Effective practice planner

Designing a learning activity to incorporate e-learning will involve the process described in the section Designing for learning. This suggests that effective practice means working with an awareness of three essential elements: Learners, Learning environment and Intended outcomes and that integrating e-learning extends rather than changes this process by introducing additional opportunities to provide benefits for learners. In this guide, these benefits have been termed 'the e-learning advantage'.

How this could work in practice is illustrated here in the effective practice planner using an example based on the case study The Working Men’s College - Learning through doing. This case study is also featured in a supporting video clip on this CD-ROM and it is advised that the video clip is viewed in conjunction with this table.

Effective practice planner: an example

Issues to consider	Designing a learning activity to incorporate e-learning
1. Learners (their needs, motives for learning, prior experience of learning, social and interpersonal skills, preferred learning styles and ICT competence).	Adult Entry 1 ESOL learners from a wide range of communities and with varied prior experience of ICT.
2. Intended learning outcomes (acquisition of knowledge, academic and social skills, increased motivation and ability to progress).	The activity is designed to advance learners' linguistic skills and raise recruitment and retention rates by developing learners' confidence and pleasure in learning.
3. Learning environment (face-to-face or virtual) - available resources, tools, facilities and services and their match with the learners' needs	Where does the activity take place? In a classroom.
	What resources are available? Prepared questions and answers Digital images Printed handouts where required
	What technologies are available? Data projector, laptop, interactive whiteboard and mobile voting devices.
	What features of established practice will be important? Practitioner's expert knowledge of topic and content, oral and interpersonal skills produce a well-structured, relevant and effectively delivered learning encounter. Opportunities are provided for repetition of new knowledge with face-to-face feedback where required.
4. The learning activity (the means by which the practitioner brings about learning and seeks to influence the development of the learners).	Describe the learning activity Activities combining both established and e-learning practice promote the development of linguistic skills and allow learners to check their own understanding without losing confidence or motivation.
5. The approach taken (related to learners' needs, preferred learning styles, the nature of the learning environment and the intended outcomes).	Associative, constructive (individual focus), constructive (social focus), situative Associative in the main. Learners develop linguistic skills progressively through structured tasks.
	Learning styles Through the introduction of images, the activity is chosen to appeal to visual learners. The learners are also actively engaged through their use of the mobile voting devices, encouraging the kinaesthetic learners. Use of audio files can further assist learners with an auditory preference.
	Inclusion All learners are actively engaged in the activity. The interactive whiteboard is used to encourage learners to contribute, either by writing on the board or touching it to select options.
	Assessment Formative assessment activities in the form of quizzes and scenarios are supported by a technology-enabled voting system to enable learners to check and develop their own understanding.