between creative destruction, design thinking and cybernetics in the context of exchanging cultural influences for collaborative creativity and concludes with an experiment that proposes a feedback loop between ubiquitising and differentiating design methods mediating cultural variety in creative ecosystems.

Designing Creative Destruction

This research aims to make a contribution in the context of design thinking at a global cultural scale and specifically how design methods are a feature of the homogenising and heterogenising forces of globalisation via creative destruction. Since Schumpeter’s description of economic innovation destroying the old and creating the new, a number of other interpretations of creative destruction have developed including those driving cultural evolution. However a design model showing the impact of different types of design method on cultural evolution can develop an understanding on a more systemic level from the medium to longer term impact of new designs that homogenise or increase the differences between various cultures. This research explores the theoretical terrain between creative destruction, design thinking and cybernetics in the context of exchanging cultural influences for collaborative creativity and concludes with an experiment that proposes a feedback loop between ubiquitising and differentiating design methods mediating cultural variety in creative ecosystems.

Designing for User-facing Uncertainty in Everyday Sensing and Prediction

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-07

Designing emergency preparedness resources for children with autism

Emergency preparedness is a fast developing field of education driven by the numerous disasters worldwide with more recent notable examples including the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the U.S in 2001, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsuanmi, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the London bombings in 2005, the earthquake in China in 2008, the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and more recently the Paris terror attacks in 2015. Whilst there is a growing literature focusing on the psychological implications of such disasters on children, there remains a lack of focus on disability, particularly neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism. Due to the nature of autism it is likely that this group will have specific needs during disasters and emergency situations and may find such situations more stressful than their typically developing peers, as such they can be considered a more at risk group in such events. In this paper, I consider the need for an intervention for a nearly wholly neglected group in the field of education for emergency preparedness, children with autism, and report on phase one of a project aimed at designing resources for this group.

Polygenic Interactions with Environmental Adversity in the Aetiology of Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and disabling condition with well-established heritability and environmental risk factors. Gene–environment interaction studies in MDD have typically investigated candidate genes, though the disorder is known to be highly polygenic. This study aims to test for interaction between polygenic risk and stressful life events (SLEs) or childhood trauma (CT) in the aetiology of MDD. The RADIANT UK sample consists of 1605 MDD cases and 1064 controls with SLE data, and a subset of 240 cases and 272 controls with CT data. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were constructed using results from a mega-analysis on MDD by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. PRS and environmental factors were tested for association with case/control status and for interaction between them. PRS significantly predicted depression, explaining 1.1% of variance in phenotype (p = 1.9 × 10−6). SLEs and CT were also associated with MDD status (p = 2.19 × 10−4 and p = 5.12 × 10−20, respectively). No interactions were found between PRS and SLEs. Significant PRSxCT interactions were found (p = 0.002), but showed an inverse association with MDD status, as cases who experienced more severe CT tended to have a lower PRS than other cases or controls. This relationship between PRS and CT was not observed in independent replication samples. CT is a strong risk factor for MDD but may have greater effect in individuals with lower genetic liability for the disorder. Including environmental risk along with genetics is important in studying the aetiology of MDD and PRS provide a useful approach to investigating gene–environment interactions in complex traits.

Educating for designing in and planning for country : introducing built environment students to Indigenous protocols and knowledge

Designing gainsharing model variations with logistics service company

This thesis studies, in collaboration with a Finnish logistics service company, gainsharing and the development of a gainsharing models in a logistics outsourcing context. The purpose of the study is to create various gainsharing model variations for the use of a service provider and its customers in order to develop and enhance the customer’s processes and operations, create savings and improve the collaboration between the companies. The study concentrates on offering gainsharing model alternatives for companies operating in internal logistics outsourcing context. Additionally, the prerequisites for the gainsharing arrangement are introduced. In the beginning of the study an extensive literature review is conducted. There are three main themes explored which are the collaboration in an outsourcing context, key account management and gainsharing philosophy. The customer expectations and experiences are gathered by interviewing case company’s employees and its key customers. In order to design the gainsharing model prototypes, customers and other experts’ knowledge and experiences are utilized. The result of this thesis is five gainsharing model variations that are based on the empirical and theoretical data. In addition, the instructions related to each created model are given to the case company, but are not available in this paper

An iterative analytical design framework for the optimal designing of an off-grid renewable energy based hybrid smart micro-grid

Creative ways of utilising renewable energy sources in electricity generation especially in remote areas and particularly in countries depending on imported energy, while increasing energy security and reducing cost of such isolated off-grid systems, is becoming an urgently needed necessity for the effective strategic planning of Energy Systems. The aim of this research project was to design and implement a new decision support framework for the optimal design of hybrid micro grids considering different types of different technologies, where the design objective is to minimize the total cost of the hybrid micro grid while at the same time satisfying the required electric demand. Results of a comprehensive literature review, of existing analytical, decision support tools and literature on HPS, has identified the gaps and the necessary conceptual parts of an analytical decision support framework. As a result this research proposes and reports an Iterative Analytical Design Framework (IADF) and its implementation for the optimal design of an Off-grid renewable energy based hybrid smart micro-grid (OGREH-SμG) with intra and inter-grid (μG2μG & μG2G) synchronization capabilities and a novel storage technique. The modelling design and simulations were based on simulations conducted using HOMER Energy and MatLab/SIMULINK, Energy Planning and Design software platforms. The design, experimental proof of concept, verification and simulation of a new storage concept incorporating Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) fuel cell is also reported. The implementation of the smart components consisting Raspberry Pi that is devised and programmed for the semi-smart energy management framework (a novel control strategy, including synchronization capabilities) of the OGREH-SμG are also detailed and reported. The hybrid μG was designed and implemented as a case study for the Bayir/Jordan area. This research has provided an alternative decision support tool to solve Renewable Energy Integration for the optimal number, type and size of components to configure the hybrid μG. In addition this research has formulated and reported a linear cost function to mathematically verify computer based simulations and fine tune the solutions in the iterative framework and concluded that such solutions converge to a correct optimal approximation when considering the properties of the problem. As a result of this investigation it has been demonstrated that, the implemented and reported OGREH-SμG design incorporates wind and sun powered generation complemented with batteries, two fuel cell units and a diesel generator is a unique approach to Utilizing indigenous renewable energy with a capability of being able to synchronize with other μ-grids is the most effective and optimal way of electrifying developing countries with fewer resources in a sustainable way, with minimum impact on the environment while also achieving reductions in GHG. The dissertation concludes with suggested extensions to this work in the future.

Designing the Spectator Experience

Interaction is increasingly a public affair, taking place in our theatres, galleries, museums, exhibitions and on the city streets. This raises a new design challenge for HCI, questioning how a performer s interaction with a computer experienced is by spectators. We examine examples from art, performance and exhibition design, comparing them according to the extent to which they hide, partially reveal, transform, reveal or even amplify a performerts manipulations. We also examine the effects of these manipulations including movements, gestures and utterances that take place around direct input and output. This comparison reveals four broad design strategies: `secretive,' where manipulations and effects are largely hidden; `expressive,' where they are revealed, enabling the spectator to fully appreciate the performer's interaction; `magical,' where effects are revealed but the manipulations that caused them are hidden; and finally `suspenseful,' where manipulations are apparent, but effects only get revealed when the spectator takes their turn.

Playing for Real: Designing Alternate Reality Games in Learning Contexts

Alternate Reality Game (ARG) represent a new genre of transmedia practice where players hunt for scattered clues, make sense of disparate information, and solve puzzles to advance an ever-evolving storyline. Players participate in ARGs using multiple communications technologies, ranging from print materials to mobile devices. However, many interaction design challenges must be addressed to weave these everyday communication tools together into an immersive, participatory experience. Transmedia design is not an everyday process. Designers must create and connect story bits across multiple media (video, audio, text) and multiple platforms (phones, computers, physical spaces). Furthermore, they must engage with players of varying skill levels. Few studies to-date have explored the design process of ARGs in learning contexts. Fewer still have focused on challenges involved in designing for youth (13-17 years old). In this study, I explore the process of designing ARGs as vehicles for promoting information literacy and participatory culture for adolescents (13-17 years old). Two ARG design scenarios, distinguished by target learning environment (formal and informal context) and target audience (adolescents), comprise the two cases that I examine. Through my analysis of these two design cases, I articulate several unique challenges faced by designers who create interactive, transmedia stories for – and with – youth. Drawing from these design challenges, I derive a repertoire of design strategies that future designers and researchers may use to create and implement ARGs for teens in learning contexts. In particular, I propose a narrative design framework that allows for the categorization of ARGs as storytelling constructs that lie along a continuum of participation and interaction. The framework can serve as an analytic tool for researchers and a guide for designers. In addition, I establish a framework of social roles that designers may employ to craft transmedia narratives before live launch and to promote and scaffold player participation after play begins. Overall, the contributions of my study include theoretical insights that may advance our understanding of narrative design and analysis as well as more practical design implications for designers and practitioners seeking to incorporate transmedia features into learning experiences that target youth.

Regenerative Aquaculture: Designing for Resilience of the Chesapeake Tidewater

The Chesapeake Bay is out of balance. As the effects of decades of overharvesting, overdevelopment, and pollution have taken their toll, tidewater communities are confronted with a loss of culture, livelihood, and the environment in which they live. This thesis seeks to reframe the problem of regeneration of community and environment, through the use of resilient design. Resilient design is the process of designing for an uncertain at risk future. Through resilient design, architecture and aquaculture can be combined with food culture to foster stewardship of place. This thesis will explore interconnectedness of tidewater food culture, the waterman culture, aquaculture, and regenerative design in an effort to generate a holistic solution. The final product will consist of a methodology of planning for resilience at a framework scale, and will also propose an architectural solution that combines educational facilities with commercial aquaculture, to foster stewardship and regeneration in the Chesapeake Tidewater.

Maternal history of early adversity and child emotional development : investigating intervening factors

L’objectif de cette thèse était de contribuer à l’avancement des connaissances quant aux circonstances permettant une transmission intergénérationnelle du risque émanant de l’adversité maternelle et aux mécanismes sous-tendant cette transmission, dans quatre articles empiriques. Le premier visait à explorer la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle, la sécurité d’attachement mère-enfant et le tempérament de l’enfant. Les mères ont complété une entrevue semi-structurée portant sur leurs représentations d’attachement avec leurs parents, à 6 mois, et ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 2 ans. La sécurité d’attachement fut également évaluée à 2 ans. Les résultats ont démontré que les enfants dont les mères rapportaient des niveaux supérieurs d’adversité présentaient de moins bons niveaux d’activité comportementale, uniquement lorsqu’ils avaient un attachement sécurisant avec leur mère. Ces résultats suggèrent une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. Le deuxième article visait à investiguer si le transporteur de sérotonine (5-HTTLPR) module la transmission de risque intergénérationnelle de l’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 18 et à 36 mois. Le génotype des enfants fut extrait à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé un effet d’interaction entre l’adversité maternelle et le génotype de l’enfant sur le tempérament, suggérant une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets de l’adversité maternelle sur le fonctionnement émotionnel des enfants. Le troisième article visait à explorer la relation entre les difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale des mères, la sensibilité maternelle et les symptômes intériorisés de leurs enfants. Les mères ont complété plusieurs questionnaires desquels un score composite de difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale fut extrait. La sensibilité maternelle fut observée à 12 mois. Les symptômes intériorisés des enfants furent évalués par les deux parents à 2 et à 3 ans. Les résultats ont démontré qu’une augmentation des difficultés maternelles d’adaptation psychosociale étaient associée à davantage de symptômes intériorisés chez les enfants, mais seulement chez ceux dont les mères étaient moins sensibles. Ces résultats ont été observés par les mères à 2 ans et par les deux parents à 3 ans. Ces résultats suggèrent que les enfants peuvent être différemment affectés par l’adaptation émotionnelle de leur mère tout en mettant l’emphase sur le rôle protecteur de la sensibilité maternelle. Le quatrième article visait à investiguer les rôles médiateurs de la dépression et de la sensibilité maternelle dans la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle et le tempérament de l’enfant. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également rapporté leurs symptômes dépressifs à 6 mois. La sensibilité maternelle fut évaluée de façon concomitante. Les mères ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle à la génération suivante suivant une médiation séquentielle passant d’abord par la dépression maternelle et ensuite par la sensibilité maternelle. Finalement, les résultats des quatre articles ont été intégrés dans la conclusion générale.