This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Johnson, K. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

What task designers do

Lancaster University, k.johnson{at}lancaster.ac.uk

This paper describes part of a research project which is concerned with the design procedures followed by those engaged in designing pedagogic tasks for use in classrooms. The project as a whole is at first briefly described. The paper then focuses on that part of the project which involves actual observation of designers in the process of developing one specific task for class use. Two groups of designers are observed, specialist designers and non-specialists. Findings are presented under three headings. The first, ‘control procedures’, relates to the overall design patterns followed by the subjects. On this level, significant differences between specialists and non-specialists are identified. Second, the ‘design schemata’ of the subjects -the knowledge and belief systems they bring to the activity -are identified, particularly as they relate to the way design is undertaken. On this level, two broad designer types emerge, called language-oriented, and task-oriented. The main concern of the former is to develop tasks with valuable language content, while the latter are more concerned with providing what they regard as interesting and meaningful activities. The third heading, ‘heuristics’, deals with how specific and detailed design problems are tackled. On this level, a number of characteristics are identified, some though not all relating to the specialist/non-specialist distinction. The paper concludes with some observations regarding the production of a Task Design Guide, which the project undertook as part of its aim.

Language Teaching Research, Vol. 4, No. 3, 301-321 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/136216880000400306


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?