Back in 2018 I was approached by several ex-colleagues of mine from different universities in London in need of guidance on the transition to online learning. At the time, I was working at CEG Digital, supporting universities in the design and delivery of online programmes. After delivering several workshops, it became apparent that academics, learning designers and learning technologists attending the training, needed more than a few hours of training with a focus on teams rather than individuals.

**Dr Maria Toro-Troconis**
Founder & Director – Learning Design & ESD Bootcamp

This is when I thought about the idea of putting together a more intensive programme that not only provided a training opportunity but also an opportunity to build communities of practice in and outside universities. Involving not only academics willing to engage in the transition to online/blended learning but also learning designers, curriculum designers and learning technologists.

I clearly remember the day when I was waiting for a train at Liverpool Street station in London and the idea of a ‘Bootcamp’ came to my head. I reached out to 2 key people, that I had previously worked with, and who have a wealth of experience in the area of educational technology, Santanu Vasant (who was working at the University of East London at the time) and Dr Julie Voce (who was working at City University of London). I briefly explained the idea to them, and they showed immediate support. Soon after that I reached out to other universities and the Bootcamp was born!

The first Bootcamp started with the support of the University of East London, City University London, CEG Digital, Falmouth University, University of Liverpool, Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College London, and University of Greenwich.

Here is a brief run-down of the Bootcamps we’ve had so far, who was selected and what has been achieved.

BOOTCAMP 2019

The first Bootcamp Call went out in November 2018 and four teams were selected from:

University of Warwick
Manchester Metropolitan University
University East London, and
Solent University.

The Bootcamp started in May 2019 and ended in July 2019. The Bootcamp kicked off with an intensive first day delivered face to face and another face to face day delivered at the end hosted by Dr Julie Voce – Head of Educational Technology, Learning Enhancement and Development at City, University of London.

The team from Manchester Metropolitan University won the Learning Design Bootcamp 2019 and was selected as host of the Learning Design Bootcamp 2020.

This has been the one an only Bootcamp delivered using a blended approach so far due to the pandemic.

BOOTCAMP 2020

The second Bootcamp Call went out in November 2019. Six teams were selected from the following universities:

University College London
University of Exeter
St George’s, University of London
Aberystwyth University
Keele University and
University of Surrey.

The programme started in March 2020 just before the Covid-19 lock down and ended in July 2020. All the activities of the Bootcamp were delivered online. The Bootcamp had an excellent team of mentors from: the Open University, CEG Digital and Solent University. The teams selected really appreciated having a mentor and expert in learning design by their side in their transition to online learning which was not optional as originally planned when they applied.

After having great support from The Open University during the second Bootcamp, the Learning Design team from the Open University moved smoothly to manage and host the next Bootcamp.

BOOTCAMP 2021

The third Bootcamp Call went out in November 2020. The opportunities that the Learning Design Bootcamp offered were more relevant than ever before. The pandemic forced the move to online learning with some institutions better prepared than others to face the challenges of quality online learning design and delivery.

The Bootcamp focused on key themes: student journey, learning design, evaluation, and quality. The eleven teams selected that year came from the UK, Ireland, Iceland, and the United Arab Emirates:

Bloomsbury Institute London
The University of Warwick
University of Wolverhampton
Regent’s University London
Newcastle University
University of East London
Reykjavik University
The National University of Ireland Galway
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
American University of Sharjah and
Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences – Dubai.

BOOTCAMP 2022

I became an international consultant for different organisations of The United Nations just before the pandemic hit. This gave me the opportunity to see curriculum design from a global perspective and appreciate the importance of embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in curriculum design. This led me to develop a new version of the CoDesignS Learning Design Framework embedding ESD and introducing The Open University activity types framework.

The development of the CoDesignS ESD Framework was supported by the American University of Sharjah team working on a module on Innovation and Entrepreneurship based on the Stanford University IE301 course during the Bootcamp in 2021. This provided the perfect opportunity to evaluate the framework in collaboration with the the Bootcamp Committee and key stakeholders from UNESCO IESALC, Anglia Ruskin University, The Open University and The University of Glasgow.

The new approach marrying learning design and ESD gave the Bootcamp a great shift bringing together learning design and ESD. The involvement of great stakeholders including UNESCO IESALC meant that the Bootcamp could have a greater impact with the delivery of the Bootcamp in English and Spanish reaching educational institutions globally.

30 mentors selected from over 500 applicants took the course at the end of 2021 to be ready to support the Bootcamp teams 2022 onwards. In 2022 Dr Maria Toro-Troconis founded the Association for Learning Design and ESD (ALDESD), a non-profit organisation based in the United Kingdom.

The 8-week Learning Design and ESD Bootcamp organised and led by ALDESD and UNESCO IESALC in 2022 and delivered in English and Spanish, successfully trained the following teams:

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University – Hong Kong
Glasgow Caledonian University London – UK
Queen’s University Belfast – UK
University of Essex – UK
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) – Australia
Universidad Internacional de Valencia – Spain
American University of Sharjah – United Arab Emirates
Manchester Metropolitan University – UK
Amity University Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Puebla – Mexico
Corporación Universitaria de Asturias – Colombia
Instituto Universitario CEMIC – Argentina
Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico/ Campus Mexicali- CIIDET – Mexico
Universidad CES – Colombia
Universidad Internacional de Ciencia y Tecnología – Panama
Universidad Internacional de Valencia – Spain
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras – Honduras
Universidad Nacional de Educación – Ecuador
Universidad Nacional del Nordeste – Argentina
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos – Perú
Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana – Chile

The primary objective of the Bootcamp was to equip participating teams with the necessary skills and competencies to effectively incorporate ESD into curriculum design, leveraging the CoDesignS ESD Framework and Toolkit. Each team was allocated a mentor to support the teams and keep them on track throughout the Bootcamp. For the first time this Bootcamp included the participation of students as partners. Bootcamp Learning Outcomes Throughout the Bootcamp, participants aimed at achieving the following learning outcomes:

Engage in discussions on sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Demonstrate an understanding of ESD and its potential impact on curricula and pedagogy.
Explore transformative pedagogies and apply active learning methodologies to teaching practices.
Describe key concepts and approaches in learning design, emphasising the significance of the three pillars of the CoDesignS ESD Framework.
Design curriculum elements that contribute to the integration of ESD into educational practices using the CoDesignS ESD Toolkit Planner.

BOOTCAMP 2023

Learn more about the Bootcamp 2023 (Spring)…

WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED SO FAR?

I never thought back in 2018 the Learning Design Bootcamp would become what it is today:

Since 2018 we have had over 20 universities’ representatives supporting the Learning Designing Bootcamp Committee.
We have a large pool of global highly experienced mentors in the areas of learning design and ESD from: United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Switzerland, US, United Arab Emirates, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Perú, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They are also becoming agents of change within their universities and beyond.
The teams participating in the Bootcamps have become agents of change within their universities and beyond in the area of learning design and ESD.
We have partnered with several United Nations partners which has been key in expanding our reach globally and strengthening our ESD offer.
We have produced a fantastic online course on ‘Learning Design and Education for Sustainable Development’ involving our Bootcamp and CoDesignS communities. The course is hosted on UNESCO IESALC Campus.
We have produced several research papers and publications associated with the Bootcamp.
We have successfully trained over 100 participants across 36 diverse teams from an array of countries, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Panama, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, United Arab Emirates, and Australia.

I personally feel extremely lucky to be part of this amazing journey and community that until now has achieved all of this on a voluntary basis. I look forward to maintaining and nurturing our community and expanding our impact globally.

I look forward to contributing to a better world for our future generations with the support of all our amazing Bootcamp community!

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