The SPaM framework identifies three core “domains” that need to be considered when designing hybrid curriculum and whilst SPaM is intended to be used as a curriculum design framework (particularly for hybrid programmes/courses) it is not a curriculum design tool itself and as such it relies on using other processes to support the design activity. Many universities will already have established curriculum design tools/processes which can be used in support of SPaM but I thought it would also be useful to collate some examples here for consideration in the table below.

Curriculum Design Models

Name & Link	Summary Description
Constructive Alignment	Not strictly a design “tool” it is more a philosophical approach to designing curriculum through the alignment of learning outcomes, learning objectives, assessments and learning activities. As a philosophy it works with many curriculum design tools.
Carpe Diem	A “team based approach to curriculum design” Carpe Diem. Developed by Gilly Salmon her website has links to workbooks and resources to support its implementation.
ABC Learning Design	This design approach is a “is a high-energy, hands-on curriculum development workshop developed at UCL” usually delivered over 90 minutes but can be extended and builds on the six learning types developed by Diana Laurillard.
ELDeR	“ELDeR is a practical, team-based approach to learning design. It involves an intensive, collaborative workshop, at the end of which the academic team goes away with a detailed blueprint of the learning design and a comprehensive action plan. At its heart is the student learning experience, where student feedback and assessment literacies are given top priority, and a shared vision of the programme is developed between team members.” – University of Edinburgh (UK)
CAIeRO	“CAIeRO stands for Creating Aligned Interactive educational Resource Opportunities….Think of it as a Course Design Retreat – a full module CAIeRO is two days away from the phone and the email, to build or re-design taught modules, with support from a range of specialist staff. Every CAIeRO will be different, but broadly speaking the workshop has two aims – to develop the modules themselves, and to help the teaching team to develop their course design skills.” – University of Northampton (UK)
TESTA	“TESTA (Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment) aims to improve the quality of student learning through addressing programme-level assessment.” It focusses very much on assessment and as such is not a complete curriculum design model, but is very effective in supporting a programme level assessment approach.
FOLD	Blended and Online Learning Curriculum Design Toolkit. This Toolkit sets out La Trobe University’s flexible and online learning development (FOLD) process for conducting a curriculum design project that will obtain institutional support and resources, and result in enduring, sustainable change.

Additionally I have collected some useful resources and information relating to supporting discussions around each of the three SPaM domains: Subject, Pedagogy and Modality. Again these are not necessarily tools per se but resources and information that might be useful in supporting conversations and considering approaches to each of the domains.

Here’s a nice overview of curriculum design models by Geraldine O’Neill from University College Dublin and a Padlet collection of Learning Design Frameworks, Models and Toolkits by Danielle Hinton.

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