Theories and methods of educational design

First researcher at INDIRE, PhD, MPED03 (Methodologies Of Teaching And Special Education).

She has been carrying out research and project management activities since 2003, in particular with schools in the first level of education (elementary and middle school), leading them in the processes of both didactic and organisational innovation with a focus on the use of technology as a tool for overcoming geographical isolation through remote collaboration. In the research group of the small schools, she has deepened the themes inherent to the didactic practices of distance classroom management.  She is a member and reviewer of the Network 14 of the ECER. Since 2013, she has also been working on school architecture with particular reference to participatory design and research looking at the impact of school spaces on teaching design even in small schools, from the perspective of a school as a “learning community”. She has been a member of several commissions for the selection of projects for the creation of new schools as a pedagogue. Among the research methods used, the use of qualitative-quantitative methods prevails because they respond to Indire’s mission.

TABLE AND DEFINITION OF CONTENTS

The course is divided into two modules that explore the theme of teaching design starting from the National Indications and the Certification of Competences required by the regulations (Ministerial Decree 13 February 2015):

• Module 1 – Reading, starting from the National Indications, of innovative experiences and the deepening of the Certification of competences to which these innovative experiences want to respond.

• Module 2 – in-depth study on Didactic Differentiation; the presentation of a differentiated teaching design according to the students’ study path will also be required.

A. Knowledge and understanding
The students will be offered some contents concerning in particular the themes of the design of educational paths with particular reference to the teaching design in formal educational paths. In order to achieve these objectives, the students will be offered some reflections on the difference between instruction and education and the pedagogical theories that have covered the Pedagogy in the last part of the 20th century. After an initial summary, they will be guided in the design of differentiated didactic paths.

B. Applied knowledge and understanding
Starting from the reading of the National Indications, the students will be immersed in the context to design teaching activities according to the learning objectives and targets.

C. Autonomy of judgement
In the teaching design, the student will be able to express autonomously in the proposed activities his or her own experience in respect to the design, in order to favour also the students who do not belong to the school environment.

D. Communication skills
The student will acquire communication skills through synchronous meetings.

E. Learning ability
The student will be guided in the learning pathway to develop learning skills through different modes of interaction among the students and between the students and the tutor and also through different types of materials in order to favour different ways of learning.

A. Use of advanced textbooks, knowledge of some cutting-edge topics within the subject studied
The materials used will not only be textbooks, which are however included in the bibliography, but also fact sheets on innovative topics in the field of design, videos on innovative pedagogical approaches that will allow the student to be introduced to the trends on the course subject available on the national territory.

B. Professional approach to their work and possession of adequate skills to conceive arguments, support them and solve problems within the subject studied
The course on teaching design will mainly include activities of reflection and sharing of didactic projects that can be used in a real context, and thus the student will have the opportunity to share with other students (in forums and synchronous meetings) experiences and good practices that will contribute to improve his/her professional action.

C. Ability to collect and interpret data useful for making independent judgments
The proposed course will allow the student to collect information in different formats, from different fields but which contribute to shaping the teacher’s professionalism.

D. Ability to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors
The formats of the etivities and the materials proposed use different communicative modes that will allow students to communicate with different interlocutors.

E. Ability to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy
The proposed course offers the possibility of getting to know the pedagogical scenario in which the teaching design is inserted and thanks to the information and interactions, the participant will be able to move independently within the context and, if necessary, initiate further investigation.

DIDACTICS PROVISION

• 6 video lessons;
• 3 synchronous video lessons (one per each module and a third one for synthesis);
• Podcasts of all the above-mentioned video lessons. 

  INTERACTIVE DIDACTICS

  • 1 orientation forum;
  • 2 thematic follow-up forums (1 per each module);
  • 2 structured e-activities (as described in the section “in itinere assessment methods”).

   

  SELF-LEARNING

  Teaching materials are provided for each module: in-depth thematic studies, lecturer’s articles, open access readings, online resources, reference bibliography, etc.

• Volume 1 – Castoldi, M. (2020). Ambienti di apprendimento. Rome: Carocci

To be studied: Introduction; Part One and Part Two

• Volume 2 – Tomlinson C.A, & Imbeau M. B. (2012). Condurre e gestire una classe eterogenea. Rome: LAS

To be studied: Part I: Ch. 1 only (and paragraph 2 only). Part II: Ch. 4 (paragraph 3, paragraph 4 only), Ch. 5 (paragraph  1.3, 3, 5 only), Ch. 6 (paragraph 2, 6 only) and TEACHER’S TOOLS (ALL) 

• Volume 3 – Sergiovanni, T. J. (2000). Building community in schools. Rome: LAS

To be studied: Chapters 5 and 9

Access to the final examination is subject to the completion of the following 2 e-activities

• For Module 1: reading of the material relating to the National Indications and elaboration of a didactic project on the basis of a format. [for everybody]

• For Module 2: Realisation of a didactic project that will be differentiated according to the background of the students: for “educator” students a didactic project will be proposed on the basis of a format; for teachers of any level a didactic project with
  differentiated activities will be proposed on the basis of a proposal; for non-working students the design of etivities will be required on the basis of differentiated didactics.

The assessment of learning will take place through an oral interview on the course contents and on the paper(s) presented. The grade (min 18, max 30 with possible honours) is determined by the level of performance for each of the following dimensions of the oral interview: mastery of contents, appropriateness of definitions and theoretical references, clarity of argument, command of specialist language.

Oral interview in presence.

Italian