Considerations to inform learning designers’ decisions when selecting strategies for learning events in higher education

Abstract

The increasing number of unemployed youths in South Africa is a growing concern. In addition to high levels of poverty, restricted education provision and limited facilities have resulted in numerous students facing a bleak future. Against this background, higher education institutions should embrace change to accommodate more poor students. Some HEIs respond to this by adopting a multimodal approach through the designing learning of events across various modes of delivery, in order to maintain consistency. This in turn presents a challenge to learning designers. This study expatiates on the challenge faced by learning designers during the decision-making process when planning and designing a learning event with multiple modes of delivery. The main research question which underpins this study is: What are the considerations which learning designers should take into account during the planning, designing and development of a multimodal learning event, taking into consideration the Cronjé four-quadrant model? For this purpose, I conducted a single looped design-based research, comprising a partially mixed sequential dominant status design to ensure research rigor. Following a systematic literature review I was able to extract constructs to be used during the qualitative and qualitative phases of the study. The quantitative component provided a structured selection of participants. Using the Cronjé four-quadrant model as framework, I was able to map modules, using an instrument, the OCIA survey, developed by Elander. All of the quadrant related to the Cronjé four-quadrant model contains both constructivist and behaviourist elements. However, the immersion quadrant is low in both and was not further discussed in this study as it relates to incidental learning and therefore not applicable to higher education. The integration quadrant is high in both constructivist and behaviourist elements. The construction quadrant is high in constructivist elements. The injection quadrant is high in objectivist elements. The qualitative component comprised semi-structured interviews with the selected participants, and elucidated the relevant data in order to address the sub-research questions. At the outset of this study, it was unclear which aspects would influence the design of learning relating to any of the quadrants of the Cronjé four-quadrant model. Learning designers should be knowledgeable in order to consider the relevant aspects of how to apply the four-quadrants model during the design of learning at higher-education level. Therefore, this study elucidates the considerations important during the analysis phase. Following my interpretation of the results I obtained, I propose a Learning Event Analysis Framework (LEAF) tool for learning event design in higher education in this study. This analysis tool holds practical application value for learning designers working in the multimodal higher education field.