Overview of Unit Structure

This document assists instructors in understanding the structure of units and how to use that structure to guide learners.

A well designed ARK unit will enable great learning experiences by making it easy for students to find what they need when they need it. In this document, you will be introduced to the key concepts in the structure of ARK units and be provided guidance on best practices for enabling students to locate learning activities and resources.

How are ARK units structured?

An ARK unit contains a hierarchy of three levels:

  • the unit format level: This is the overarching structure of the unit where the different sections are presented on a single page. Different layouts are available and can be selected based on pedagogical design.
  • the section level: Sections are a type of container for each week or topic. Learning activities are accessed from sections.
  • the activity level: These are the activities and resources that present information and provide learning materials to the student. See activity chooser to learn more about this layer.
stateDiagram-v2

classDef colorset1 fill:#ece5d5,stroke:#413e39,stroke-width:2px,font-size:28px,line-height:2rem
classDef colorset2 fill:#740005,stroke:#413e39,stroke-width:2px,line-height:2rem,y:-12,color:#ffffff;
classDef colorset3 fill:#ffebec,stroke:#413e39,stroke-width:2px
classDef nodeLabel padding-bottom:40px
classDef hidden display:none;
classDef edge0 display:none;
class State1 colorset1
class State2, State3, State4 colorset2
class State5, State5a, State6, State6b, State7 colorset3
class State0 hidden

        State1: Unit Format
        State2: Information sections (e.g. unit overview)
        State3: Weeks/topics sections

        State5: Content Pages
        State5a: Content Pages
        State6: Learning Activities
        State6b: Links
        State7: Links

state State1 {
        State2 --> State5
        State3 --> State6
        State3 --> State5a
        State3 --> State6b
        State2 --> State7
}

The above diagram presents one way of thinking about unit structure.

Thinking about structure from student experience

Student engagement with a unit on ARK can be thought of as having three purposes: functional, learning and assessment. These purposes peak at various stages in the delivery of the unit but are present throughout the entire delivery.

  • the functional purpose of visiting an ARK unit is to ascertain information about the delivery of the unit: resources required (e.g. textbooks), find zoom links, location of classes, key dates and learning processes
  • the learning purpose is to access resources and participate in activities intrinsic to learning
  • a student will visit ARK for information about assessments, ensuring they are completing the task correctly and seeking resources to aid in the completion of the assessment

The goal of unit design is to provide a clear and consistent structure to ensure students are not frustrated in their attempts to locate and understand learning materials.

How to use structure effectively

When choosing a layout, structuring your content and entering descriptions, you should consider when and why a student will be accessing the content you are entering. Cluster related content by choosing logical sections and choose layouts that reduce the number of clicks required to find discrete content. Some questions to guide your decision making:

  • What do students want to see in the week before the start of the unit? Is it easy to locate? Does it enable students to organise a study plan?
    • Note: units become visible to students a week before the scheduled start date of the delivery. This allows students time to design a study plan and locate any required resources or sort out any technical issues.
  • What do students need to access in each week or module of study? Can they easily find the information? Is it clear what is required and what is optional or supplementary?
  • Is it clear when content will be released if it is not currently available?
  • How will students use the meta unit in preparation for an assessment? If information presented in teaching weeks will aid in assessment preparation, is it easy to locate a few weeks later?