How do we go beyond the affordances of what we already do on campus?: A case of supporting staff in developing a constructivist learning environment

Abstract

In this paper a case is presented which explores one way in which a practitioner (the author) worked with others in developing curriculum for a web-based learning environment. There was an attempt by all involved to take a scholarly approach to investigating the potential for improving teaching and learning and to go beyond the appropriation of technologies which offer little more than affordances for what already occurs within campus based programmes (Kirkup & Kirkwood, 2005). This is consistent with the institutional aim to provide new, exciting and pedagogically informed options for arts education online. A full explanation of the process through which one institution located in South East Asia proceeded in introducing and developing a programme for educators and other professionals working in the area of art education is presented. Description is provided of the aims of stakeholders to underpin curriculum making with constructivist principles while working with an algorithm for this purpose. This case may assist other practitioners who support staff with limited experience of web-based environments in enabling them to make informed decisions about how they go about teaching and learning online.