Proceedings ascilite Melbourne 2008: Full paper: McAlpine, Pannan & Fitzmaurice 593 Steps towards using an enquiry-based blended learning design for curriculum change in Health Sciences Iain McAlpine, Linda Pannan and Kerry Fitzmaurice Faculty of Health Sciences La Trobe University A learning design based on the enquiry-based learning (EBL) pedagogical model is being used for course unit design in a curriculum change within a faculty of health sciences. The learning design is scalable to support large student cohorts spread across multiple campuses. The EBL model is used to promote high levels of student engagement and active self-directed learning with the aim of enhancing academic performance and making teaching and learning time-efficient for academic staff. The large project described in this paper uses a design-based research method and is currently in its first phase. Details of the enquiry-based blended learning design, its application across the common first year units, and processes used to achieve inclusive dialogue and orient academic staff to its use are reported. Keywords: pedagogical models, learning designs, enquiry-based learning, curriculum change Introduction The use of learning designs for course enhancement is a major development in elearning. A learning design can be thought of as a pedagogical model for a course, focused on learning activities that will support teachers and designers to develop particular kinds of learning experiences (Bennett, Lockyer, & Agostinho, 2004). One of the aims of a learning design is to enable the features of a successful course unit to be applied to other units so these may also promote successful outcomes for students and staff. When a learning design is applied to course development the design forms a structure of interrelated pedagogical processes, devoid of any course content. The original application of the design forms a template for further applications in other course units. Templates have been developed in software form to enable and support rapid transition to a new course unit development (Bennett et al., 2004; Heathcote, 2006; McAlpine & Allen, 2007). The applications of pedagogical models that promote student-centred constructivist approaches can be seen as a paradigm-shift in the tertiary sector – a change from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning (Barr & Tagg, 1995; Biggs, 2003). Many developments in learning design and learning design templates are aimed at promoting and enabling this paradigm shift (Dalziel, 2003; Heathcote, 2006; McAlpine & Allen, 2007; Oliver, Harper, Hedberg, Wills, & Agostinho, 2002) While learning designs have been applied in a wide range of course unit developments, their application to changing a complete curriculum is rare. This paper outlines the first stage of a design-based research project on curriculum change in the Faculty of Health Sciences at La Trobe University. Applying a learning design that promotes active learning and skill development in one course unit is beneficial in the context of that unit, but the benefits could be lost if subsequent units do not build on the active learning skills. By applying a learning design using the EBL model to a whole curriculum the development of learning skills and graduate attributes associated with this pedagogical model can be continually developed and enhanced through successive years of study. The use of learning designs can be challenging for many academic staff who are accustomed to thinking of a course unit in terms of the content that needs to be communicated and assessed, rather than thinking about pedagogical models to guide the design of learning activities. In this first phase of the project staff development and educational design were required to introduce academic staff to the conceptual framework of EBL as a learning design, and to use of a generic LMS template in WebCT/ Blackboard CE 6 that structures the blended learning aspects to appropriately support the EBL experience for students.