CIDR - Course Design

Creating a brand new class or setting out to transform an existing curriculum can be a daunting task for new, as well as experienced, instructors. Although courses may vary in size, subject matter and level, a systematic process will help you plan and structure your course so as to effectively reach desired instructional goals.

An effective course design begins with asking questions in order to understand who your students are, deciding what you want them to learn, determining how you will measure whether students are learning, and planning activities, assignments and materials that are favorable to student learning.

CIDR Resources

	CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletins Designing a Course CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 2(1) Planning the Course Syllabus CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 9(3) Transforming a Course CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 2(4) What Helps Students Learn? CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 5(1) Teaching and Learning in Sections and Labs CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 7(1)

	Consult with CIDR CIDR consultants are available to meet with you to discuss course, syllabus, and assignment design for the classes that you teach. To schedule a consultation, call 206-543-6588, or contact us by email to arrange an appointment.

Additional Resources

	Case Studies Changing a Course from Lecture Format to Cooperative Learning by Professor Dean A. 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 UW History Professor Stephanie Camp writes on the "promises and problems of teaching diverse content to a student population that is both diversifying, and not very diverse." This paper was presented at the UW Curriculum Transformation Project Diversity Teaching Workshop on November 14, 2001. Radical Course Revision: A Case Study by Professor Julie Stout, Department of Psychology at Indiana University, in National Teaching and Learning Forum, 10(4) Rethinking the Classroom Many faculty ask, "Can I improve my teaching? Is there a better way for students to learn this material?" Five faculty discuss how they revised their courses and their teaching to improve the learning process. (A & S Perspectives, Winter/Spring 2001) The Scholarship of Teaching A special issue of Indiana University's Research and Creative Activity, focusing on innovative course design, teaching practices, and initiatives to improve student learning.

	Internet Resources Constructing a Syllabus from the Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University. Course-Based Assessment a handbook designed to help you develop course-based assessment strategies that help your students learn, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Course Planning and Design from Teaching at Carolina, an on-line publication of the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Designing Effective and Innovative Courses an online turorial developed with funding from the National Science Foundation - Division of Undergraduate Education Teaching Goals Inventory from the Center for Teaching at the University of Iowa: "Here you can fill out the inventory ... and automatically see your scores. Your score report will also contain comparative scores from large samples." What They Don't Know Can Hurt Them: The Role of Prior Knowledge in Learning by Marilla Svinicki, University of Texas

Available in the CIDR Reading Room

CIDR Reading Room logo

Wehlburg, C. M. (2006). Meaningful course revision: Enhancing academic engagement using student learning data. Bolton, MA: Anker.

Prégent, R. (1994). Charting Your Course: How to Prepare to Teach More Effectively. WI: Magna Publications.

McKeachie, W. (1999). Countdown for Course Preparation. In Teaching Tips (10th ed.). Lexington, MA: Heath.

Grunert, J. (1997). The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

Gross Davis, B. (1993). Preparing or Revising a Course. InTools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Brinko, K. (1991, February). Visioning Your Course: Questions to Ask as You Design Your Course. In The Teaching Professor (pp. 3-4).