AEI

Congratulations, you’ve got a new class to teach! Now what?

A helpful way to approach course design is to start with the end in mind – sometimes called Backwards Course Design.

The end means the knowledge, skills, or abilities students will have mastered by the conclusion of the course. These are called course learning outcomes and are assigned by Saint Paul College. The rest is up to you to plan – how can you best use your time with them to help them reach their goals? How can you make sure all course components align with the goals?

We recommend breaking the course up into smaller chunks that are easier to manage. AEI also offers a course mapping template inspired by Quality Matters and Culturally Responsive Teaching techniques.

Designing courses with the end in mind…

• prioritizes course learning outcomes over ‘nice to know’
• helps you stay organized and on track during the course
• allows for more formative feedback along the way
• is easier to adjust on the fly or make changes between semesters

1. Find the official course learning outcomes on the Course Outline
2. Devise assessments for each outcome (one assessment can cover multiple outcomes)
3. Download the Course Mapping Template and break up the course into smaller chunks – called modules – that can be a week, a chapter, or a set of related topics
4. Now that you have clear goals, what do they need to help them get there?
   • Add activities that are engaging, interactive, culturally responsive, and give formative feedback
   • Choose materials that are current, relevant, and culturally responsive
   • Choose tech tools that help them reach the learning outcomes

Once the Learning Outcomes are written, you can start to think about how to assess them. Every outcome should be assessed in some way to measure student learning, give feedback and make improvements. The assessment method should be appropriate to the learning outcome and level.

Efficient and effective assessments result in usable data that can inform improvement of student learning. A few examples include essays, final exams, practical demonstrations, observations, projects or surveys.

When choosing an assessment, it’s important to match it to the verb used in the learning outcome. Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning tells you what type of activity will demonstrate the knowledge, skill, or ability you want to measure. A good assessment is appropriate for the verb.

A lower level verb like recall or identify can be measured with a simple assessment.

A higher level verb such as apply or reflect will require a more robust assessment.

Performance skills are generally measured through practical exams or direct observation.

Formative Assessments give timely feedback on student performance to help them as the course/activity progresses. How can they improve going forward?

Summative Assessments come at the end of the learning course/activity to measure their achievement. Did they reach the goal(s) stated in the learning outcome(s)?

Direct assessments involve looking at real samples of student work or performance to measure achievement of an outcome. Learning is observed, displayed or demonstrated.

Examples: Exams, quizzes, papers, direct observations, projects, performances, portfolios, presentations, clinicals, practicums, internships

Indirect assessments take information gathered in other ways. These often measure students’ opinions of their own learning. Learning is self-reported, described or perceived.

 Examples: Surveys, self-reflections, journals, polls, focus groups, interviews

Although indirect measures are not as strong because they are self-reported, they add to the complete picture of student learning.

The data collected in assessments are not only useful for students, but also provide priceless information about the learning experience itself. How can you improve this course/activity/program in the future? What parts of its design need attention? It could be the structure, materials (textbook), assessment (exam questions), or something else.

Active learning gives students the opportunity to participate in activities that enhance their understanding of a subject matter rather than being passive recipients of knowledge.

• Other students – have them work together through peer review, think-pair-share, discussion boards, or group projects
• Course content – allow students to engage directly with new material – readings, required videos, essays and other practice tools
• You! Provide ample feedback during the class and allow for questions and discussion

• Especially when teaching online, spend time in the first few weeks for students to get to know one another
• Spend time interacting with students to build trust
• If you have larger group projects later on, start small early in the semester
  • Have students work in pairs
  • Break up larger projects into small pieces
  • Introduce collaborative technology, like OneDrive, in early, low-stakes activities

In Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty, Elizabeth Barkley states that “the greater the student’s involvement or engagement in academic work or in the academic experience, the greater their level of knowledge acquisition and general cognitive development.”

Active learning encourages collaboration, promotes critical and creative thinking skills, and increases engagement. It can also be fun!

1. Choose the active learning strategy, making sure it aligns with your intended learning outcomes:
   • The K. Patricia Cross Academy’s free instructional videos and resource
   • Berkeley’s Active Learning Designs
   • Vanderbilt’s Active Learning Cheat Sheet
2. Plan the activity and account for any logistical preparations
3. Set aside plenty of time for instructing students and tell them how this activity supports their learning
4. Evaluate how it went and adjust your plan going forward