2.1 Introduction

A glass jar stands on my desk. It is labelled ‘Think Tank’ and contains a piece of white cotton wool. From time to time it makes an excursion with me to a three-thy workshop for teachers on the subject of design decision-making at activity 4 of the course and lesson design process described in this book (see Fig. 1). This is the step at which the designer looks back at the needs specified during activity 3, and looks ahead to what should be happening when the course or lesson is installed (activity 5) and in action. It is a three-day workshop on the subject of the ‘design of learning experiences’. Continue reading 2.1 Introduction

1.4 Where does the ‘design process’ begin and end?

The activities involved in designing a course or lesson are illustrated in Fig. 1. By name, they will be quite familiar to those of you who know and have used the so-called ‘systems approach’ at the micro level. Activity 4 in the activity cycle (Fig. 1) is the one which interests us most in this book. Continue reading 1.4 Where does the ‘design process’ begin and end?

1.8 Case study no. 1: The design of an educational encounter

Here is our first case study. It describes the designing of an educational visit to a doctor and to a patient at home. The substance of the story is from an article (Earl, Everwijn and de Melker, 1980) in Medical Education. It will introduce you step by step to the activities illustrated in Fig. 1. In this way you will have a better idea of where the learning experience design step fits into the whole picture of activities at the micro level of design decision-making. Continue reading 1.8 Case study no. 1: The design of an educational encounter