Education for a Digital World

Chapter 3

Perspectives on Learning Design

M. Mahdavi and A. K. Haghi

INTRODUCTION

The complex process of teaching and learning requires complex, multi-faceted mod-

els of implementation. One tool will not meet all needs in all contexts. Changes im-

pact and influence existing models—rendering yesterday’s solutions obsolete. In the

field of learning, an adaptive model of technology selection and governance is re-

quired to ensure that all stakeholders’ needs are met. A solution today may not be

accurate tomorrow. A sustained process needs to be enacted to align context changes

with changes and approaches to learning methods and technologies available. The

university must adapt, using technologies and models of understanding, in this case

to reconcile teaching, research, IT, a changing environment, financial accountability,

and managerial models. Learning management systems (LMSs) have a position in

higher education (certain types of under-graduate level learning are more structured

and focused on memorization or content exploration). To meet the needs of all learners

in various stages of their education, a multi-faceted (holistic) view of learning must

be considered. Increasingly, personal learning environments (PLEs) provide the tools

and model to attend to the diverse learning needs of individuals today. An LMS/LCMS

handles and controls the delivery of self-paced, instructor led, and e-learning courses.

The LMS lets you publish courses and place them in an easy to use online catalog.

Learners log into the LMS with any browser, select courses from the course catalog

and take them. The LMS tracks the learners’ activities, providerships, professional

licenses, progress, compliance with course assignments, and much more. The LMS

provides online reports for each course and learner yet is inexpensive and provides the

essential features you need.

LMSs enable effective design and delivery of learning materials. They enable tools

for authors (instructors) to design learning materials that might include multimedia.

They also enable learner activity management in the learning process. Moreover, they

provide tools for effective and efcient assessment of the learners. In this chapter we

study learning activity management systems and the main components that such a

system should provide in order for instructors and learners to effectively participate in

the learning process.

There is a growing trend among medical educators towards the use of new learner-

centered teaching and preparation methods, based on self-learning and with specic

objectives. In contrast to conventional theory lectures, they are more efcient in pro-

moting learning, are more exible both for teacher and pupil, and moreover, they help

the learner to acquire the self-learning habit, which should become a daily practice

over the course of the learner’s professional life. In relation to computer aid and