Manual for Writing Interactive Study Guides

Manual for writing interactive study guides 2

Table of Contents

Manual for writing interactive study guides

1 Introductory remarks 1

1.1 Outcomes to be attained 1

2 The development process 2

3 Cooperation between campus Academic Development and Support Services and faculties 2

3.1 Faculty 2

3.2 Campus Academic Development and Support Services 3

4 Guidelines for page layout – Graphic Services 3

5 The structure of interactive study guides 4

5.1 Module information 5

5.1.1 Module code and name 5

5.1.2 Word of welcome 5

5.1.3 Contact persons 6

5.1.4 Rationale 6

5.1.5 Module Plan 6

5.1.6 Prerequisites 6

5.1.7 Study material 7

5.1.8 How to study 8

5.1.9 Assessment 8

5.1.10 Time schedule/ learner work programme 10

5.1.11 Action words 10

5.1.12 Module outcomes 14

5.1.13 Table of contents 15

5.2 Study unit information 15

5.2.1 Teaching-learning design 15

5.2.2 Incorporate support structures in study guides 16

5.2.3 Determine the learner workload 17

5.2.4 Select the teaching media/technology 19

5.2.4.1 Criteria for the selection of support media and technology (particularly relevant for distance learning material) 19

5.2.4.2 Development of media 19

5.3 The structure of the study unit 19

5.3.1 Time 19

5.3.2 Study material 20

5.3.3 Outcomes 20

5.3.4 NQF level descriptors 21

5.3.4.1 First year of study at university (NQF level 5) 21

5.3.4.2 Second year of study at university (NQF level 6) 21

5.3.4.3 Third year of study at university (NQF level 7) 22

5.3.4.4 Fourth year of study at university (NQF level 8) 22

5.3.4.5 Fifth year of study at university – Master’s degree (NQF level 9) 23

5.3.4.6 Sixth year of study at university – Doctorate (NQF level 10) 23

5.3.5 Table of contents 24

5.3.6 Prior knowledge 24

5.3.7 Introduction and overview 24

5.4 Teaching-learning design 24

5.4.1 Learning activities and feedback 25

5.4.2 Self-testing and -assessment 26

5.4.3 Enrichment activities 26

5.4.4 Communication with learners and monitoring of learning activities (exercises) 26

5.4.5 Plan assignments 27

5.5 Glossary 27

5.6 Lecturer’s own preparation 27

6 Checklist for authors 28

7 Problems and shortcomings 29

8 Learner feedback questionnaire (research) 30

Manual for writing interactive study guides 22

Manual for writing interactive study guides

1 Introductory remarks

Experience has proven that a study guide, designed in accordance with principles underpinning outcomes-based education, forms an excellent teaching and learning environment at tertiary level. The study guide offers a structured and well organised environment for the learner with the focus on a phasing in of greater autonomy of learning

In this manual the following issues are addressed:

·  the process between the author and Academic Support Services, together with Graphic Services for the development and delivery of a study guide for contact and distance learning;

·  guidelines for word-processing and page layout advised by Graphic Services; and

·  guidelines for howwriting interactive study material suitable for an outcomes-based teaching-learning design is to be approached and written.

This manual is based onmay:

·  a constructivistic approach tobe informed about learning, with the emphasis on the principles of the learning process and the difference between the surface and the deepin-depth approaches to learning;

·  know what aoutcomes-based teaching, with a concomitant teachingsubject-learning design is; and

·  the content of the revised understand Bloom taxonomy of action words and related levels of thinking and its applicationapply it in the formulation of learning outcomes and in the writing of material for teaching- and learning.

A further prerequisite is a careful study of the level descriptors given in paragraph 5.3.4 of this document.

1.1  Outcomes to be attained

After studying the manual and the level descriptors, you should be able to:

·  analyse the outcomes of a programme/curriculum and determine the knowledge, skills and competencies a specific module should enable learners to acquire;

·  within the context of a programme/curriculum, formulate overarchinggeneral outcomes for a module and specific outcomes for study units (plus study sections, if any);

·  select suitable study material (textbooks, articles and multimedia) as a medium for attaining the outcomes within a multi-lingual context;

·  design an assessment plan for a module, which includes assessment criteria for outcomes and integrated assessment;

·  write a study guide which complies with all the criteria set for effective interactive study material for contact, distance, dual mode or e-learningrequirements identified in this manual;

·  objectively assess your own writing by means of a checklist (at the end of the manual);

·  make meaningful contributions in your own school/subject group towards the development of high-quality interactive study material and study guides which promote self-regulated learning;

·  actively participate in all the facets of the development of study material in team context;

·  confidently assess the study material of colleagues in your subject group and contribute meaningfully to its improvementwith.

2 The development process

1.  School directors and programme managers identify modules which must be developed and appoint authors/module owners. quiteThe address for page lay-out (whether the author personally or Graphic Services) is negotiated at the beginning of the process. The module is registered in e-work by the faculty’s study guide coordinator and is handled in e-work throughout. E-work is an electronic process management system and a database for the development of all study guides by means of which the status of the study guide may be monitored.

2.  New lecturers and first-time authors attend workshops on the writing of interactive study guides and are guided and supported in the writing process by an adviser from the respective campus Academic Development and Support Services.

3.  SinceBecause the outcomes are achievedfor each module must be achieved by m by studyingeans of prescribed prescribedstudy material, it is important that all (forms of) study material are tomust be submitted together with the study guide whento the advisers of the campus Academic Development and Support Services are guiding the writing process.

4.  The author submits the module information and first study unit to the campus adviser who makes recommendations and, discusses it with the author, who is responsible for recirculating the guide into and records the date it has been handed back in e-work. He/she agrees with the author on the date on which the next two or three studylearning units will be submitted.

5.  The module information and studylearning unit(s) which have been completed, are edited and/or translated as arranged and financed in the faculty/school.

6.  Thus the studylearning units circulateare constantly handled from the author to the campus adviser, and back to the author, upon which the next learning units are treated in the same way, until the study guide has been completed. All dates are recorded.

7.  After completion of the writing process and language editing/translation, a responsible person in the faculty/school indicates on a hard copy that it is the final copy, that the copy has been edited/translated and that the dean (or authorised person/delegate) certifies that the study guide complies with the quality requirements of the faculty.

8.  If Graphic Services does the page lay-out, the author is contacted whenre necessary to discuss the page lay-out, upon which Graphic Services doperforms the page lay-out of the study guide. Please study Graphic Services’ instructions to authors for the format of the study guide that iswhich must be presented for page lay-out.

9.  After completion of the page lay-out Graphic Services contacts the author, who then proof-reads the study guide. Thereafter final changes are made by Graphic Services and proof-read by the author.

10.  The study guide coordinator monitors the progress of the guide in e-work.

11.  After completion of the page lay-out process it is expected of the author to:

·  Ssign off the final copy with Graphic Services by means of a signature on the title page, and thereby to indicateing that you are a 100% satisfactionied with the page lay-out. This copy is then regarded as the final copy which is sent to the production unit of the campus ADS for the production process.

·  iIndicate how many guides must be printed for students and how many are required for the lectureryourself and facilitators, if any.

With consideration of all the information mentioned above, Graphic Services send the hard copy and the identical electronic copy to the production unit of the campus for duplication and publication.

12.  The production and distribution office of the campus acknowledges receipt of the study guide.

3 Cooperation between campus Academic Development and Support Services and faculties

3.1  Faculty

The study guide coordinator, together with the various authors in the faculty, is responsible for setting timelines for the writing and completing of study guides.

3.2  Campus Academic Development and Support Services

Guidance and support to authors in the planning and writing process is available on request fromTwo academic advisers from the relevant campus Academic Development and Support Services:

4 Guidelines for page layout – Graphic Services

Contact personss at the relevant campus Graphic Services

Potchefstroom / Telephone: / E-mail:
Mafeking / Telephone: / E-mail:
Vaal Triangle / Telephone: / E-mail:

Rinske Vreken at x 4100 (distance learning guides and general information) or (contact study guides)

Authors/developers are requested to submit study guides in the following format towith Graphic Services for page lay-out and to: make absolutely certain that the most recent document is sent to Graphic Services.

·  Template

Please work in “Blank document” and no other template. Do not use headers, footers, section breaks etc. Stick to normal.dot and type text in normal. Please do not use any other unnecessary layout – keep it as simple as possible.

·  Font

Use “normal” in the above template.

·  Headings and typographical variation

Headings and words in the text which need to be emphasised may be typed in bold, italics or underlined.

·  Text boxes and tables

Do not use text boxes. Use tables only where essential. Broaden margins with the indent function.

·  Tabs

Use tabs instead of the space bar and do not use ENTER at the end of each line.

·  Icons

Where icons are to be used, do not insert them. Only give the number of the icon – Graphic Services will insert the icons, as this is part of the page lay-out process.

·  Tables of content

It is not necessary to type tables of contents. Tables of content are automatically created in the layout process and are done by Graphic Services.

·  Diagrams and sketches

Do not develop any diagrams in Word. Give the original hand-drawn or photocopied sketch or diagram together with the guide so that Graphic Services may develop the diagram in Corel. If you are doing it yourself in Corel, please include the Corel document or export everything to TIF files.

·  Scanning

If you scan something yourself, please do it in a TIF file and on 300 dpi. If you want Graphic Services to scan something, bear in mind that it is a time-consuming process. Therefore please limit the scanning to be done by Graphic Services., or If the quality of the original document allows it, rather make photocopies of what you had wanteded to scan and attach it to the study guide as an appendix (then simply refer to it in the text); if not of a good quality, bring the textbook or original document itself to graphic Services for advice.

·  Numbering

Use the following numbering system (if applicable): studylearning division A/B/C, studylearning unit 1; studylearning section 1.1. Additional numbering then simply follows as 1.1.1; 1.1.2 etc. in first year guides. Please note the changes in the university levels thereafter.

·  Submission of guides with Graphic Services

Guides are submitted to Graphic Services by the study coordinators ONLY and that, via e-work.

·  Guides must be indicated as edited before they will be accepted by Graphic Services.

·  The FINAL copy must be submitted. Graphic Services only makes layout-related changes. NO spelling errors are corrected by Graphic Services and no changes are made to the content of the guides.

·  For formatting, Graphic Services needs treceives the guide on a stiffy or ONLY via e-mailvia e-work (NOT by e-mail nor on a stiffy!), together with a hard copy. Please control that the hard copy and the e-copy are the same document and that the document is the most recent copy of the guideThe hard copy must be the same as the electronic file or the file on stiffy. Print the hard copy once all the corrections have been made to the guide.

5 The structure (anatomy) of interactive study guides

Interactive study guides for reduced contact, time (and for distance and e-learning) consist of two sections. The first, namely the module information (see 5.1), contains administrative and other information regarding all the facets which regarding the module that learners will will need in connection with the module in order to know to enablemake independent and self-regulated learning possible. This includes aspects such as module outcomes, a module plan, a work schedule, icons, actions words, assessment, role divisions etc. The second part contains studylearning unit information relevant to the teaching-learning process (based ony means of an outcomes-based specifically designed teaching-learning design) to support and accomplish the guided achievement of outcomes.

·  Hierarchical structure

In order to divide study contents into consumable chunks, a hierarchical division with common terminology with decreasing extent is generalcurrently common practice in interactive study guides for contact and distance learning. Standard terminology is proposed and used for this. A study guide is developed for each ofall the modules of a specific programme. In a module such as AFNL 112 (Afrikaans in Practice) the following hierarchy is found:

·  StudyLearning dDivision (where applicable), e.g. Study DivisionLearning division A: Morphology; StudyLearning Ddivision B: Phonetics. A module or a study division is sub-divided into

·  studyLearning units, which, if necessary, can be further sub-divided into.

·  studyLearning sections, which, if necessary, can be broken down into.

·  studyLearning part s(if necessary).

First-year modules / Second- and third-year modules
Study Division A / Study Division B
Study Unit 1 / Study Unit 4 / Study Unit 1
Study Unit 2 / Study Unit 5 / Study Unit 2
Study Section 2.1 / Study Unit 6 / Study Unit 3
Study Section 2.2 / Study Section 6.1 / Study Unit 4
Study Unit 3 / Study Section 6.2 / Study Unit 5
Study Section 3.1 / Study Part 6.2.1 / Study Unit 6
Study Part 3.1.1 / Study Part 6.2.2 / Study Unit 7
Study Part 3.1.2 / Study Part 6.2.3 / Study Unit 8
Study Section 3.2 / Study Unit 7

Example 5.1