"A situated learning approach in a Research Methods postgraduate subject"

The learning design incorporates a Virtual world where students join two postgraduate student characters to research the effect of a school closure on a rural community. This learning design is an example of a case-analysis learning design based on a situated learning activity. In essence, it attempts to provide an authentic setting and task-based approach to help students learn the principles and processes of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The learning design provides comprehensive case study materials and requires students to explore solutions to an authentic problem.

This exemplar has been selected for inclusion for the following reasons:

• The learning design represents an online problem focussed approach based on sound pedagogical principles. Learners engage in an authentic task by adopting the process of Review, Interpret, Construct, and Justify.
• The learning design is suited to a range of discipline areas.
• The learning design does not require complex or expensive technology infrastructure for its use. It could be supported by existing Learning Management Systems.

The learning design has been redeveloped in the form of a generic Guideline because enabling students to engage in authentic tasks by adopting the process of Review, Interpret, Construct, and Justify can be reused in many different disciplines and contexts.