Abstract

Advances in digitisation, automation and massification of higher education appear to diminish the role of teachers, as mediators of knowledge. However, at the same time, these advances call for a strengthening of their position as guides, mentors and facilitators of learning. This realization reinforces the calls to re-conceive educational work as a participatory design practice, and raises the need to democratize design knowledge in education. In 1977 Christopher Alexander and his colleagues introduced the notion of design patterns as a means for democratising architectural design. This methodology has since spread into software engineering, and in recent years has been gaining ground in education. In this talk, we will introduce the argument for re-positioning educators as learning designers, present the design patterns approach and argue for its utility as a method for democratising educational design knowledge, consider the potential for participatory approaches in educational design, and share some examples from our experience.

In doing so, this presentation introduces the concept of learning design studios, participatory pedagogical pattern workshops and teachers’ co-creative educational design collaboratoriums as a framework for bottom-up, participatory and teacher-led educational development. First, the concept of pedagogical pattern languages is introduced as a framework for pedagogical and educational development in higher education; second the method of pedagogical pattern as a way for teachers to capture, develop and share teaching practices and innovation in teaching within institutions is described; third, the process of working in teachers educational design collaboratorium is proposed as a way to carry out such processes as a collaboration, co-creation and capacity building between teachers; fourth, concrete examples from practice is given on the outcome of such method and processes are given.

Speakers

Dr. Yishay Mor consults businesses, NGOs and educational institutions on the design, development, assimilation and dissemination of educational innovations. Previously founding head of the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching at the Levinsky College of Education, Tel Aviv, educational design scientist at PAU Education, Barcelona, and senior lecturer at the Open University UK's Institute of Educational Technology.

Dr. Rikke Toft Nørgård is Associate Professor in Educational Design & Technology at The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, where she is also Steering group member of Centre for Higher Education Futures (CHEF). She is elected board member of the international Philosophy and Theory of Higher Education Society (PaTHES) and elected board member of the national Danish Network for Educational Development in Higher Education (DUN). Dr. Nørgård is coordinator of the DUN-SIG ’Digital Pedagogy and Learning in Higher Education’ (DIP).

Additional information and link for joining the online talk will be sent to everyone signed up when registration closes.

Resources and additional information

• The learning design studio: collaborative design inquiry as teachers' professional development
• Participatory pattern workshops: a methodology for open learning design inquiry
• Networked Learning in, for, and with the World
• MOOC Design Workshop: Educational Innovation with Empathy and Intent