Some faculty members and administrative staff of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) have participated in a three-day capacity-building workshop on campus aimed at developing instructional design and course materials for the University’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme. This is the third workshop to be organised by UESD in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Canada.
In his opening remarks, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah, highlighted the growing importance of ODL in today’s higher education landscape, offering flexible and accessible learning opportunities to students worldwide. He noted that the workshop marks a significant step in strengthening UESD’s capacity to deliver high-quality, learner-centered programmes and courses, while effectively utilising Open Educational Resources (OER) to enhance the University’s educational offerings.
Prof. Debrah explained that the training focuses on key principles of instructional design and the potential of OER to create engaging, dynamic, and inclusive courses. UESD’s goal is to ensure that every faculty member is better equipped to develop and improve online courses that meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. He encouraged participants to take advantage of the sessions to enrich their knowledge and skills by engaging with experts, sharing ideas, and collaborating with peers.
The facilitator for the workshop was Prof. Samuel Amponsah, Dean of the Centre for Distance Learning at the University of Ghana, Legon.
On the first day, participants were introduced to the principles of instructional design in ODL, models and standards for instructional design, learning theories in instructional design, the workflow in OER development, types of ODL instructional designs, and instructional design strategies. Additionally, a Course Development Template and Guideline for UESD was agreed upon for use during hands-on sessions, including writing acceptable learning objectives and outcomes. Participants engaged in critical discussions with the resource person, after which five groups were formed for practical sessions.
The second day focused on developing instructional content using OER and study guides. Participants received practical training on course development, and each group presented its write-up for review by the other groups and the facilitator.
On day three, the focus was on course material development with quality assurance in ODL. Practical activities included course development, review, presentations, and feedback sessions. Participants agreed to complete a first draft of the instructional design and course materials for review within a week.
The Director of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (RICU), Dr. Felicia Annin, who closed the workshop on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, commended the participants for their active participation, insightful contributions, and commitment to developing ODL by leveraging available online educational resources. She remarked, “Without your active participation, this training workshop would have been a fiasco.” She thanked the facilitator for his excellent training delivery and wished everyone a safe journey home.
Prof. Amponsah expressed his gratitude for the participants’ enthusiasm in unlearning and learning new concepts related to ODL and Open Educational Resources (OER). He also appreciated the teamwork and dedication demonstrated by the participants, encouraging them to continue working on the materials while the ideas are still fresh.
The Head of the Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Unit, Dr. Richard Amfo-Otu, who coordinated the workshop activities, outlined the next steps. These include finalising the modules for review, addressing review comments, and editing before uploading the materials as OER for the upcoming training on October 29, 2024. He expressed gratitude to the participants for their hard work and resilience in developing the instructional design and course materials for UESD’s ODL programme.
The link to the photographs of some session of the workshop can be accessed through the following link: Click Here