Recommendations and Guidelines
Resilient Course Design
The key recommendations are:
- Provide a clear structure
- Incorporate flexibility where feasible
- make strategic choices in teaching & learning activities
- Plan for key interactions
The goal of resilient course design is to only go through the design process once. It still may be necessary to improvise as the course gets underway, but the initial planning limits the potential for confusion and enables fast decision-making. These guidelines highlight key elements of resilient course design that differ from traditional course design or are vitally important to making a successful pivot.
Provide a clear structure
Consider how you will provide structure for the following critical elements should you need to pivot to a fully online format:
- How/where will students ask questions about course content and personal situations?
- What instructions/guides about how to complete and submit asynchronous work will be available for students?
- What expectations (if any) will you outline in terms of accountability and ensuring students complete asynchronous work?
- How will synchronous meetings run in your course, if at all?
Incorporate flexibility where feasible
Building in flexibility results in a more equitable teaching and learning experience for you and your students. Consider how you will provide flexibility for the following elements:
- What are the alternative ways in which students can access the course material should they need to self-isolate or study off-campus due to changing circumstances?
- How might you provide flexibility for yourself as an instructor?
- What happens if you are unable to attend/facilitate in-person activities due to personal circumstances?
| In-person activities/assessments | Online alternative | How to communicate to students? |
| Example: Think-pair-share activity to discuss thoughts and questions from weekly reading | Contribute thoughts to discussion board in a predetermined group with prompt questions | Post announcement on course site with instructions on how to navigate discussion boards with predetermined groups |
Create opportunities for synchronous small group discussions with designated note-takers so students who miss the discussions still have access to the notes. Alternatively, set up discussion boards consisting of the same questions used for in-class discussions so it is easy to pivot if in-person courses are cancelled or if students cannot attend class due to illness or self-isolation requirements.
Make strategic choices in teaching and learning activities
|
IN PERSON ACTIVITY |
ONLINE ACTIVITY |
|
Student Q&A during lectures |
Student Q&A via chat, videoconferencing, etc. |
|
In-person lectures |
Pre-recorded lectures by instructor |
|
Announcements in class |
Announcements via e-mail, text or video in moodle.unbc.ca |
|
In-person small group discussions |
Breakout rooms in Collaborate, MS Teams, Zoom, etc. |
|
Student presentations in class |
Student video recorded presentations using Kaltura Capture (integrated into MyMedia in moodle.unbc.ca, narrated PowerPoint presentations, Video Assignment, etc. |
|
Scavenger hunt on campus |
Virtual field trip |
|
Gallery walk to read and respond to quotations using post-it notes |
Comments and questions posted for quotations using Padlet |
|
Diagnostic activity during lecture to check for learning (polls or surveys) |
Similar check-in activity during lecture using iClicker Cloud, MS Forms, Mentimeter, etc. |
Plan for key interactions
|
Types of interaction |
How will you provide connection in-person? |
How will you provide connection online? |
|
Student-Student |
Example: Students work in small groups to brainstorm ideas on chart paper for a written analysis of a case study |
Instructor creates a shared doc specific for each case study; students work in small groups to collaborate on the written analysis through the shared doc |
|
Student-Instructor |
Example: Instructor holds in-person office hours to provide an opportunity for students to ask questions |
Instructor holds remote student drop-in hours once or twice per week for one-on-one consultations |
|
Student-Content |
Example: Students write ideas and questions on key sections of course reading through a gallery walk |
Students participate in social annotation of course reading using a shared doc |
|
Student-Self |
Example: Students engage in a one-minute paper at the end of a lecture to reflect on the topic |
Students record reflection at the end of a lecture using a quiz in moodle.unbc.ca, MS Form, or a shared doc at MS365 Office.com |
References
- Carleton College Learning and Teaching Center. (2021, April 5). Resilient pedagogy. https://www.carleton.edu/ltc/resilient-pedagogy/
- Eblen-Zayas, M. (2020, August 7). Example of resilient course design for an interactive lecture course. Carleton Learning and Teaching Center Blog. https://www.carleton.edu/ltc/ltc-blog/news/example-of-resilient-course-design-for-an-interactive-lecture-course/
- Hart-Davidson, B. (2020, April 6). Imagining a resilient pedagogy. Medium. https://billhd.medium.com/imagining-a-resilient-pedagogy-40a9622d5678
- Kaston Tange, A. (2020, June 8). Resilient design for remote teaching and learning. Thinking about the humanities. https://andreakastontange.com/teaching/resilient-design-for-remote-teaching-and-learning/
- Moore, M.G. (1989). Three types of interaction. American Journal of Distance Education 3(2), 1-6.
- Morrison, A. (2020, December 9). Resilient pedagogy for fragile times. Hook & Eye. https://hookandeye.ca/2020/12/09/resilient-pedagogy-for-fragile-times/
- Patson, N. D. (2021, May 12). Collaborative note-taking as an alternative to recording online sessions. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-assessment-grading-and-feedback/collaborative-note-taking-as-an-alternative-to-recording-online-sessions/
- Quintana, R., & DeVaney, J. (2020, May 27). Laying the foundation for a resilient teaching community. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/laying-foundation-resilient-teaching-community
- The Regents of the University of Michigan. (2021). Resilient teaching through times of crisis and change [Course]. https://online.umich.edu/courses/resilient-teaching-in-times-of-crisis-and-change/
- University of Missouri-St. Louis Center for Teaching and Learning. (2021). Keep teaching: Resources for instructors. https://www.umsl.edu/services/ctl/keepteachinglearning/keepteaching/index.html
adopted from from: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/planning-courses-and-assignments/course-design/resilient-course-design