Learning design and assessment with e-tivities

This paper reported on the findings of research into innovation in e-learning design and assessment through the development and implementation of online learning activities (e-tivities). The focus of the study was on Carpe Diem as a process to enable academic course teams to seize 2 days to design and embed pedagogically appropriate e-tivities into their courses. The study also addressed the use of technology in the design of e-tivities and the level of tutor and learner engagement with them during course delivery. Six academic course teams representing three disciplines at four British universities took part in this 12-month study. Cognitive mapping was the main research methodology used. The results suggested that Carpe Diem is an effective and powerful team-based process to foster pedagogical change and innovation in learning design and assessment practices. The e-tivities designed during Carpe Diem were successfully used primarily for learning and formative assessment, and exceptionally for summative assessment. Web 2.0 tools, especially wikis, were employed to enable collaborative online learning and were prominent in the new designs. The tutors' e-moderation skills were key to engage learners and thus capitalise on the benefits of e-tivities.