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Measuring constructive alignment: an alignment metric to guide good practice

Abstract

We present a computational model that represents and computes the level to which an educational design is constructively aligned. The model is able to provide ‘alignment metrics’ for both holistic and individual aspects of a programme or module design. A systemic and structural perspective of teaching and learning underpins the design of the computational model whereby Bloom’s taxonomy is used as a basis for categorising the core components of a teaching system and some basic principles of generative linguistics are borrowed for representing alignment structures and relationships. The degree of alignment is computed using Set theory and linear algebra. The model presented forms the main processing framework of a software tool currently being developed to facilitate teachers to systematically and consistently produce constructively aligned programmes of teaching and learning. It is envisaged that the model will have broad appeal as it allows the quality of educational designs to be measured and works on the principle of ‘practice techniques’ and ‘learning elicited’ as opposed to content

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