About ELDeR

The importance of learning design

The growing diversity of our student body, our increasingly global outlook and new creative opportunities brought about by technological advancements are stimulating intense debate and innovative approaches to learning and teaching.

As a university, we seek to develop independent, creative, flexible and critical thinkers, able to thrive and contribute in an increasingly complex world. This means focusing not only on what we teach but also on how we teach – an area of academic practice which can be sometimes overlooked.

How ELDeR was developed

The leading learning design approaches from universities across the UK were piloted with teaching programmes at the University of Edinburgh. CAIeRO (based at the University of Northampton) was judged to be the best fit for us. ELDeR was developed from this to meet the specific needs of the University.

The principles behind ELDeR

• It is efficient: the initial investment of time developing a robust design now means less ad hoc adjustment later.

• It is a creative, supportive and collaborative process: tackling problems together results in better solutions and strengthens the team.

• It is a safe space: everyone's input is valued, and there are no silly questions.

• It is an invaluable staff development tool: in particular, it supports and builds the confidence of staff who are new to teaching.

• It is invaluable for programme directors: it provides an overview of the programme so that gaps and duplications can be identified and addressed.