Abstract
The Bright Star Life Skills programme was developed more than twelve years ago to provide a tool to contribute to the holistic development of citizens equipped for the 21st Century. In hindsight, the face-to-face mode of delivery limited the impact of the programme. The disruption to learning systems caused by the COVID 19 pandemic necessitated a redesign of the programme to be delivered online. However, due to the nature of the programme and the type of activities prevalent in face-to-face settings did not allow for a natural transition. Instructional designers not familiar with multiple modes of delivery had to rapidly upskill their knowledge of learning design in the online learning environment. This study focusses on the professional development path of a team of Instructional designers involved in converting the Life Skills programme from the more traditional contact mode of delivery to a fully online programme. Preliminary findings reveal the value of using the Conole (2014) 7Cs of Learning Design framework to ensure effective programme design especially when instructional and programme designers have limited experience of designing for online environments. The 7Cs Design framework covers different pedagogical approaches, disciplines, theories, and methodologies and can be applied at a range of granularities from the design of individual learning activities up to whole programmes. Due to the nature of a Life Skills programme, student-faculty interaction is of utmost importance. The use of the 7Cs of the Learning Design framework assisted the Instructional designers to make design decisions that are pedagogically effective. It also allowed them to make appropriate use of digital technology. The framework, furthermore, assisted the designers to focus more on the resources and activities and not mainly on the content. They had the opportunity to be more creative in their design thinking and will be able to improve their design representations as they gain more experience.
M.Ed. (Information and Communication Technology in Education)