This assessment task will provide you with opportunities to engage with the steps of unit learning design as you design a new unit, or re-design an existing unit in your discipline area.

Assessment Context

In both Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training, teachers are routinely called upon to design new units or to substantially re-design existing units. This often occurs as part of a school/faculty response to student feedback and/or recent changes in a discipline area.

For this assessment task you are asked to identify a new or existing unit from your discipline area which you can design or re-design (do this in the first 2 weeks of the term). Ideally, this chosen unit will be part of your staff workload allocation and will be a unit that you are able to teach after its development/re-development.

Part A - Written Component of the task (2500 words)

You are required to present a critical analysis of the new unit of work you will design, or the unit that you will re-design. You will present your analysis as a report containing the following sections:

1. An overview of the unit that includes its title and the title of its associated course/s, a rationale for the choice of the unit, a brief description of the learners, and where and when the unit is implemented.

2. A discussion and justification of the instructional design process you will follow.

3. A critical analysis of factors impacting on the design, including:

    • Context

    • Learners

    • Learning Outcomes and Assessment Tasks

4. A conclusion that outlines the proposed changes/developments you will apply to the unit and describes the next steps in the design/re-design process.

5. Reference list (Sections 2, 3, 4 must include scholarly references).

6. Appendices (optional and not included in word count)

Part B – Feedback Component of the task (recorded discussion [no more than 5 minutes] and critical reflection [max 400 words])

You are required to use your written design analysis of your unit to engage in consultation and collaboration with a peer/s (from your discipline area or from this unit) to receive feedback on your change/new unit design.

You are required to record your interaction (through zoom, voice recording, or other digital means). The recording you will produce will be a maximum of 5 minutes. You will take on a facilitation role as you engage your peer/s with the instructional design process you have followed, your analysis of factors, and the proposed changes you will make to the unit. In turn, your partner will provide you with feedback about your choices (at the beginning of the feedback session you will identify the specific feedback that you require).

Using the feedback received from your feedback partner/s, present a critical reflection on your design decisions (including scholarly references). [max 400 words]

Referencing Style: You may use either APA 7th Edition or Harvard referencing styles. CQUniversity abridged versions for both of these referencing styles are located in Moodle. 

Identify and analyse the range of contextual elements that impact on the design of units

Analyse the impact that policies, procedures and governance frameworks have on learning design

Apply the principles of reflective and collaborative practices to enhance units of study

Design/re-design an engaging unit informed by scholarship

This assessment task will provide you with opportunities to progress your unit learning design for your new or re-designed unit. The focus of this task will be on developing teaching strategies across the unit informed by the feedback provided on AT1 as well as the materials about learning and teaching practices provided on Moodle.

The task has two parts.

Part A – Teaching and learning activities unit matrix

Fill out the general information section – this will allow the reader to understand the context of your unit.

You will then complete the Teaching and Learning Activities unit matrix. It is important that you provide sufficient detail about your teaching and learning strategies and choices so that the reader has a clear picture of how you have taken a learner-centred approach in your planning.

It is anticipated that you will provide varied pedagogical strategies and resources across the unit to cater for the needs of your students and that each learning event/lesson will contain a description of an introduction, body and conclusion.

Part B – Critical reflection on your planning decisions (1000 words)

Referring to the activities described in your unit matrix, critically reflect on your planning decisions to demonstrate the following:

· How your planning decisions were informed by key theories about learning and instructional design;

· Your knowledge of the needs of your learners;

· How you maximised opportunities for learning for all students regardless of their mode of study;

· Your understanding of the need to sequence teaching and learning strategies and to ensure that the planned learning goals are met;

· Your use of feedback on AT1 to strengthen your unit design/re-design.

Your discussion will include references to key theories as well as examples from your planning practices (the unit matrix).

Additional Notes: If your submission relates to a unit offered at an institution other than CQUniversity, then please include your institution’s generic skills requirements, and relevant frameworks, policies and procedures in your discussion in this assessment task.

Referencing Style: You may use either APA 7th Edition or Harvard referencing styles. CQUniversity abridged versions for both of these referencing styles are located in Moodle.

Make design decisions that are relevant and suited to the chosen cohort/s and delivery contexts

Design engaging and challenging teaching and learning activities that are informed by scholarship

Provide evidence of reflective practice in the design of the unit