Postgraduate Diploma in Blended and Online Learning Design

Purpose

The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma in Blended and Online Learning Design is to offer existing and future professionals both Higher Education and beyond Higher Education, such as kindergarten to 12th grade (K12), corporates, NGOs, etc. interested in blended and online learning design an opportunity to develop into curious and creative online and blended learning practitioners, committed to creating accessible, equitable and valuable blended and online learning opportunities, grounded in a socially just framework.

Graduates will be skilled designers of online and blended learning experiences, through negotiating online spaces, a deep understanding of pedagogic strategies, engaging with authentic assessment practices, and continuously growing exposure to tools and environments with an acute awareness of the highly inequitable contexts experienced in South Africa. In addition, graduates will be able to adopt critical orientations and engage with and produce critically reflective practitioners in the emerging disciplinary field and practice blended and online learning design in the Global South.

Rationale

While online learning falls outside the reach of many South Africans and Africans, COVID-19 has made it abundantly clear that such a situation cannot be allowed to continue. Access to quality, responsive, and flexible learning is critical, and online learning is a solution towards an ecosystem of education. The qualification will respond to a growing need for a cadre of professionals to support educational systems in their online aspirations within, but also outside, the higher education sector.

According to the institution's market survey conducted in late 2022, there have been approximately 130 learning design positions over the last 12 months in South Africa. Approximately 15 jobs are offered monthly via LinkedIn for learning designers or affiliated posts for South Africa alone. This number is expected to grow exponentially. While other African countries have less demand on LinkedIn, anecdotal evidence from professional networks such as e/merge Africa points to growing markets for such positions. South Africa,

with its highly skilled workforce and relatively low salary costs, it is also a prime market for international companies looking for Instructional Design/Learning Design support. Five new learning designers were employed in 2022 at the institution's Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT), and this trend is replicated in other institutions of higher learning.

Depending on the context the instructional design is embedded in, the requirements for such positions vary 2U for example requires the ability to leverage instructional technology and the advantages of an online environment by identifying the best technology in education for their purpose, express a learning need and identify the required exit level outcomes, construct a curriculum and delivery model based on that need and those outcomes, develop digital learning content, assessments, and platforms and interpreting learning analytics data. An instructional designer post at a university would further include the ability to engage with academic staff, the ability to collaborate or lead diverse teams, work on a specific learning management system, support sound pedagogical teaching and learning approaches, and display knowledge and ability to determine the instructional needs of lecturers for implementing online and blended learning.

The qualification will target academics, staff, and practitioners working in the field of blended and online learning design who do not have formal qualifications in this area. The qualification is intended for practitioners in higher education, Grade R-12, and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

However, there is a strong target market across South Africa and beyond for an online programme, with learners being either unable to attend face-to-face sessions due to various commitments, or who find the cost of face-to-face sessions prohibitive. This market will be relatively easy to access through historical connections and the merged Africa network. This qualification is expected to attract increased interest from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, as it is fully online. Furthermore, the private higher education sector demands more from the corporate world, commercial companies, industry, NGO, and government, as evident in the current enrolment for the Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technology. Participants are likely to aspire to or hold posts such as Learning Designer, Instructional Designer, Learning Engineer, Learning Architect, Learning Experience Designer, Educational Technologist, Learning Technologist, or Instructional Technologist.

The qualification is targeted at the following learners

• R-12 educator who wants to improve their teaching but also possibly move into a Learning Designer (LD) role.
• Higher Education educator who wants to design online courses.
• Teaching assistant / Tutor who is supporting their lecturers in designing courses (newly graduated / no work experience).
• Instructional Designer in an Education Technology company without formal qualifications (cannot progress).
• Learning architect working in a bank, managing the development of in-house online training without a formal Blended and Online Learning Designer (BOLD) qualification.
• Employee working in an NGO overseeing the LD project, but has no formal BOLD qualification.
• Unemployed participant who wants to apply for LD roles at a commercial company.
• Multimedia designer/video producer working at an EdTech company, encouraged by the company to enrol in the BOLD qualification.

The need for higher education ecosystems that open learning has never been more pressing for South Africa and Africa. Blended and online learning design, while by no means the whole answer to the problem, are flexible, available, responsive, and affordable to a wider range of learners, and play a role in making education accessible across the continent. However, South Africa and Africa need to develop a skilled and knowledgeable pool of professionals across the continent, with the capacity to work in learning design in national and regional contexts. Multimedia design has been identified a scarce/critical skill by the South Africa department of labour in 2022 and includes the planning, design, development and production of digitally delivered information, promotional material and instructional material and entertainment through online and recorded digital media using static and animated information, text, pictures, video and sound to produce information and entertainment tailed to an intended audience and purpose.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The Council on Higher Education's institution and Faculty RPL policy and practices will inform the decision.

RPL for access

• Applicants with an NQF level 6, three-year Diploma, with satisfactory academic performance and five years of relevant work experience post-qualification will be considered for the qualification.
• Applicants who do not meet the criteria follow an alternative process, including a portfolio and interview.
• No more than 10% of a cohort may be admitted on this basis.

RPL via advanced standing

• In line with the Quality Council's policies on RPL and CAT, participants have the option to use short courses offered by CILT / CHED that are related to the learning outcomes of the curriculum to be RPLed via advanced standing from up to a maximum of 50% of the credits of the qualification.
• Such applicants will have to do 50% of the credits in one year if they are accepted into the qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Advanced Diploma in User Experience Design, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Education, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Commerce in Information Technology, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Commerce in Information Technology Management, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Commerce in Management Information Systems, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Information Technology, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Social Science in Information Technology, NQF Level 7.

And

• A minimum of six months of relevant work experience is required.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 8, totalling 120 credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 30 Credits

Cluster 1: Introduction to Learning Design

• Introduction to Learning Design, 10 Credits.
• Design Thinking Process, 10 Credits.
• Learning Design Models, 10 Credits.

And

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 20 Credits

Cluster 2: Socially Just Learning Design

• Design for Care and Engagement, 10 Credits.
• Learning Designers and Agency, 10 Credits.

And

Elective Modules, Level 8, 10 Credits (Select one module)

• Learning Analytics, 10 Credits.
• Co-creation in Learning Design, 10 Credits.

And

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 20 Credits

Cluster 3: Learning, Leading, and Designing for Digital Habitats

• Platforms and Tools, 10 Credits.
• Designing for Assessment, 10 Credits.

And

Elective Modules, Level 8, 10 Credits (Select one module)

• Producing Blended and Online Content, 10 Credits.
• Facilitating Online, 10 Credits.
• Designing for AI, 10 Credits.

And

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 20 Credits

Cluster 4: Reflecting on LD in and on action

• Learning Design Intervention, 10 Credits.
• Becoming a Critically Reflective Learning Designer, 10 Credits.

And

Elective Modules, Level 8, 10 Credits (Select one module)

• Evaluation and Quality Assurance (QA), 10 Credits.
• Project Management, 10 Credits.

1. Demonstrate an integrated understanding of Blended and Online Learning Design as a practice, process, product, and emergent field in the Global South. Learners will engage with key concepts and theories related to learning, process, material, and equity-oriented learning design.
2. Demonstrate the ability to select and apply appropriate Blended and Online Learning Design processes, tools, and models to address local design problems in real-world settings critically and creatively to find context-sensitive, equity-oriented solutions that respond to the complexity of the African context.
3. Demonstrate the ability to interrogate and critically reflect on multiple sources of knowledge and evaluate processes of knowledge production in the field and practice of Blended and Online Learning Design.
4. Produce and communicate practices, processes, and products to stakeholders in their context, related to Blended and Online Learning Design in contextually relevant and critical ways that help disseminate Learning Design knowledge in the African context.
5. Understand the enablers and challenges of global and local educational systems and contexts, develop responsive and ethical strategies to navigate these effectively in a post-digital society, and become aware of the entanglement of humans and technology.
6. Conceptualise, implement, and critically evaluate a learning design intervention to respond to a contextual need in their professional practice. Understand how learning designers as change agents contribute to their ethical practice in their contexts.
7. Become an expert learner through intentionally identifying gaps for development in their professional practice, selecting opportunities to address these, developing a plan and strategies for personal professional development, and being able to support a learning journey for key stakeholders in their context.
8. Become a critically reflective learning designer by reflecting on past, present, and future professional practices.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate understanding of the field, roles, and models of Learning Design (LD) in the Global South through interviews and comparative analysis.
• Explain opportunities and challenges of design thinking based on reading and design sprint activities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of LD models through quizzes and short activities.
• Differentiate learning analytics from broader data analytics and apply in context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Facilitate context-appropriate design thinking activities based on webinar participation.
• Apply characteristics of a design thinking mindset through weekly reflections.
• Demonstrate the collaborative potential of design thinking via interdisciplinary team projects.
• Evaluate design thinking's relevance to own context through the final assignment.
• Evaluate one implementation of an LD model for context-appropriateness.
• Apply socially just learning design interventions to redesign an existing intervention.
• Select and justify co-creation models suited to own context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Describe and evaluate various approaches to researching LD based on selected readings and reflections.
• Demonstrate development of understanding of social justice in LD through reflective writing.
• Reflect on changes in social justice and its impact on LD practice.
• Reflect on the co-creation experience and its relevance to historical and contextual factors.
• Reflect on how positionality influences voice and decision-making in LD.
• Use tools to evaluate bias and power dynamics in design decisions.
• Consolidate understanding of assessment types and feedback through weekly reflections.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Communicate LD concepts effectively through blog posts or essays tailored to different audiences and contexts.
• Adapt and communicate a learning model for own context, including pedagogical choices and trends.
• Justify storyboard choices through theory-practice integration.
• Apply facilitation strategies and tool adaptation for online engagement.
• Evaluate generative AI and prompt engineering in learning design through a cheat sheet project.
• Critically evaluate an AI tool for educational purposes via reflections.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Reflect on and experience community-building techniques in online learning contexts.
• Reflect on voice and power in design processes, informed by team dynamics and positionalities.
• Demonstrate facilitation of co-creation across differences.
• Map spheres of influence and leadership roles in LD contexts.
• Evaluate ethical and contextual implications of using learning analytics.
• Map the educational technology landscape from a critical perspective.
• Describe learning architecture and philosophies of tools and platforms.
• Justify the tool used for learning activities based on pedagogical strategies.
• Articulate media and modality implications for learning in one's context.
• Explain UDL principles and IP issues for blended/online learning. Storyboard essential information for content production.
• Apply an ethical framework to AI usage in LD.
• Prototype a blended/online intervention addressing contextual challenges and needs.
• Reflect on the design process and relate it to theory and research.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Reflect on and articulate the LD role as a change agent within organisations.
• Analyse the relationship between outcomes, activities, and assessments in the group-produced guide.
• Construct and evaluate an assessment plan for a specific context.
• Adapt QA tools for evaluating blended/online courses.
• Produce reflection pieces on QA practices and improvement opportunities.
• Evaluate a designed intervention using selected QA frameworks and justify choices.
• Plan projects with timelines, budgets, and resources appropriate to the context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Create a Personal and Professional Development Plan based on professional journeys shared in the course.
• Develop a learning design statement/philosophy through ePortfolio.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Reflect on the design-based research project and derive context-specific design principles and actions of others, where appropriate.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

Assessments model best practice in online and blended learning, since this focus is on blended and online learning design. The designs and delivery are as important as the content of the qualification. Assessment will be open, flexible, authentic, multimodal, allow choice, and provide a range of opportunities to engage with different ways of assessing for learning. The qualification offers a variety of assessment methodologies and formats that support, for example, upgrading, such as contract grading and peer assessment, portfolios, learner-made rubrics, and also includes artificial intelligence (AI) and other hot topics in the qualification.

Each module will consist of

• Continuous formative assessment: a variety of individual assignments / weekly tasks, such as self-tests, reflections, writing exercises, multimodal expressions, research, etc (40%) and, where applicable, group projects (20%).
• A final summative individual assessment (40-60%).

Since the qualification addresses both practitioners and more scholarly-oriented participants, learners can choose the professional assessment or scholarly assessment track. Learners complete at least six scholarly assignments. Professional assessments will be practical-oriented but will require learners to equally engage in research activities, such as investigation, data collection, data analysis, and communication of solutions to authentic, contextual problems. However, the mode of expression varies and includes less scholarly/academic formats.

Multimodal feedback mechanisms, including written and voice, etc., will be used to provide formative assessment. This will be done via the LMS and/or emailed to individual participants. Where possible, automated feedback will be used based on a range of digital tools within the LMS ecosystem. No exams will take place in this programme. Conversations around plagiarism and AI in assessment will be important elements of the programme.

Formative Assessment

• Each module will consist of continuous formative assessment: a variety of individual assignments/weekly tasks, such as self-tests, reflections, writing exercises, multimodal expressions, research, etc (40%) and, where applicable, group projects (20%).

Summative Assessment

• Each module will consist of a final summative individual assessment (40-60%).