Introduction
Figure 1
Collaborative Lesson Development Training is
taught over three days (six half days), with an extended break between
the first two days (“part 1”) and the last day (“part 2”). The training
in part 1 focusses on good practices in lesson design and development,
and the concepts and skills needed to build a lesson website with The
Carpentries lesson infrastructure. Part 2 of the training begins with a
reflective discussion of lesson deisgn and iterative development, before
shifting focus to the skills required for effective collaboration on
open source projects.
Lesson Design
Figure 1
Nicholls’ five phases of curriculum design,
presented as a cycle to reflect that all aspects of the design should be
revisited in response to the results of the evaluation that takes place
at step 5.
Figure 2
An overview of the iterative process of lesson
design and development , adapted from Nicholl’s five phases, that will
be presented in this training.
Figure 3
![Diagram of the life cycle of a lesson in The Carpentries ecosystem. A lesson is proposed at the beginning of the pre-alpha stage. It enters alpha when it is taught for the first time. In beta, it is taught by other instructors. A full release of the lesson is made when it is stable. Pilot workshops take place during the alpha and beta phases.](../fig/life_cycle.png)
The life cycle of a lesson
Identifying Your Target Audience
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Defining Lesson Objectives/Outcomes
Figure 1
In this episode we will begin the first step of
our iterative design process: defining the skills and knowledge we want
learners to leave with.
Figure 2
This diagram highlights the most important
elements of a learning objective.
Episodes
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The Carpentries Workbench
Figure 1
![Directory structure of a new lesson repository created from a lesson template](../fig/new-lesson-repository-structure.png)
Directory structure of new lesson repository
created from a lesson template. Note that new repositories created from
the R Markdown lesson template will include an additional
renv/
directory.Break
Defining Episode Objectives
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Designing Exercises
Figure 1
In the next two episodes, we will design
assessments to measure learners’ attainment of the objectives we defined
previously.
Implementing Exercises
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Example Data and Narrative
Figure 1
Now that we have designed assessments to measure
attainment of the objectives set for the lesson, it is time to begin
developing teaching content to give learners the knowledge and skills
they need to succeed in those assessments.
Break
How to Write a Lesson
Figure 1
![Line graph of increasing carbon dioxide at the Mauna Loa Observatory from 1958 to present](https://gml.noaa.gov/webdata/ccgg/trends/co2_data_mlo.png)
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide at Mauna Loa
Observatory
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How we Operate
Figure 1
![The life cycle of a lesson in The Carpentries ecosystem, annotated to indicate the platforms provided for lesson projects at each stage of the cycle. In the diagram includes the pre-alpha, alpha, beta, and stable stages described earlier, and icons showing that pre-alpha through beta development of lessons happens in The Carpentries Incubator, while The Carpentries Lab hosts peer-reviewed lessons and provides a platform for open peer review. Stable lessons may also be adopted into an official lesson program of The Carpentries.](../fig/life_cycle_annotated.png)
The life cycle of a lesson, annotated to
indicate the platforms provided for lesson projects at each stage of the
cycle.
Preparing to Teach
Figure 1
In this episode, we will discuss how you can
measure learner progress and gather feedback about the effectiveness of
your content by teaching the lesson.
Wrap-up
Reflecting on Trial Runs
Figure 1
In this episode, we will discuss the final step
of the iterative lesson design process: how you can use the notes,
information, and feedback you collected when trialling your lesson to
identify ways that the design and content could be improved.