How to develop a module
Here we describe some possible steps to develop a module. As with curriculum development in general, backward design is also very useful when developing a module. Based on the learning outcomes of the module it is important to first define the assessment. How will students show that they have achieved the learning outcomes? Based on the learning outcomes and the assessment, we can formulate more detailed learning objectives. Learning objectives can focus on parts of the module and usually define the goals of the specific module. To be able to define the learning objectives it is also important to analyse the entrance level of the learners. Which knowledge and skills have they already acquired, which tasks can they already perform? The gap between the entrance level and the expected learning outcomes will inform the learning objectives of the module.
Once the learning objectives are formulated, it is time to start developing the content and organisation of the module. The learning objectives should inform which pedagogy and activities to choose. For example, nobody learns how to ride a bicycle just by listening to a lecture explaining the theory of balancing a bicycle. To learn how to ride a bicycle you have to actually try to ride it. Designing the module, it is important to ensure that assessment criteria, learning objectives, learning activities and chosen pedagogy are aligned. The curricular spider web (described in Curriculum design tools and models ) can support the development of aligned modules and curricula.
As learning in modules is often clustered around tasks instead of knowledge, we might also have to introduce ‘new’ pedagogies. Learning how to perform certain tasks will require a more integrated approach and often a more authentic learning environment, which means that the environment and the learning activities should resemble as much as possible the future working environment of the students. To support students in acquiring the learning outcomes, different learning situations can be created around typical and realistic situations or problems encountered within the occupation.
After defining the learning objectives, learning situations and necessary activities, the structure of the module can be further defined. Is there an order for the different activities? How much time do they take? What materials (books, equipment, raw materials, etc.) are needed to teach the module? Which learning environments (classroom, workshops, labs, online, the workplace, etc.) are needed for which activities?
A model that can be used to design meaningful modules that support experiential learning is the 4C/ID model (Van Merrienboer & Kester, 2014). It takes authentic, real-life tasks as its starting point, and provides learners with supportive information such as domain models, problem solving models, and expert feedback to help them elaborate on the tasks. In addition, it designs procedural information such as how-to instructions and error feedback according to the just-in-time principle, that is, available at the moment a learner feels the need for new or additional knowledge and skills.
The model also includes part-task practice, so that learners can reach required levels of automaticity through practice. A VET curriculum can be built by sequencing task classes that contain tasks around specific subdomains, topics or competences of increasing complexity. The model promotes ‘scaffolding’, a type of support that is removed as learners gain more knowledge and experience. The 4C/ID model can help to translate outcome-based curricula into sets of experiential learning tasks which allow differentiated learner groups to be addressed at the right level.
Further reading:
• Van Merriënboer, J. & Kester, L. (2014). The Four-Component Instructional Design Model: Multimedia Principles in Environments for Complex Learning. In R.E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (pp. 104-148). New York: Cambridge University Press.
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