Workshops - Master Class Series 1: Developing Courses for Learning
in the Center for Teaching and Learning

You already have a design for your course hammered out, including an outline and objectives. Now it’s time to started development of your course.  Whether you are teaching face-to-face or online, Developing Courses for Learning, will guide you through the course development process with all the critical elements necessary for your students to succeed. Learn the best practices in developing online content for your course so you can have a positive impact on student learning. 

Outcome:  At the conclusion of the course, you will have 3 fully developed modules in your course.

Criteria:  The course modules will be assessed using a rubric that contains criteria that fall into three main categories:

• Context – Courses provide students a context for which to understand the content and assignments so students are able to master the learning objectives.
• Engagement – Course includes activities and assignments which actively engages the student with the content, their classmates, and you, the instructor.
• Layout – The course layout is learner-centered and intuitive by being organized, consistent, and having well-designed navigation.

Learning Objectives:  The following learning objectives provide the framework for the course.  At the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Describe the five core elements, identified in the CLEAR model, which comprise a quality course
2. Develop modules, pages, and assignments to contain adequate context so students are able to successfully achieve module-level objectives.
3. Develop online content with appropriate support and instruction to promote learning.
4. Develop pages and assignments with important visual design elements to promote learning.
5. Explain the legal and pedagogical reasons why engagement is critical for any course.
6. Develop assignments and activities that engage students in various contexts and disciplines.
7. Explain the concept of academic rigor from a legal and pedagogical viewpoint.
8. Estimate the amount of student effort required to complete a module using an established rigor calculator.
9. Create three modules that include appropriate levels of context, engagement and rigor with an effective layout.

Agenda:

1. Overview of Course
2. Review of the CLEAR Method
3. Learning Objectives Revisited
4. Templates
5. Lay out First Module
6. Pages
7. Assignments and Grading Criteria
8. Discussions
9. Quizzes
10. Next Steps