Development and Delivery of a Sustainable Development …
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software that is supplied through external sources (Padlet). Equivalent, institutionallevel standard software (i.e. Online Learning Environments) and the use of such
software is commonplace across institutions and will therefore be excluded from
discussions. Due to the complex nature of groupwork design and digital components on the unit, a technical expert was needed to support the architecture design on
Blackboard. A graphics assistant supported the resourcing, refinement, and accessibility of all non-standard software and bespoke learning documentation. The SDU
uses Padlet (an easy-to-use, online bulletin board which allows instantly shareable
images, video and text) in some sessions to collect comments, new content, and
reactions from students during workshop sessions.
Unit directors generated in-house learning materials in the form of short articles
and an editor was hired to both proofread and copy edit all assets. This ensured
consistency in language used; accuracy of the writing; suitability for the learners’
level; and that the tone, style and vocabulary were suitable for students from across
subject disciplines. These documents were then reviewed by the graphics assistant
to be standardised in terms of formatting, visual graphics, accessibility and checks
on copyright to ensure all legal compliance. Some of the documents required the
creation of new learning asset images for illustration and data presentation. All
content materials, modes of teaching, and learning support were designed to both
respond to the diverse learning needs of our students (i.e. in terms of disciplinary
oversights) but also embrace the diversity of the cohort, thus drawing attention to
the shared strength that can be found in such diversity. All materials were designed
to be integrative, highlighting relationships and common themes (and differences)
between concepts and allowing students to work through materials at their own pace.
The unit required bespoke video assets to create engaging and thought-provoking
framing content in preparation for the face-to-face learning. Together, the project
manager, film maker and project assistant worked as a team to create a streamlined
service to the unit directors through the creative process. To begin the film-making
process, academics completed a “creative brief” template. The team then provided
an end-to-end service delivery encompassing storyboarding; conducting research
for assets; sourcing and booking locations and contributors; scriptwriting; sourcing
supporting intellectual property materials; and ensuring that all legal requirements
and related paperwork were completed and recorded appropriately. The use of videos
is understood to increase participation, emotional engagement, and overall course
engagement by providing students with a framework to directly understand and apply
the concepts discussed in previous content (Carmichael et al. 2018). Videos included
interviews with scientific experts and local policymakers and included discussions of
environmental policies (such as the plastic bag tax) in terms of personal anecdotes,
foregrounding social sustainability content within individual experience. Numerous
videos were purposefully shot with a tight frame, focused on the subject’s head and
shoulders – with no other materials or content presented. This is because research
has highlighted that students find videos that include the teacher’s images to be more
engaging (Carmichael et al. 2018)
To ensure that the video assets met the highest quality standards, accessibility
and representation were prioritised. This consideration was perceived as an ethical
471
software that is supplied through external sources (Padlet). Equivalent, institutionallevel standard software (i.e. Online Learning Environments) and the use of such
software is commonplace across institutions and will therefore be excluded from
discussions. Due to the complex nature of groupwork design and digital components on the unit, a technical expert was needed to support the architecture design on
Blackboard. A graphics assistant supported the resourcing, refinement, and accessibility of all non-standard software and bespoke learning documentation. The SDU
uses Padlet (an easy-to-use, online bulletin board which allows instantly shareable
images, video and text) in some sessions to collect comments, new content, and
reactions from students during workshop sessions.
Unit directors generated in-house learning materials in the form of short articles
and an editor was hired to both proofread and copy edit all assets. This ensured
consistency in language used; accuracy of the writing; suitability for the learners’
level; and that the tone, style and vocabulary were suitable for students from across
subject disciplines. These documents were then reviewed by the graphics assistant
to be standardised in terms of formatting, visual graphics, accessibility and checks
on copyright to ensure all legal compliance. Some of the documents required the
creation of new learning asset images for illustration and data presentation. All
content materials, modes of teaching, and learning support were designed to both
respond to the diverse learning needs of our students (i.e. in terms of disciplinary
oversights) but also embrace the diversity of the cohort, thus drawing attention to
the shared strength that can be found in such diversity. All materials were designed
to be integrative, highlighting relationships and common themes (and differences)
between concepts and allowing students to work through materials at their own pace.
The unit required bespoke video assets to create engaging and thought-provoking
framing content in preparation for the face-to-face learning. Together, the project
manager, film maker and project assistant worked as a team to create a streamlined
service to the unit directors through the creative process. To begin the film-making
process, academics completed a “creative brief” template. The team then provided
an end-to-end service delivery encompassing storyboarding; conducting research
for assets; sourcing and booking locations and contributors; scriptwriting; sourcing
supporting intellectual property materials; and ensuring that all legal requirements
and related paperwork were completed and recorded appropriately. The use of videos
is understood to increase participation, emotional engagement, and overall course
engagement by providing students with a framework to directly understand and apply
the concepts discussed in previous content (Carmichael et al. 2018). Videos included
interviews with scientific experts and local policymakers and included discussions of
environmental policies (such as the plastic bag tax) in terms of personal anecdotes,
foregrounding social sustainability content within individual experience. Numerous
videos were purposefully shot with a tight frame, focused on the subject’s head and
shoulders – with no other materials or content presented. This is because research
has highlighted that students find videos that include the teacher’s images to be more
engaging (Carmichael et al. 2018)
To ensure that the video assets met the highest quality standards, accessibility
and representation were prioritised. This consideration was perceived as an ethical