COURSE WRITING (DEVELOPMENT) BWR107

Have you always wanted to develop online learning courses?

 

You can! Gain skills and develop yourself and your C.V. or resume! Catch the eye of employers.  

This short course is ideal for professional development for anyone already working in education, or works well for anyone starting out and jumping into developing courses for the online learner! 

This course is completely unique! It is written and has been developed and delivered by people with 30 years experience in the sector. 

  • Find out what matters in courses delivered online. 
  • Find out how to engage learners in their student experience. 
  • Work on curriculum and qualification development. 
  • Explore some of the keys concepts of online and home based education. 
  • Understand the regulation and frameworks form the basis on which online education is developed. 

Online learning is an essential and increasingly popular mode of education. It's necessity in training programs and learning and development department is creating a big demand for course developers. While many people are skilled and trained in education, often there's more to learn about delivering education in the online environment. 

Teaching means facilitating learning in the student. All learners need quality educational resources. Develop a fantastic new resource or course today! 

This 100 hour module develops your skills to write for education specifically. Teachers need to write course notes, course developers write curriculum.

  • This course has relevance to writing for any age -from children to adults. 
  • Learning to write better course notes will make you a better teacher, trainer or tutor
  • When course notes, student guides and teaching notes are better conceived and constructed; the effectiveness of the course is likely to be far better.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are 8 lessons in this module as follows:

  1. Bases for Education
    • Approaches to Education
    • Teacher Centred Learning
    • Student Centred Learning: PBL, Experiential, Montessori, Self paced learning
    • Specialist or Generalist Education
    • Competency Based Training; CBT
    • Homework
    • Delivery Modes
    • Issues For Learning; Lifelong learning, Foundation skill development, Reinforcement
    • Problem Based Learning; characteristics of PBL,Why PBL, Benefits of PBL, PBL Problems, PBL project stages
    • Education Contextualisation
    • Trends, Ethics, Equity
    • Establishing Course Aims
  2. Course Writing Methodologies
    • Developing Courses
    • Course Outlines
    • Curriculum Documentation
    • Study Notes
    • Continuous or Periodic Course Review and Development
    • Identifying Needs; student perspective, educators perspective, family perspective, community and industry perspective
    • Identifying Resources; student and teacher
    • Writing Aims, Competencies and Assessment Criteria
    • Writing Course Notes
    • Writing Practicals
    • Writing for Clarity and Understanding; principles of good writing, structuring the course
    • Coding Courses
    • Flexible Delivery
    • Applying Strategies for Flexible Delivery
    • Course Components; Assignments, Exercises, Brainstorming, Buzz Groups, Demonstration, Discussion, Case Study, Guest Speakers, Laboratory Work, Lecture, Mutual Lectures, Practical Workshop, Project, Tutorials
  3. Level of Study
    • Determining Appropriate Level of Study; Quantitative and Qualitative Factors
    • Descriptors
    • Duration
    • Assessment
    • Levels of Training; eg. varying certificate levels between UK and Australia
    • Lessons and lesson plans
    • Determining level required
    • Identifying student needs
    • Allowing for different modes of study
    • Structuring a lesson
    • Timing a lesson
    • Evaluating and improving a lesson
    • Levels and kinds of Language
    • Language of learning, and Professional language
    • Determining level of Training
    • Skills and Training Objectives; Competence
  4. Curriculum Documentation
    • Scope and Nature
    • Examples
    • Structure and Layout
  5. Course Materials
    • Introduction
    • Teaching Resources
    • Learning Resources
    • PBL Project; Develop a new course with minimum use of limited resources: financial and other.
  6. Course Material Creation
    • Developing knowledge
    • Applying Knowledge
    • Reflection and Review
    • Developing Skills
    • Innovation and Flexibility
    • Types of Support Materials; documentation, visual elements and illustration, technical aids
    • Factors to Consider when Writing Support Materials
    • Writing for Distance Education; Problems and Solutions
    • Writing a Question
    • Dealing with Practical Aspects of Education
    • Clarity and Consciousness
    • Improving Clarity
    • Understanding Causes of Confusion
    • Ways to Write Concisely
    • Differentiating between Guidelines, Instructions and Procedures
    • Correspondence Course Structure
    • Writing PBL Documentation
    • Handouts
    • Visual Materials; Illustration, Charts
    • Audio Materials, Recorded Presentations
    • Digital Technology; Educational Applications for Digital Technologies
    • Multimedia
    • The Internet
  7. Reviewing and Updating Courses
    • Change and Inertia in Education
    • Policies and Procedures to Support Change
    • How to Review a Course
    • Procedure for Changing an Established Course
    • Procedure for Maintaining Currency
  8. Recognition and Accreditation
    • Who can Provide Education
    • Universal Recognition; Is it Possible
    • Scope of Endorsement Systems
    • Recognition and Qualifications
    • What is Accreditation
    • The Value of Accreditation
    • Accreditation Myths
    • Recognition and Accreditation Systems
    • Trends
    • Who accredits or recognises what
    • Secondary, Vocational, University Education
    • Industry Training Boards
    • Accreditation Authorities
    • Other Forms of Recognition
  9. Application and Implementation
    • Delivering Classroom Based Courses
    • Session Organisation
    • Delivering Practical Courses Outside a Classroom
    • Delivering Distance Education Courses
    • Customising Distance Education
    • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Purpose of Assessment
    • Formative, Cumulative and Summative Assessment
    • Assessment Policies and Procedures
    • Marking Guidelines for Assignments

Course Duration: 100 hours

Aims

  • Determine an appropriate basis for developing a course to suit a given need.
  • Write course documentation and materials methodically and with clarity.
  • Explain differences between levels of study, particularly in post secondary education.
  • Write curriculum documentation for a course.
  • Identify and evaluate sources for course materials and support services for a course.
  • To plan and create a variety of course materials to support learning
  • Establish procedures for reviewing and updating established course materials.
  • Compare relative values of formal course endorsement systems.
  • Plan the implementation of a developed course

 

Using Age Appropriate Language is Important

The type of written language used to address a 7-year-old audience is quite different to that used for 10-year-olds. It can be a useful exercise if writing for a particular age group to read a number of published books aimed at your target group. That way, you can quickly develop an understanding of what is appropriate vocabulary, language and content to use.

Books aimed at infants and toddlers may or may not contain words. They do most certainly contain many pictures. Until a child reaches school age, books are intended to be read aloud to them. Thereafter there is a transition period where the child learns to read for themselves and both child and adult may read aloud together. Even children who have mastered reading still enjoy being read to.

Preschool & Kindergarten - between the ages of three and five years, children begin to appreciate characters and stories. The younger members of this group are still very much into board books and pictures but the older ones start to enjoy stories about other children or anthropomorphic animals that speak and act like people. Plots are very simple. Children of kindergarten age respond to stories which have a clear beginning, middle and end. They are more curious and like to read or be read to about different people and places. Characters in these stories should take risks but eventually come out on top so that there is a happy ending.  
 
Age 6 - children in the first years of school are actively learning to read. Books still contain many illustrations, but sentences should be more interesting so as to maintain the child's enthusiasm. They should be in contrast to learning books which are quite repetitious. Children in this age group are able to explore their imaginations more readily because they are developing a sense of what is real and what is imaginary. They enjoy fantasy stories and especially like stories of good prevailing over bad. They also like to hear about the underdog overcoming the favourite.

Age 7 - at six to seven years of age children have developed a greater understanding of what is read to them. Although they are still learning to read themselves, they can understand a lot more in general. They also become a little less egocentric and start to appreciate that other people have thoughts and feelings just like they do. They begin to empathise with the characters in stories and recognise when they are sad, happy, excited, or angry. They can also deal with slightly more complicated plots and characters can be a little more sophisticated. Children of this age may read a lot - especially if they are provided with plenty of easy to read books.

Ages 8-10 - children in this age group are open to reading a wider range of genres. Science fiction, fantasy, historical dramas - all kinds of books appeal to them. They are still also interested in picture books although mostly their books do not contain so many pictures.   Plots and characters can be more sophisticated and should be concerned with deeper moral issues. These children are beginning to understand morality as more than simply a case of what is right or wrong.

Ages 10-12 - most pre-adolescent children are quite good readers. They sometimes enjoy reading easy to read books or stories they read when they were younger. They also like to continue to expand their reading by taking on new genres. Their curiosity might tempt them to try books which are perhaps a little too old for them. They often wish to explore a greater level of moral dilemma and may delve into adult issues. They learn to problems solve through reading and to develop new interests. Children like to befriend others with similar interests and their peer groups become more influential than their parents. They often share secrets together and have their own groups and clubs. The characters in their books can take on more meaning in their lives and leave a greater impression on them. 

Ages 12-14 - this is really an extension of the 10-12 year old age group. There is further consolidation of peer groups and books which appeal to these children have slightly more complex plots and characters. A wide range of genres are appealing as well as reference books and non-fiction. Some of the books available for the older age of this range are perhaps a little too mature for the younger children, and the themes may not be considered appropriate for them by adults.   

Teens or Young Adults - books aimed at children in this age group often contain adult themes. Children may read books so as to learn to deal with difficult emotions which they are unable to express, or to overcome problems related to growing up. Some of the themes are quite depressing and may be violent or challenging in other ways. This is perhaps because many authors targeting this group are focusing on the 'storm and stress' often associated with teenage life. Of course, most teenagers do not experience a great deal of upheaval at this stage in their life and so there is plenty of room again for a wide range of other genres. Many books appeal to the young adult's growing sense of morality, ethics and fairness.       

One of the problems faced by parents and teachers in selecting suitable age-appropriate books is that unless they are familiar with the books through having read them themselves, it can be difficult to assess whether the content is inappropriate, ineffective for learning -perhaps too mature, frightening, or aggressive for the child to read. Some have argued that perhaps children's books should be rated using a classification system similar to film and television so that parents can make a more informed choice. As yet, this seems unlikely to happen. Even if it did, it might actually prevent some children from being allowed to read extremely good literature just because of a few expletives.

As a writer it is perhaps not a good idea to consider carefully the purpose of what you are writing and the age group or demographic you are writing for. Choose language, and the depth and scope of content to be appropriate to those who will be reading the material.

 

Why Study the Course? The Answer ... Fantastic Career Opportunities! 
  • Education industry jobs rank in the top 5 growth areas for employment opportunities! Now's the time to get involved!
  • Education needs to be everyone's top priority. We know education can enhance skills too, such as: 
  • Improve your ability to communicate with others confidently
  • Develop problem solving skills relevant to this discipline 
  • Expand awareness and develop creativity
  • Facilitate networking and make new contacts
  • Develop attributes that set you apart from others in your industry
  • Motivate you, build confidence, and more!


ARE YOU THINKING "YES, I WANT THIS!"

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