Seven Steps to Designing Your course

Before you start updating your course outline or syllabus, make sure you have thought about the design of your course.

Here are seven basic steps to get you going – often done in the order presented.

1. Recognize who your learners are

• Prior knowledge, emotional and intellectual development levels, demographics etc.

2. Write measurable and observable course learning outcomes

• Skills, knowledge and attitudes to achieve deep learning of key concepts

3. Identify evaluation methods for demonstrating learning outcomes

• Assignments, projects, tests, demonstrations, presentations (% and marking schemes)

4. Consider informal assessment methods to use throughout course

• Minute papers, tickets out the door, surveys, peer sharing, consultations (no marks)

5. Choose appropriate teaching and learning strategies to allow students to practice new learning

• Active learning, student-centered, authentic, engaging and experiential strategies

6. Keep scope of content around key concepts and enduring understandings

• Absolutely essential and necessary content to include vs. nice to know content

7. Plan out your course content and how it will be organized

• Topics, content, scaffolding of learning experiences, time for application

Writing Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes are:

• Broad statements about intended student learning after the course (or program) has been completed in terms of the desired end product
• What students should know and be able to demonstrate, as well as the depth of the learning that is expected
• Knowledge, skills, and values required by students to demonstrate learning of core concepts and essential components of the course (or program)
• Often presented separately in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, but also reflect a range of interacting knowledge, skills and attitudes
• Based on unique program situational factors and contexts, the number of learning outcomes that represent a graduate’s integrated and essential learning might be demonstrated through:
  • 5-8 broadly stated COURSE learning outcomes
  • 10-15 broadly stated PROGRAM learning outcomes (note that program learning outcomes are available from your department chair or coordinator)

Another way to look at learning outcomes is by referring to the 3 H’s:

• Habits of the head (what you want students to know)
• Habits of the hand (what you want students to be able to do)
• Habits of the heart (what qualities and attributes you want students to have)

Note: While you will create learning outcomes as best as you can with the curriculum, course content and student learning in mind, unintended learning outcomes do arise during the progress of a course or over a program’s time. Therefore, some learning outcomes may be more constant, whereas other learning outcomes may need to be adjusted, enhanced or created due to learning situations, student needs or course design needs. Learning outcomes are not fixed and should evolve as the course evolves and as students engage in their learning experiences.

CTLI has a number of resources available as you explore writing course learning outcomes. Also note that you may not have to create learning outcomes when you start at NIC as they may have already been created for the course(s) you will be instructing.

Note the following resources:

Teach Anywhere Website – Learning Outcomes page

NIC Program Review SharePoint site – Do Before Program Review page learning outcome resources available under “Resources” section)

How Learning Outcomes Fit Within the Course Design

The learning outcomes are linked to the assessment and evaluation methods, along with the teaching and learning strategies.

• It is best practice to write/edit your learning outcomes first, before your other methods and strategies are chosen.
• Keep the learner front and centre at all times during the planning process.

Creating Well-Written Learning Outcomes

1. Start with an action verb that is measurable and observable. See charts on following pages. It important that the student can demonstrate the learning and you can observe and measure their degree of accomplishment.
2. Follow the verb with a statement that indicates the depth of learning to be demonstrated
3. End with a statement to give the learning outcome context and to identify criteria for an acceptable performance. Use the words “by” or “through” that will help with stating how the learning outcome will be assessed.
4. Be specific and not ambiguous. The following verbs are not that specific and do not result in observable demonstrations of student learning. Try other verbs from the charts on next pages.

5. Create a balanced set of learning outcomes. Too broad a learning outcome will be difficult to assess, while an extensive list of detailed learning outcomes will limit flexibility and adaptability of the curriculum.
6. Be concise and clearly state the intended learning outcomes. Make it friendly for students, faculty and others.
7. The learning outcomes have to be realistic (related to the real-world) and attainable within the time period of the course or program.

For a comprehensive guide on writing Learning Outcomes, refer to this PDF on the Teach Anywhere site.

Lesson Planning

Importance of Lesson Planning

When you take time to plan your classes, you and your students will see improvements in teaching and learning experiences. Listed below are the benefits of taking the time to plan:

• Gives you a chance to examine how each class fits within the whole course
• Allows you to design learning experiences that will address key topics, content, and learning outcomes
• Gives you time to be on the look-out for current stories, videos, or special events related to your topic
• Gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in completing assignments
• Creates confidence because you are organized and know what is coming next in your class
• Offers the opportunity to provide varied, interesting learning opportunities for your students
• Allows you to provide accommodation to students that require it by considering their requests/needs
• Allows you to integrate technology effectively and prepare a back-up plan
• Presents a cohesive class that flows from one topic to another, and links effectively with the previous class and the next one
• Gives you time to think through possible problems or challenges and be prepared for them
• Allows you pre-create questions and anticipate answers for effective discussions
• Allows you to include time for student questions and feedback

Planning is a vital component to being an effective instructor. When you plan more, you will see an improvement in the flow and delivery of your content. It is important that you take time to lay out a plan for your classes to ensure success for both you and your students.

Four key questions to ask when planning: Before planning can begin, consider the four questions listed in the box. The answers to these questions will help you begin your class planning process

How to Plan

Always begin by considering what learning outcomes you wish to cover in your class. These will come from your course syllabus. There should be 1 or 2 outcomes that could be reasonably covered within your class time (e.g., 50 minutes or 3 hours). Keep them in the forefront of your mind when planning the class

Assessment and Evaluation

Next consider how the learning outcomes will be met. This is called backwards planning or planning with the end in mind, which means you determine how you assess and evaluate student work in relation to the outcomes. Ultimately you think of the ‘end’ first and work backwards to figure out how you will get your students there (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005). Also consider how your students will demonstrate the learning outcomes.

To establish your assessment and evaluation scheme, ask yourself these questions:

• How can the students demonstrate that they actually learned what you intended for them to learn?
• What will the evidence look like?
• If the students are “applying” their knowledge of the content you just taught, how will you know that they understood those concepts? How will you record this?

Then decide:

• Assessment: What informal feedback will you give to students about how they are doing with respect to the learning outcomes and related course content (e.g., written and oral comments, practice test feedback, discussions, activities, questioning) that do not have marks or grades?
• Evaluation: what formal grading and marks (e.g., tests, assignments, papers, mid-terms, exams) are you planning?
• What assessment and/or evaluation strategies do you need to have or develop so you are accountable for students’ learning and addressing the course learning outcomes?

Note: The Relationship between Learning Outcomes and Assessment + Evaluation: These first two steps in planning are linked together. You may go back and forth considering the outcomes and deciding on different assessments or evaluations. This step may also take a bit longer.

Pre-Assessment

At this step, think carefully about your class (number of students, students with disabilities, age of students, previous knowledge about the topic, social and behavioral characteristics, etc.) and how this will impact your class. It is a step that involves pre-assessing what you know already about your students and taking that into account when you plan the rest of the class.

Remind yourself you may have students with learning accommodations or those who have been identified as needing some assistance with learning in your class. How will you be able to meet their needs with this class? List any strategies you might use (e.g., checking in with student, giving another example, allowing more time to complete an assignment, etc.). What principles of universal design can you consider in modifying content or providing alternatives for learning?

Briefly list the background knowledge that you expect your students to have of this content (e.g., Were there previous classes where content may have surfaced? What might they know from secondary school or general knowledge?). This will help you set the stage for planning the class. Sometimes instructors conduct short pre-assessment quizzes, which are not marked, to ascertain what students already know. These are called diagnostic tests.

Think about logistics. Larger classes may require modifications to class content

Consider the social and behavioral characteristics of students: year of class (1st year, 4th year, etc.), maturity level, interest in topic, time of day class is held

Imagine realistically how prepared your students are likely to be: are they ready to take notes, do the readings, grasp the main ideas of lecture, do the homework? This may affect how you structure your class, the level of assistance you may need to provide, and how slow/fast you can teach the material.

Content/ Teaching & Learning Strategies

This step involves brainstorming all the content required for your class and narrowing it down to key concepts. Once you have those key concepts, divide them into 10-15 minute sections. How you deliver the content revolves around the teaching and learning strategies you choose (lecture, small group activity, video, discussion, etc.)

• Brainstorm all content for this class. Lay it all out so you can see scope of content
• Divide your content by arranging it into manageable 10-15 minute increments or segments
• Plan for activities that allow students to apply their learning and intersperse these between the content segments
• Sequence content and activities in a step-by-step fashion
• Include approximate timing (either in minutes or actual times for the class) to help you decide how much content to include and predict how long class components will take
• Include sample questions you wish to ask with anticipated answers
• Be sure to include a wrap up or summary of the content before the class ends as it is crucial for students to be reminded of what you just covered
• Consider a feedback mechanism (e.g., Minute Paper or Ticket out the Door) to elicit information from students about their learning and the class

Segmenting the Content in Each Class

It is highly unlikely any student can sit for three straight hours and take effective notes while listening to a long lecture-focused class. Human brains do not have the capacity to sustain such concentration, understand and make sense of the content during long classes.

To make your classes more engaging, segment your content and activities into 10 to 20 minute segments. Some segments should contain content and some segments should contain activities for applying the content. Your students need to interact with you and their classmates and should have a change of pace in the class.

Here are some suggestions for breaking down your lecture or class into more manageable pieces. It may change the way you teach and how your students learn.

1. Gather all the content required for your class.
2. Identify sub-sections or sub-topics within the content: consider where appropriate breaks could occur in terms of delivering the content.
3. Pare down each sub-topic into points that would cover approximately 10-20 minutes of either lecturing or some form of direct instruction to students.
4. In a 1 hour class you need about 2-3 sub-topics to fill segments throughout the class; for 3 hour classes you need about 4-5 sub-topics.
5. Between sub-topic segments, include an activity that involves students applying the content you have just taught. These activities could also be 10-20 minutes long and would allow students to interact with the material by having a chance to stop taking notes and engaging with their peers.
6. Examples of learning activities: a small group discussion, watching a small video related to the topic, solving sample problems, using clickers or flash cards to vote on answers to questions, engaging in a debate about the topic, students independently answering questions, reading a passage, teaching a peer, etc.
7. Your class plan should have content interspersed with activities.
8. Allow time for a break (10-20 minutes) within a 2-hour or 3-hour class.

The biggest challenge for most instructors is choosing and knowing how to implement various learning activities to apply content. As you experiment with this format for your classes, you may wish to adjust how much content and what sorts of activities work best for your students.

RE-ASSESSMENT & RESOURCES
After the class has been developed, it is important for you to go back and ensure that all your students are being considered through the teaching and learning strategies chosen. Have you considered the diversity of students in your class? Have you created a level playing field for all the students that are in your class? At this point, it is also time to list the resources (web site links, books, videos, stories, handouts, etc.) you will need for the class.

NEXT STEPS & REFLECTIONS
After the class is over, jot down notes for next year and reflect for a short time about the class. Make short comments about how the class progressed: what went well, what did not work, what you would change for next year, what took longer or shorter, etc. Indicate any steps you need to take or things you might do differently next year.

Note: Refer to the lesson planning template that accompanies this chapter for an example of how to structure your lesson plans.

Setting Expectations

On the first day of a course, you set the tone and atmosphere of how the course will be conducted. You let the students find out about you to begin establishing rapport, and you help them make connections with their peers. Students learn very quickly from what you say and what you do on the first day what your expectations for them will be. So, on this first day, it is important to model the kinds of activities that will be common during the semester. If you are the only one talking on Day One, students will believe that the rest of the course will be you lecturing while they listen, it will be hard to get them to learn actively for the rest of the semester, even if that isn’t your intention, because they have already made up their minds about what this class will be like.

This section will present ideas and suggestions that will help you build a solid first set of classes.

SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1. Provide a well-thought out full first class that models what the student experience will be like for the remainder of the semester
2. Assist students in making a smooth transition from secondary school / holidays to the classroom learning experience
3. Establish a sense of community and communication within the classroom
4. Excite students about course content—model enthusiasm yourself
5. Engage students in an active learning environment
6. Obtain feedback from students about how they are used to learning
7. Get to know the students’ backgrounds and experiences
8. Learn students’ names
9. Provide support to students in learning how to be successful in your course

Preparation Prior to the First Day of Class

• Investigate the classroom (data projector/audio/visual materials to ensure they work; most effective arrangement of desks/chairs, consider entire layout of room etc.)
• Read through class names
• Create an agenda of what your first class will look like – ensure it isn’t just going
  over the syllabus and ending class early! Pack your agenda with a variety of activities
  that are representative of how you will be teaching the course (e.g., include discussions, engaging activity etc.)
• Examine examples of active learning activities, talk to colleagues about ideas etc.
• Be prepared – gather materials, arrive a bit earlier, be ready for a great first class!

During the First Class

Clarify any administrative details about course in case students are in the wrong class or thought they could attend class without being on the class list etc.

Ensure you share some details about yourself so students can feel a bit more connected to you.

Create Student Connections

The more students feel connected to each other and NIC the more likely they will come to class and have peers they can work with during class. Use ice-breaker activities to help students get to know each other, but also allow you to learn names.

Use low-risk introduction activities that do not require much planning and will immediately engage students early in the class. By focusing activities on fun facts and favourites, students will feel comfortable to participate (e.g., do not ask students to stand up in class, introduce themselves and tell what program or year they are in, or what they hope to get out of the class – this can make some students feel vulnerable and embarrassed).

Course Overview

Students come to class to learn something, and the first class is an opportune time to get started. This is a great chance to model how you will excite them about learning!

Here are some ideas:

• Slideshow of Images/Text/Audio
• Practical Examples/Relationship to Career/Courses
• Tell a Personal Story about how Course Content is Relevant
• Concept Map
• Fun, no-credit team quiz on syllabus

Engage in Course Activity

As soon as you have presented an overview of the course, be sure to engage students immediately. This will serve as a model for students to know what to expect in your course and how you will run the class. Here are some suggestions:

• Case Study
• Misconceptions Questions
• Question and Answer
• Diagnostic Quiz
• Worksheet Activity

Explain Expectations

Setting expectations with students is an appropriate thing to do during the first class. These expectations are more general and not often in the course syllabus. Students want to know there are guidelines, but you don’t need to come down hard the first class.

One way to set expectations for in-class interactions is to have students create the rules of class conduct themselves. Don’t worry they will create almost exactly the same rules you would, but they will want to adhere to them if they’ve had the chance to develop them themselves!

Course Outline

Ensure you briefly cover the syllabus. A well-constructed syllabus should stand on its own. Ensure your syllabus has course expectations, contact details, assignment/test dates and percentages, along with details on textbook and academic policies

Bridging to the Next Class

Ensure you have a proper ending to the class – rather than realizing you are out of time or telling students you have nothing else and letting them go early.

The ending of the class is very important in establishing a positive feeling with students, reminding them of what the course will be about, and motivating them to prepare for the next class.

The final moments of the class should recap the big ideas and focus on what the next class will entail. You want to excite students about coming back and share with them what will be covered in the next class.

Universal Instructional Design: The Seven Principles

The learner-centred approach to education aims to develop in each student, as early as possible, a sense of responsibility for his/her own learning. The emphasis is on self-reliant learning, which involves setting learning goals and monitoring one’s own growth and development. It also includes making explicit the research/teaching link, skill development, and experiential learning.

For this approach to be successful, an academic environment must be fostered in which students are actively supported as they take responsibility for their own learning.

Universal Instructional Design (UID) guides educators in their endeavor to develop learner-centred instruction and course content.

What is Universal Instructional Design?

The core principle of UID is inclusiveness and equity. It suggests that ideally all students should be able to fulfill course requirements without special accommodations.

What are the benefits of implementing UID?

UID avoids segregating or stigmatizing any student. UID creates a learning environment that respects and values diversity.

PRINCIPLE 1 – Be Accessible and Fair

Guiding question:  Is it likely that students will have difficulties accessing course materials or participating in any essential activities related to my classes?

UID is anticipating varying student needs and circumstances. It involves a commitment to remove barriers to accessing course materials and taking part in essential activities.

Suggestions:

• In your syllabus, include an invitation for students with disabilities to meet with you to review their specific needs.
• In advance of a lecture, post an online summary of the key points to be covered in the class.
• Ensure all online materials are formatted so that they can be used with screen reading software.

PRINCIPLE 2 – Be Straightforward and Consistent

Guiding question: Are there major areas of confusion or inconsistency among course objectives, your own expectations and/or how the course is presented?

UID is overcoming confusion, coordinating all parts of the curriculum, and clarifying communications. Implementing what is known about learning and study skills.

Suggestions:

• Confirm that every question on your exam relates directly to information covered in class or within the written materials.
• Verbally communicate changes to course syllabus and provide changes in writing (e.g., online).
• Ensure consistency between written materials and PowerPoint slides – this guides learning by providing visual and cognitive clues, i.e., predicting meaning and actions.

PRINCIPLE 3 – Provide Flexibility in Use, Participation and Presentation

Guiding question: Does the course offer students enough choices in how it is presented so that they can, to a reasonable extent, approach the course in a way that suits their needs and abilities?

UID offers options to enable physical use, allow fuller participation, and permit suitable demonstration of mastery of course requirements. Use your imagination to create a rich learning environment for all involved.

Suggestions:

• Offer students the option of submitting a written report or doing a class presentation.
• Choose textbooks early and ensure the publisher will provide them in alternative formats (e.g., digital/electronic).
• Design group work projects so that students have choices in how they participate

PRINCIPLE 4 – Present Resources Explicitly in Ways They Are Readily Perceived

Guiding question: Are there barriers to students receiving or understanding the information and resources they need in this course?

UID is maximizing all communication media, without presumption that students are physically or cognitively enabled for all media. Use a two-pronged review of course materials, resources and delivery. There is a difference between explicitly presented and readily perceived. Imagine a clearly spoken lecture presented in a dim room with a hearing-impaired student in the back row.

Suggestions:

• Provide an in-class demonstration of the course in Brightspace
• Post online summaries of key lecture points and/or provide online lecture notes
• Ensure all online pictures and graphics have text-based descriptions
• Provide a choice of file formats in Brightspace
• Provide verbal explanations of key information presented in class through visual aides

PRINCIPLE 5 – Provide a Supportive Learning Environment

Guiding question: Will students feel respected as individuals, welcome to express their thoughts and able to explore new ideas in the course?

UID is attitudes and actions that demonstrate respect for students as adults, contributing to the learning of all. Encouraging questions and comments and respecting individual needs.

Suggestions:

• Encourage experimentation and make it ok not to succeed at first
• Provide an online communication channel where students can post comments and ask each other questions
• Encourage students to sit beside someone different at each lecture and give them 2 minutes to introduce themselves
• Encourage more experienced students to share their knowledge with others in peer to peer formats

PRINCIPLE 6 – Minimize Unnecessary Physical Effort or Requirements

Guiding question: If there are physical challenges or obstacles to participating in this course, can they be reduced or avoided?

UID is recognizing that students will be of a wide range of ages, backgrounds, physical characteristics and personal circumstances. Systematically eliminate, or adjust, anything that requires physical effort.
Suggestions:

• Ensure you have an efficient, user-friendly interface for your course an online materials
• Assignments requiring physical effort should be designed as group activities
• If the course includes online conferencing provide students with a summary of netiquette, include a reminder to put new information at the top of a forwarded message so that students using screen readers do not have to re-listen to old information before hearing the new information.

PRINCIPLE 7 – Ensure a Learning Space that Accommodates Both Students and Instructional Methods

Guiding question: Is it likely that students will find any of the materials or activities in this course to be inappropriate or unsuitable?

UID is recognizing that learning happens in intellectual as well as physical space. Review the entire student experience from the standpoint of appropriateness, suitability, and psychological accord, avoiding discord.

Suggestions:

• Check your class numbers and visit assigned classroom prior to the beginning of the semester
• Adapt your course plans if needed, be creative
• Design an online component that will enhance learning and alleviate classroom constraints