Designing Courses

Before approaching the notion of block teaching, this visual representation presents how a course may currently be taught.

In the traditional route MSc International Business and Management may look like this:

Each module is run in parallel and the students undertake a large amount of work across each module. Another issue that arises around week 10-12 is where assignment deadlines are on top of each other and students struggle to complete each task well.

Currently there are two proposed models for Block teaching which can be found in the pedagogic approach and identity documentation. 

Model 1 - Sequential Blocks

Modules A, C, D, E = 24 Hours face to face contact time

Modules B and F = 32 Hours face to face contact time

Total Face to Face Teaching = 160

Model 2 - Hybrid Parallel and Sequential Modules

Modules A, B = 24

Module C = 20 hours

Modules D = 28 hours

Module E = 32 hours

Module F = 36 hours

Total Teaching = 164 hours

When approaching course design for London Campus there are certain differences that need to be considered. 

The first is the nature of block teaching. There is some overview guidance available in the “What is Block Teaching” document. The University of Suffolk implemented block teaching and found that “Lift - Shift - Squish” was not a practical option for turning 12/24 week modules into blocked content. There was, of course, material that could be used or adapted but truncating that content did not equate to a good student experience. Module design is covered in another section, so this section will look at the overarching strategy needed to create a cohesive and engaging course. 

“Chubb (1992, cited in De Vita, 2004) suggests that by the end of their studies, all graduates are expected to have developed attributes such as critical thinking, problem solving, independent thought and skills in identifying, accessing and managing information’ (p.22).”

To achieve what is suggested by Chubb within a block teaching framework, there needs to be a clear narrative threaded throughout the entire course, not only within a module. When teaching in the current UoP “traditional” framework, students undertake 3/4 modules simultaneously. Each module is independent to some degree from the others being taken at the same time. This often leads to stacked assessment handins and a limited “pollination” of content to support each module. (This is not completely true as many modules will have elements that are shared or provide context, however, this may not always be obvious or explicit to the student). 

The following bullet points taken from (Constantinou, 2020) are a useful starting point when looking at the course design for London Campus. Within these bullet points there is mention of “Synoptic Assessment” this will be discussed in further details within the assessment documentation, however, it is important to provide a quick definition to help contextualise the list. 

What is synoptic assessment?

Synoptic assessments require students to synthesize their learning from two or more modules within a programme. The assessment may seek to discern the breadth and depth of connections that students have made between topics covered in the programme. Alternatively, it might require that the student applies specific skills, knowledge and understanding taught in one part of the programme to other aspects of the discipline.” Taken from Queens’ University of Belfast. 

(i) all modules may be regarded as addressing the connections between elements of the subject;

(ii) strict ordering of modules and the need in later modules to use knowledge, understanding and skills from earlier ones ensures that later modules assess whether students have a holistic grasp of the syllabus;

(iii) a synoptic element is part of one or more modules; (iv) a synoptic module assesses students’ understanding of the connections between the different elements of the subject;

(v) a synoptic module as in (iv) is combined with a synoptic element in other modules;

(vi) a synoptic examination at the end of a course of study which assesses students’ grasp of the whole syllabus. (Dearing, 1996, para. 93) (Constantinou, 2020)

Narrative is a key component of a course within block teaching and assessment, as the focus of a student is only on one module at a time (excluding Learning Hubs which will be discussed in the next section). As mentioned, condensing a traditional module is not the optimal approach, the course needs to have a more active learning approach. This needs to blend together digital activities and face to face content, this however is not just about splitting activities into the two categories “synchronous and asynchronous” but looking at how the digital activities in the classroom offer complementary experiences and how face to face opportunities can arise for students outside of the prescribed class time. There should also be guided personal coaching that is targeted to support the students to have the greatest impact. Students need to feel confident and supported with the independent study activities that have been created for the modules. 

Group coaching at the start of the course that records who was there, what was covered. This leads to the designing of an action plan that helps highlight what opportunities and what barriers there are within the learning.

The notion of contact time should be stopped and tutor structured learning should help to provide students with the time they need to get support and clarification of their learning.

Learning Hubs

Learning Hubs are skills based modules that can run parallel to the blocked curriculum. They are optional, non-credit bearing spaces that allow students to develop their weaker areas (from academic writing, research skills to coding or step-by-step instructional elements). These learning hubs support the progress of modules and give students the “as needed” help at the correct point in their journey. The face-to-face sessions should not be skills based but contextualizing and mapping the skills into a clear and understandable path for the student. Giving a clear approach to how the content connects together into a fully rounded experience. 

The Course enABLe

If you are unaware of what enABLe is, this website explains the concept and resources used.

A course-level enABLe will help the course team to sense-check the structure of the course, across all the levels (UG) or between years (PG). Within block teaching a course level enABLe aims to provide oversight of the course structure as it would in a “standard” course and module structure. The major difference comes (as mentioned) when looking at how modules and assessments fit together in the block structure. The enABLe process allows the discussion to shape what this may look like and use the course creator tools to map the course values, rationale and learning journey out. 

Useful Resources for Block Teaching