Team design communication patterns in e-learning design and development

Abstract

Prescriptive stage models have been found insufficient to describe the dynamic aspects of designing, especially in interdisciplinary e-learning project teams. There is a growing need for a systematic empirical analysis of team design processes that offer deeper and more detailed insights into Instructional Design (ID) than general models can offer. In this paper we detail findings that emerged from two case studies of team design meetings in the development of totally online courses at two well-established European Distance Universities. We applied an activity-based approach to an extended verbal protocol dataset. This method proved to be adequate to describe the emerging team design process by taking into account both cognitive and social aspects of team activity in this specific context. Our findings provide evidence that design is more than problem solving, mainly because the design process is strongly related to the communication process in a team. Some interesting patterns of designing emerge, which shed light on the still implicit nature of ID performed by teams. We conclude by presenting guidelines and skills for team designing in the complex field of e-learning.

En este artículo se detallan los hallazgos que surgieron a partir de dos estudios de caso de reuniones del equipo de diseño en el desarrollo de cursos totalmente en línea, realizados en dos bien establecidas Universidades europeas a Distancia.

En aquest article es detallen els descobriments que es van obtenir a partir de dos estudis de cas de reunions de l'equip de disseny en el desenvolupament de cursos totalment en línia, duts a terme en dues ben establertes Universitats europees a Distància.