Effective course design begins with understanding who your students are, deciding what you want them to learn; determining how you will measure student learning; and planning activities, assignments, and materials that support student learning. The syllabus provides the instructor and students with a contract, a common reference point that sets the stage for learning throughout the course. Although courses may vary in size, subject matter, or level, a systematic process will help you plan and structure your course and syllabus to effectively reach desired instructional goals.
“I try to ask myself “What are the most important things I want them to learn?” I also try to imagine what the student will be able to do having just received the materials I present (without any other assumptions of knowledge or background.)”
Prof. AJ Boydston, Chemistry
Additional Resources
CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletins
A collection of short papers on pertinent teaching and learning topics with practical suggestions and resources. Search for a topic of interest HERE.
Case Studies
- Changing a Course from Lecture Format to Cooperative Learning, by Prof. Dean McManus, UW School of Oceanography. (This is an update of an article which originally appeared in Paideia: Undergraduate Education at the University of Washington, 4(1), 12 – 16)
- New Scholarly Approaches to Teaching Slavery, by Prof. Stephanie Camp, Department of History, UW. (This paper was presented at the UW Curriculum Transformation Project, Diversity Teaching Workshop, November 14, 2001.
External links
- Course-based Assessment. A PDF handbook designed to help you develop strategies that will help your students learn. From the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
- The Course Proposal: A How-To Guide for Grads, gradhacker
- Designing Effective and Innovative Courses. Online tutorial, Carleton College
Bibliography
- Brinko, K. T. (1991). Visioning your course: Questions to ask as you design your course. The Teaching Professor, February, 3-4.
- Davis, B. G. (1993). Designing or revising a course. In Tools for teaching (pp. 3-20). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- O’Brien, J. G., Millis, B. J., & Cohen, M. G. (2008). The course syllabus: A learning-centered approach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Prégent, R. (2000). Charting your course: How to prepare to teach more effectively. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.
- Svinicki, M. D., & McKeachie, W. J. (2011). Countdown for course preparation. In McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers (pp. 10-20). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
- Wehlburg, C. M. (2006). Meaningful course revision: Enhancing academic engagement using student learning data. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.