As I arrived in my current role of Digital Curriculum Support and Developer in the Institute of Health and Allied Professions (IHAP), in late August 2021. I was absent in initiating digital support for much of the new academic year preparation. Which that includes reviewing and updating the new NOW learning rooms and PebblePad workbooks, and creating associated ATLAS Workspaces. As we edge closer to the forthcoming new academic year 22/23 and digital curriculum preparations start to take a focus. A few months earlier, I created a brief rough and ready framework (3 slides) - embedded at the bottom; 'NTU IHAP learning design process'. Aligned with academy standards, it illustrates how I will work with IHAP colleagues/enable to work with me to co-create, update and deploy PebblePad workbooks and NOW (university Virtual Learning Environment) learning room content (module or course pages). There is finer detail within the slide notes that guide both me and colleagues through the expectations of each step - which is not viewable in the exported video. I sent the slides to my head Dr Anne Felton for review and approval before communicating widely to colleagues, she went on to say “Hi Dan, that looks good to me! There may be exceptional circumstances when we need to ask for a deviation but this is a clear process and will be a great guide for staff on how to approach these developments”. Which of course is flexible indeed.
Most course areas have been working with me in this way over the months, but I wanted to be explicit and ensure that digital curriculum aspects are fit for purpose, and moving forwards this will be the flexible sub-process to involve me during course sprints, course development plans etc. The collaborative process I created enables me and colleagues to meet and discuss the following to ensure everything is in order before going live with their PebblePad workbooks and NOW learning room content:
- Confirm PebblePad-using courses, cohorts and start dates
- Workbook review and updates
- Workbook deployment; ATLAS Workspace creation via NOW module learning rooms
- Content developments in NOW learning rooms, and planned use of online and in-classroom learning technologies
- Student NOW and PebblePad inductions
Colleagues are also encouraged to book time with me be selecting the option; 'NOW and PebblePad new academic year preparation' and finding availability here: https://tinyurl.com/IHAPdigitalcurriculumsupport. The duration can be changed and I can convert these to in-person, it’s just convenient for initial availability finding.
The collaborative process has been useful for my own clarity and approach with colleagues, and to reinforce the importance of engaging with me in the new academic year process. As things just don't 'happen', they need to be discussed and agreed - and managing expectations. I also feel that communicating this has also helped change colleagues perceptions of my 'technical-focused role' to being more curriculum-centric. As this is a newly established process I have little impact to draw on, but as our institute grows, the need was to ensure that I provided a systematic and visual way for academics to engage and collaborate with me, help me to scope and structure our blended and online learning and teaching designs, and ensure the quality and consistency of digital and online learning materials produced are in line with the academy standards. As my head agreed, we should keep this flexible, as it describes in the slides, so that we can deviate from it when needed. However, a big challenge I have is getting academics to engage me through this sub-process and how I integrate this post-course design sprints. Communication and managing change is key here and using all spaces to inform staff of its purpose and importance. The pointers I raise on the two detailed slides indicate this and it relates to the wider institute and local course development plans. In the mid-term I propose to undertake a self-audit following each new academic engagement, to then extend to every 3-6 months to refine and adapt the process where necessary.