How can a course be designed quickly, yet purposefully? What can be done to ensure that students are not passive recipients, but active participants? How can a consistent structure be maintained across parallel courses? How can the effectiveness and diversity of learning approaches be assessed as part of the review of an academic program?
ABC Learning Design is a practice-oriented educational development tool that offers a creative, collaborative framework for addressing these questions.
What is the ABC Learning Design method?
ABC Learning Design is a structured, visual approach to planning and analyzing learning activities, helping educators design courses with clarity and purpose.
It is designed to:
- support instructors in curriculum planning;
- increase student engagement; and
- enhance the overall quality of teaching.
At the core of ABC Learning Design are six key learning types, which together form a simple framework for creating balanced, activity-based learning experiences that actively engage students throughout a course.
Why is it useful in higher education?
The ABC method offers a range of practical benefits:
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Fast and transparent course design: A full course can be rethought in as little as two hours.
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Student-centered learning: Learning pathways are built around student activity, participation, and engagement.
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Greater consistency in teaching practice: It supports collaboration among instructors teaching the same or related courses.
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Quality enhancement and academic program review: It helps align learning outcomes with learning activities and assessment.
A flexible framework: It provides clear guidance while preserving academic autonomy.
How does it work in practice?
The ABC method is implemented in a workshop-based format, creating an intensive, facilitated, and collaborative course design process. During the session, participants:
- map the learning activities within their courses;
- align these activities with the intended learning outcomes; and
- design new learning pathways that encourage active student participation.
With its strong emphasis on visual planning and peer collaboration, the method is particularly effective for department- or program-level curriculum development. It can also involve students, giving them the opportunity to provide valuable feedback while a course is still being designed or revised.
Who is it for?
The ABC Learning Design method is particularly useful for:
- university instructors and PhD students;
- program directors and teaching teams;
- faculty members and staff preparing for course or academic program review;
anyone seeking practical tools to enhance student-centered teaching.
Why is it worth trying?
ABC Learning Design is not just a theoretical model, but a practical tool that can be readily applied in practice. It makes course design more transparent, purposeful, and engaging, while helping to strengthen student motivation and improve learning outcomes. For those committed to high-quality, student-centered teaching, ABC Learning Design offers an effective and easy-to-implement approach.
Registration for ABC Learning Design workshops
PhD students can register for ABC Learning Design workshops via SZTE’s Modulo platform starting in June 2026, while registration for instructors opens in September 2026.
Departments and institutes interested in collaboratively reviewing one to four courses may also request a dedicated workshop tailored to their needs by contacting the organizers at the email address below.
For more information, visit:
ABC Learning Design workshops at the University of Szeged
The ABC Learning Design workshop format was originally developed by Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital Technologies. At the University of Szeged, workshops are delivered by instructors and staff who have completed the ABC Learning Design Train-the-Trainer program, led by colleagues from EUGLOH partner institutions LMU Munich and UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
List of current ABC Learning Design trainers at the University of Szeged:
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Dr. Vivien Apjok
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Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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Dr. Mária Bakti
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Juhász Gyula Faculty of Education
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Dr. Valéria Nagy
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Faculty of Engineering
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Dr. László Petrovszki-Oláh
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Faculty of Law and Political Sciences
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Dr. György Vida
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Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
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Dr. Beáta Udvari
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Directorate for Academic Affairs
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Dr. Zsófia Patyi
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Directorate for Academic Affairs
ABC Contact Person, patyi.zsofia@szte.hu
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The ABC Learning Design workshops organized at the University of Szeged would not have been possible without the ABC Learning Design – Train the Trainers initiative supported by EUGLOH.
SZTEinfo
