Course Design: The Basics

Monica A. Devanas, Ph.D.Director, Faculty Development and Assessment

ProgramsCenter for Teaching Advancement and

Assessment Research

Common method of course design

• List content important to the field• Create syllabus– Outline of content items

• Outline lectures • Plan labs• Schedule exams to test knowledge learned in

course

What’s missing?

• WHY? Teach this, learn this, what good is it?• Explain what students need to learn• Why learning is more than content or facts• Examine your strategies to achieve goals

beyond content goals• Plan for your evaluation of success of

course, student learning, faculty satisfaction

Designing a Course

1) Set life lesson/overarching goals What do you want your students to be able to do at the end of the course?

2) Select content and activities to achieve these specific goals

3) develop an evaluation plan for student performance that is consistent with the goals of the course. (How will students earn grades?)

Course Design Considerations• Unit Faculty/Discipline• Student Body– what knowledge or skills demonstrated at end• critical thinking, application skills

– hopes, needs, motivation of students• proficiency• prerequisite• career preparation

Course Design – The BIG Plan

1. Plan Course and

2. Assessment and

3. Outcomes Evaluation = successful?

Course Design – The BIG Plan

1. Plan Course anda. course goalsb. instructional objectivesc. learning activities

2. Assessment and

3. Outcomes Evaluation = successful?

Course Design - Goals

1. Course Goals – know, do, value (attitudes)– Theories– Applications, examples, practice– Skills– Understanding

Write “Course Learning Goals” (non-discipline specific)

• Collect information• Critically read discipline literature• Work in groups• Write (kinds?)• Quantitative Tasks • Oral presentation• Self learning• Peer teaching

Know, do, value

Activity 1: Write Learning Goal

Write 3 to 5 Overarching Goals (5 min)

Share with others at table (2 min each)

Each group report on goals designed

Write Goals that have “measureable outcomes”

Design tasks or assignments or activities so that students must “DO” something that will demonstrate that they have achieved the goal

What do they “Know” “Value” or “Do” now that they did not or could not do before your course.

Write the Instructional Objectives

1) Set overarching goals Knowledge Skills Attitudes

2) Write Instructional Objectives - choose content and activities to achieve specific goalscontent – tests, essays, project, presentation

Course Design

2. Instructional Objectivesspecific skills:

– knowledge - “define terms”– comprehension - “give examples”– application - “predict”– analysis - “differentiate”– synthesis - “summarize”– evaluation - “judge value”

http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains

http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains

= can the student create new product or point of view?

= can the student justify a stand or decision?

= can the student distinguish between the different parts?

= can the student use the information in a new way?

= can the student explain ideas or concepts?

= can the student recall or remember the information?

Goals: lower order thinking skills

At end of course, I want students to be able to:– list the…– identify – know – calculate– cite examples …– explain how … – describe the processes that …

Goals: higher order thinking skills

At end of course, I want students to be able to:– interpret, construct, analyze, assess – use a variety of data – interpret unfamiliar information– use the characteristics of …– identify problems in …– make their own interpretations– research information on a topic area– present to an appropriate audience – design activities, make observations, ask questions, collect

data, make interpretations

Goals: higher order thinking skills

– formulate new research questions– collect and analyze data – design computer or analog models and processes– design and carry out a project involving collection,

analysis, and synthesis of data to solve a complex, open-ended problem

– make an informed decision about a controversial issue involving a course topic

Activity 2: Write Instructional Objectives

Write 2 or 3• Course Goals• Instructional Objectives and the concepts or

content that will be learned

Course Design

3. Learning Activities– lectures– discussions– group work– problem based learning– homework– laboratory

Designing Assignments

Guided by …Course Goals

TheoryApplicationSkillsUnderstanding

Instructional Objectives

KnowledgeComprehensionApplicationAnalysisSynthesisEvaluation

Learning Activities Lecture Discussion Group work Problem Based Learning Homework Laboratory

Examples• Learning Activities

lecture

discussion

group work

problem based learning

homework

laboratory

• Instructional Objectives knowledge “define terms”

comprehension “give examples”

application - “predict”

analysis - “differentiate”

synthesis - “summarize

evaluation - “judge value”

Write the Assignments

1) Set overarching goals Knowledge Skills Attitudes

2) Write Instructional Objectives - choose content and activities to achieve specific goalscontent – tests, essays, project, presentation

3) Develop assignments and the evaluation plan for student performance consistent with the goals of the course – grades!

Activity 3: Write an Assignment

Write 1 or 2 Assignments• Course Goals• Instructional Objective &• Assignments = Learning Activity currently in

use, or plan on using in your “new” course

Course Design with Assessment

1) Wrote overarching course goals What do you want your students to be able to do at the end of the course?

2) Designed a)instructional objectives (content, skills) and b) learning activities to achieve these specific goals

3) Develop an evaluation scheme for student performance that is consistent with the goals of the course.

Design assessment as youdesign the assignments

The assignments on which the students are graded must be tasks that allow you to evaluate whether they have met your goals

Design assignments/activities to accomplish the goal(s)

• for each course goal, how will you lead students to the point where they can do _______ on their own?

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/coursedesign/index.html