MDDE 603: Foundations of Instructional Design: Systems Analysis and Learning Theory

Télé-Université credit:  TEC 6310 |  TELUQ

Delivery mode: Online course using Moodle

Credits: 3 - Core course

Prerequisites: None

Instructor Spring 2012: Mary Kennedy and Elizabeth Childs

Overview

Two major disciplines underlie instructional design – systems design and learning theory. In this course, you will be introduced to systems in general, educational systems in particular, and systems analysis. You will also be introduced to a broad range of learning theories and explore the role they play in instructional design. The contributions of various areas of psychology, including behaviourism and cognitive psychology, will be explored, culminating in an examination of instructional systems design and constructivist models of instruction.

MDDE: 603: Foundations of Instructional Design: Systems Analysis and Learning Theory has been designed to foster new ways of looking at education, particularly distance education, and new perspectives of how complex systems work. It explores teaching and learning, and provides you with important insights related to learning theory and how it relates to instructional design. Together, the topics covered in this course provide a foundation for MDDE 604:Instructional Design in Distance Education, where you will complete an actual instructional design project.

Course Objectives

After completing this course students will be able to:

• Explain why a systems approach is important in the design of education, particularly distance education.
  
  
• Analyse educational systems, including distance educational systems, in terms of various systems models.
  
  
• Discuss the main epistemological orientations that underlie the various theories of learning and interpret these orientations in light of their own views on the teaching – learning process.
  
  
• Compare and contrast the three major learning theories – Behavioural, Cognitive, and Constructivist – that underlie Instructional Design theory and models.
  
  
• Explain how Behavioural, Cognitive, and Constructivist theories apply to Instructional Design, especially that pertaining to Distance Education modalities and learning environments.
  
  
• Explain how Cognitive Development theories apply to Instructional Design, especially that pertaining to Distance Education modalities and learning environments.
  
  
• Explain how the Neuroscience of learning informs Instructional Design, especially that pertaining to Distance Education modalities and learning environments.
  
  
• Describe the major theories of human motivation and explain how these inform Instructional Design, especially that pertaining to Distance Education modalities and learning environments.
  
  
• Develop a personalized theory of teaching and learning for use in the design of Distance Education and learning environments.

Course Outline

The course units for MDDE 603 include the following:

Unit 1: Perspectives on Teaching and Learning

Unit 2: A Brief Introduction to Behaviourism

Unit 3: Cognitive Theories of Learning

Unit 4: Key Aspects of Cognitive Development

Unit 5: The Neuroscience of Learning

Unit 6: Role(s) of Motivation in Learning

Unit 7: The Neuroscience of Learning

Unit 8: Introduction to Key Systems Concepts

Unit 9: Soft Systems Analysis

Assessment

Your final course mark will be based on three major assignments and on your participation in the discussion forums and the debate. The assignments for the course are briefly described below.

In Assignment #1 you will revise and update a distance education course that currently exists in a mixed mode format – a combination of course manual and readings (print), and web-based activities (discussion forums and resource links). This group design project will reflect “best practices” based on research and theory on human learning. This assignment and a peer evaluation of the collaborative group work are worth 25% of your course mark.

In Assignment #2 you will write a 10 to 15 page paper that describes your personal Theory of Practice about teaching and learning. Your Theory of Practice will include a customized set of guidelines about how people learn and how instruction should take place in a learning context in which some form of distance delivery is used. This assignment is worth 25% of your course mark.

In Assignment #3 you will work collaboratively to describe and analyse an educational system and apply systems analysis concepts. This assignment is worth 30% of your course mark.

Participation in Unit 6 Debate value 10%

Discussion Forums : There are five discussion forums in the course. You are required to engage in a minimum of three, which together make up the remaining 10% of the course mark.

Course Materials

Texts

• Schunk, D. H. (2011). Learning Theories: An educational perspective. New Jersey, NY: Prentice Hall
  
  
• Naughton, J. (1984). Soft systems analysis: An introductory guide. Milton Keynes: The Open University Press.
  
  
• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Research Council.
  

Course Reader

Additional Course Readings

Additional readings are provided in all units as downloadable PDF files or as links to readings located on the Internet. Check the readings list at the beginning of each unit.

Get Started Early

Access to the Learning Management System, Moodle, begins one week before the official start date of your course.

CDE - Last updated by MM February 06, 2012