Keynote Speaker

Design Alchemy: Transforming the Way We Think About Teaching and Learning

Roderick Sims - University of Southern Queensland, AU

Abstract

The application of computers to learning emerged from the Skinnerian Programmed Instruction concepts in the late 1960s and gained momentum in the late 1970s. Over the past four decades we have seen incredible shifts in computer technology but, arguably, little shifts in the way we think about pedagogy and the design of educational experiences. One of the foundational methodologies in this field, Instructional Design, remains a dominant force in the techniques people use to create computer-mediated teaching and learning environments. However, Instructional Design as a practice emerged prior to the rise of computers and education and its continued use and dominance remains more and more contentious. This presentation will elaborate on a model titled Design Alchemy, an integration of pedagogical and theoretical frameworks specifically structured to take advantage of the environments in which we work and enable truly social, collaborative, engaging teaching AND learning experiences. The presentation will include a range of examples as to how the principles of Design Alchemy can transform the way we think about teaching and learning.

Biographical Information

Dr. Roderick Sims met his first computer in 1971 and began working with the PLATO computer-based learning system in 1979. Subsequently he has held senior academic posts in Australian universities as well as providing consultancy services in design strategies for online learning for public and private educational providers in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. He is currently working at the University of Southern Queensland, deploying Design Alchemy as a professional development framework for academic staff.