Using generic learning designs to promote good teaching and learning practice

If an effective learning design could be transferred from lecturer to lecturer, from discipline to discipline and/or from university to university, then good teaching and learning practice could be shared. Effective learning designs promote student engagement, productive learning and optimise student retention (Scott, 2005). The aim of this study was to establish whether academics and educational designers considered effective learning designs could be used to introduce different teaching and learning approaches. The results from this pilot indicate that this is not only feasible but it will also facilitate the promotion of quality teaching and learning throughout the higher education sector. This study is the initial phase of a broader ALTC project, details of which are also outlined in this paper.