Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology - Tapa dura

All the national and international accolades that appear in the book and on the back cover of Teaching as a Design Science are justly deserved; this is an innovative endeavor by a visionary author, Diana Laurillard. This text is rich in research studies and the use of digital technologies to enhance learning." ―Teachers College Record 

"The book is written for teachers at all levels, although it will probably be of primary interest to higher education faculty who have the time and resources to explore the ideas presented. It will also be valuable to educational researchers for [Laurillard’s] very thorough summary and synthesis of the literature pertaining to teaching, technology, and the design of instruction."―Educational Technology

Teaching is changing. It is no longer simply about passing on knowledge to the next generation. Teachers in the twenty-first century, in all educational sectors, have to cope with an ever-changing cultural and technological environment. Teaching is now a design science. Like other design professionals – architects, engineers, programmers – teachers have to work out creative and evidence-based ways of improving what they do. Yet teaching is not treated as a design profession.

Every day, teachers design and test new ways of teaching, using learning technology to help their students. Sadly, their discoveries often remain local. By representing and communicating their best ideas as structured pedagogical patterns, teachers could develop this vital professional knowledge collectively.

Teacher professional development has not embedded in the teacher’s everyday role the idea that they could discover something worth communicating to other teachers, or build on each others’ ideas. Could the culture change?

From this unique perspective on the nature of teaching, Diana Laurillard argues that a twenty-first century education system needs teachers who work collaboratively to design effective and innovative teaching.