Does fashion ever stay the same? No, right? Fashion is constantly changing depending on the seasons, the current trends, etc. Similarly, it is crucial that that education sector be up-to-date with the changes taking place all around the world. The process of courseware development is constantly evolving to serve the needs of its target audience. The basic requirement of any courseware is to offer the required knowledge and training in the most effective way. Similar to the contemporary global scene, the process of courseware development in India has also changed to cater to interests of its primary two partners — students (learners) and teachers (trainers).

Basic Components of Courseware Development

Courseware development has its origins in printed material, designed to be studied by students to further understand any topic. A teacher then helped to facilitate this process to elaborate the content provided in the courseware. Through its evolution over the years, the composition of every courseware has had the following components ingrained in it.

  • The ‘analysis’ stage of development revolves around designing an ideal, clear strategy directed towards the target audience. The developer considers the following essential elements:

    • There must be a clear understanding of the course topic and the skills that students are required to possess by the end of the course.

    • The courseware design must suit the comprehension level of the students. This is especially evident in K12 courseware development in india, where the content should reflect over-the-years progression of students’ understanding.

  • The course must have a logical flow of information that complements the progression of students.

  • It must include progress indicators to help the developer define the progress made with the help of evaluations and assessments.

  • The course must present authentic information, where quality control is maintained with the help of subject matter experts.

  • The course must undergo an evaluation of itself to present full-proof content, free of any editing or grammatical mistakes.

In view of technological advancements, the approach towards developing courseware has changed. Such changes mainly reflect the available resources so that both the objective and outcome of the course are accomplished in the most effective way possible.

Backward Design Approach

In 1998, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe introduced the Backward Design approach to courseware development. This approach included a set of defined curricular goals, establishing the direction and scope of a course at the very beginning.

  • It works against the memorisation approach to foster critical thinking in students.

  • It operates to accomplish the development and expansion of students’ understanding.

  • An educator can identify the desired results beforehand in order to define the learning objectives. Based on limitations of the medium, realistic goals are then set that can be identified by acceptable evidence.

Through the years, the Backward Design approach has been adopted by all forms of learning experiences. This includes all content and activity choices being favoured in the process of courseware development in India.

E-Learning

Modern courseware makes use of multimedia and internet technologies to offer new opportunities. New electronic tools and systems allow the developers to create, store and process education material to make it affordable and easily accessible.

Using virtual and interactive technologies help the developers to offer more proficient training, ensuring in-depth understanding among students. Digital assessments can now provide instantaneous feedback as different instructional styles have made the learning process more interactive. Teachers can now quickly respond to the interests displayed by learners and provide new ideas in return.

Blended Learning

In the early 2000s, blended learning became increasingly popular. It offered a combination of collaborative learning with problem-based learning, designed to promote students’ curiosity. Also known as hybrid teaching, blended learning mixed the traditional classroom methods with modern e-learning techniques. As a result, trained educators started using online learning materials to make teaching an active and interactive process. Since then and due to the rising student interest in pedagogical approach to learning, blended learning has become an indispensable part of education in some parts of the world.