The Learning Technologies Unit website

MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT: ISSUES AND PRINCIPLES critically examines the theoretical orientations which underpin print and non-print language teaching materials designed for a range of contexts, and explores the processes of production and adaptation of materials.  

We consider the circumstances in which materials design takes place and the criteria for the selection, creation and sequencing of texts and tasks with a view to the evaluation, adaptation, design and use of classroom materials.  There will be group and individual opportunities for creating and adapting materials, and for discussing the process and products of these activities in view of the key principles addressed in the module. 

The aim is that students should demonstrate a critical understanding of the key principles addressed during the module, and that these assessments should provide the foundations for materials evaluation, design and development in the participants’ future professional lives. 

The principal aims of the module are: 

• to promote a critical understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of teaching materials for EFL, ESL and MFL settings; 
• to help students to evaluate materials from a range of educational settings, designed for different needs and purposes; 
• to aid conceptualisation of the nature of language learning and teaching as evident in materials;
• to offer frameworks for the production of schemes of work relevant to the participants’ teaching situation.
• By the end of the module participants should be able to: 
• demonstrate and critique rationales for different syllabuses, curricula, lessons and tasks as evident in materials.
• evaluate critically a wide range of published materials for language teaching, with a view to making better informed selection for their own needs;
• plan and develop a set of materials based on clear pedagogic principles, for use in a context of their own choice;

Ten face-to-face sessions, each consisting of half of theoretical lecture and discussion of readings, half of group work to design and execute materials for teaching or for evaluation of teaching materials. VLE use: 'question box' for questions about a reading in the week before that reading is discussed

Weekly submission by several groups of the materials they have developed in the previous week, with online discussion by all; posting of course documents, URLs etc., digital posting of draft and final coursework.

Each student has to (1) at least once, report orally on their group's work a week after the work is done; (2) at least once, post their group's work along with a commentary on it to the VLE for discussion by the group. These two tasks are compulsory, but do not receive marks. In addition, (3) students submit an essay of around 5,000 words; the draft is submitted to the digital dropbox and students receive extensive comments on it, electronically; the final version is submitted in both electronic and hard copy form.

Email and support in face-to-face sessions are used

Email support, online discussions and face-to-face support. Some of the learners will have already followed a module that uses Blackboard, but this year about half of them hadn't.

Module tutors: all pedagogic matters, including helping the students to use the VLE with maximum benefit.

Course administrator: all administrative matters

Second marker: may access the digital dropbox to help check word count, possible plagiarism etc.

Course handbook, the VLE and other resources

Main content formats

Main content producers

Main delivery formats

Email, VLE/forums

This module students can use both design materials in a group context and have the time to polish them for electronic submission in a finished form for the members of other groups. This means that all groups get a good chance to see each other's work, without any class time to do so.