Hi Sue,

Thought provoking comments as usual.

As someone in the online training game (rather than f2f education) working with scopes/wireframes is a far simpler proposition for me. I’m tasked with plugging an already identified gap in the knowledge or behaviour of a large group of adult learners, not imparting a large body of interrelated knowledge with the associated opportunities and challenges that exist within (what I imagine) to be your particular environment.  

As an Instructional Designer working for clients, rather than being an expert in the subject matter myself, scopes have always been a key delivery for me. We provide expertise in working with technology to deliver memorable, effective training but we often start as complete novices in the subject matter. Wireframes (and/or scopes) help us sense check assumptions about the source content with, often multiple, subject matter experts, they allow junior team members to sense check their work with more senior peers, they act as briefs to creatives within the organisation and they provide an early indication on whether what is planned is commercially viable.  In short they’re valuable for me but I can definitely see that they’re not for everyone.

Thanks very much for the link, it looks a very interesting article.  I’ve only scanned it so far but the idea that better measurement of learning can be used to help learners identify different strategies that work for them at different times seems highly logical (as does not referencing pseudo theory such as learning styles and left brain/right brain!) In some ways this idea, the idea of feedback meeting the needs of the learner (and other points raised in the article) relates, at least to my mind, to one of the more interesting approaches emerging at the moment - adaptive learning – the idea of using measurement to maximise learning by providing tailored content that is focussed on the needs of the individual.  

We’re planning on a rework of the responsive design area of the site which might be of interest to you, given your comments about ‘good design’ and ‘natural groupings that are most easily implemented’. We’re looking at setting up an area where community members can upload sequences (or combinations of components in the technical sense) which demonstrate how a particular piece of learning was presented to good effect.

Thanks,

Paul