Creating ODL Learning Materials Made Easy: A workshop to introduce the new COL instructional design template.

Sharon Roffey

Abstract
There is no doubt that ODL has the potential to make learning accessible to the many people excluded from education and training. Moreover it has the potential to take learning to scale. And yet, experience has shown that a lack of skills in instructional design often delays developments in ODL methods, particularly among novice writers thus impeding the aspiration of ODL to serve development goals.

To rectify this situation, the Commonwealth of Learning has created a user-friendly template to assist writers of open and distance learning materials. This template will guide authors in the preparation of high quality materials.

Intuitive, easy to use and customizable, the template is suitable for everyone, regardless of word processing skill level. In essence, it is a user-friendly tool that enables content developers to convert their own subject matter expertise into learning materials. Use of the COL Learning Template will give you, the content developer, more control over the creative and development process, ultimately leading to a higher degree of motivation and end-product satisfaction, effectively collapsing the previously separate roles of content specialist, writer and graphic designer into one.

This workshop will introduce you to the template with a 15-minute overview followed by a one-hour instructor-led “hands on” practice session. At the end of the 75-minute session you will have been able to explore the template content and assess its practical use for your own projects/institutions. You will be provided with a CD-ROM containing the master template, a comprehensive “how to” user guide and a Quick Reference card.

Individual/small group sessions could be made available throughout the remainder of the conference, subject to the availability of equipment and facilities.

Maximum 10-12 participants for each workshop.

For demonstration purposes the workshop facilitator will need access to a computer installed with recent versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint and an overhead projector. Participants will need individual access to a computer with Microsoft Word. Direct printing facilities would be desirable but not essential.

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