Course Design

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 4.2 COURSE DESIGN

 

Carefully planning your course not only makes teaching easier and more enjoyable, but it also facilitates student learning. 

 

Backward Design

In the past, teachers planned assessments and activities first and created the learning outcomes last. Now we know that the first step in effective course design is to create the student learning outcomes (SLOs). This model is known as backward design. The backward design model begins with the end—the desired results, or outcomes. After creating the learning outcomes, the next step is to determine acceptable evidence—assessments. This is followed by planning the learning experiences and instruction—learning activities.

🔗 Find more information on the backward design model at Vanderbilt's Understanding By Design Guide.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcomes are the core of your course, focusing on what you want your students to know or be able to do upon successful completion of your course.  Think about what your students will walk away with and how they will be different as a result of your course.  These outcomes should be listed on your syllabus.

Then at a more granular level (module, topic, or week), you will create learning objectives that clarify what you want your students to know or be able to do upon completing the module/topic/week.  You can see an example of  module learning outcomes in this Canvas course—we list them in the overview for each module.

If your course is a General Education (GE) course, you'll need to list the GE Outcomes that your course meets (it does not have to meet all the SLOs for the given GE, but must meet at least one) on your syllabus.

Finally, if your course is designated as meeting either the Writing Intensive (WI) or Information Competence (IC) designations, you must list the SLOs for those designations on your syllabus.

Once the outcomes are defined, you will design assessments and learning activities that align with the SLOs.

To learn more about course learning outcomes and course alignment, visit the Faculty Development Teaching Toolkit. The Syllabus toolkit page contains useful tips to align your course outcomes and weekly activities.

 

 

Now that you've used best practices to identify student learning outcomes, assessments, and activities, you can work with campus partners to select your course materials and arrange for field trips or guest speakers.