Course Design
Course Designing
Often, when you start teaching, you are handed a textbook and expected to know the rest regarding how to teach the course. When you move the class online, it often seems easiest just to move all of the things you put together for a face-to-face environment into the online classroom. At the IIC, we would encourage you to think outside the box and consider a different approach. Below are some frameworks and strategies for approaching design. We encourage you to research them yourself, and if you have questions or would like more information on where to start, we would be happy to sit down and discuss the concept of course design.
Course Design Process
Understanding by Design:
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe have written about this concept. The focus of this concept is the idea of "backward design." This concept is "focused primarily on student learning and understanding." It is done within 3 stages of design. The first is to identify desired results. The second is to determine acceptable evidence. Finally, the third is to plan learning experiences and instruction. For more information about backward design, see the resources below:
Understanding By Design Links to an external site.
Jay McTighe Home Page Links to an external site.
Quality Matters:
Many of you may be familiar already with Quality Matters. They have created an extensive rubric that examines course structure and design. Quality Matters also provides resources for course design purposes. The QM Online Course Design Guide walks faculty through a process for designing their courses.
Course Design Standards
At Northeast Lakeview, the Quality Matters rubric is used as a tool to assess online courses for their online readiness. Through the OTC course, faculty can ensure that their online course meets Quality Matters standards and is designed with the student in mind. For more information on OTC, visit the OTC Page.
Design Plus
The Cidilabs DesignPLUS Links to an external site. tool for Canvas assists faculty in designing quality courses consistently. At the moment, this tool needs to be activated prior to using it. The NLC IIC will be providing training on this set of tools. If you would like more information, reach out to us at nlc-dlc@alamo.edu
Group and Collaborative Assignments
Even in a fully online environment, you can ask students to work collaboratively and in groups. Canvas provides robust tools for groups. Visit the What Are Groups? Page Links to an external site. to learn more. If you are looking for information about how to use groups within your classes, we would recommend going over to the Faculty Development page for more info.