{"id":7497,"date":"2022-08-17T20:50:43","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T00:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/?page_id=7497"},"modified":"2025-01-08T11:19:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T16:19:16","slug":"plan-your-course","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/ofe-teaching-principles\/clear-course-design\/plan-your-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Plan Your Course"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Using backward design ensures the essentials of a strong course: student learning outcomes, a course outline, assignments, assessments, and learning activities.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Backward Design<\/h2>\n<p>Good courses are often designed from the end: by imagining what students should have learned before choosing the materials and activities that will help students achieve those learning goals. In this backward design model, as McTighe &amp; Wiggins describe in their work <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/files.ascd.org\/staticfiles\/ascd\/pdf\/siteASCD\/publications\/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Understanding by Design<\/a>, instructors define their learning goals and outcomes first, and then build out the course content, assignments, assessments, and learning activities.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/195\/2023\/01\/Yellow-Modern-Thank-You-Banner-Landscape-1024x512.png\" alt=\"Three Stages of Backward Design: 1. Identify course dreams or goals; 2. Craft learning outcomes; 3. Choose content, assessments, and activities.\" width=\"764\" height=\"382\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As you begin to build your course, use these steps to define clear, measurable learning outcomes, and then structure and populate your course with appropriate activities, assignments, assessments, and content.<\/p>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Step 1&period; Write course goals that reach high and wide<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<ul>\n<li>What big, essential, intellectually challenging questions will your course help students answer and retain?<\/li>\n<li>What abilities or knowledge will this course help students develop or acquire?<\/li>\n<li>What will students be able to do, know, think, or appreciate by the time they finish your course?<br \/>\nHow will this course develop and support students&#8217; success in subsequent courses? (Fashant et al., 2020)<\/li>\n<li>How will this course provide insights that will enhance students\u2019 professional and personal lives? (Fashant et al., 2020) <\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Step 2&colon; Craft specific and action-oriented learning outcomes<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p>A learning outcome is a statement that specifically identifies the knowledge, skills, or attitudes learners should be able to demonstrate after completing a course or a unit of study. Learning outcomes should be measurable and observable, and clearly stated so that students and instructors understand what is expected and will be measured (Fink 2013; Wiggins &amp; McTighe 2005). Moreover, strong learning outcomes are student-centered, specific, and realistic, appropriate to your discipline and course.<\/p>\n<p>Student-centered learning outcomes describe what students will be able to do, using active verbs. For example, \u201cstudents will be able to apply concept X to topic Y.\u201d Bloom\u2019s taxonomy offers a useful classification of the types of work students can do to demonstrate learning:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/195\/2024\/06\/29428436431_170dc675d7_o1.png\" alt=\"Bloom's Taxonomy with descriptions of create, evaluate, analyze, app;y, understand, remember.\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Several free online tools available from the <a href=\"https:\/\/saea-tlss.uottawa.ca\/en\/teaching-technologies\/teaching-toolbox#outcomes\">University of Ottawa<\/a> and the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cdl.ucf.edu\/teach\/resources\/objective-builder-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\">University of Central Florida<\/a> can help you write good, clear, and student-centered learning outcomes that emphasize the purpose and outcomes of the course. Many instructors find GenAI is helpful for turning your goals for the course into clearer and more concise outcomes. Fink (2013) identifies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buffalo.edu\/catt\/develop\/design\/learning-outcomes\/finks.html\">six key areas<\/a> to consider when developing learning outcomes: <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learning how to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here are some sample learning outcomes from various disciplines:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students will explain and evaluate how researchers apply the principles and standards from the APA Ethics Code in the design, data collection, interpretation, and reporting of psychological research. (Psychology)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students will <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">create documents that demonstrate an understanding of common technical writing genres. (Technical writing)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students will describe and predict basic thermodynamic state functions (\u2206<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">H<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u2206<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">G<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u2206<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) for chemical reactions. (Chemistry)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students will explain the major processes operating in earth science including plate tectonics, waste disposal, the origin of mineral and energy resources. (Earth Sciences)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students will develop a defensible holistic novel business approach with the understanding of why this is critical to success in a highly dynamic context. (Entrepreneurship)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Find additional examples <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/teaching\/designteach\/design\/learningobjectives-samples\/\">here<\/a>. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Step 3&colon; Select course content and create activities and assessments<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Build the course outline.\n<ul>\n<li>Choose relevant, meaningful, diverse material that reflects your discipline or subject area and fits firmly within the confines of your course as defined by your student learning outcomes. Consider the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/teaching-resources\/inclusivity-and-diversity\/\">inclusive and diverse content<\/a> and strategies for connecting disciplinary excellence to real-world relevance.\n<ul>\n<li>Consider Open Educational Resources. University librarians can help you find these resources, and their <a href=\"https:\/\/montclair.libguides.com\/c.php?g=1092660&amp;p=7968735\">OER Guide<\/a> is very comprehensive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Create clear <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/?page_id=7514&amp;preview=true\">assignments and assessments<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Plan <a href=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/teaching-resources\/montclair-teaching-value-2-pedagogical-strategies-that-support-learning\/active-and-engaged-learning\/\">active teaching and learning activities<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Review content, assessment, and activities to ensure <strong>equitable outcomes.<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equity-minded instructors continually work to create <\/span><strong><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/teaching-resources\/inclusivity-and-diversity\/cultivating-diversity-equity-inclusion-belonging\/\" target=\"_blank\">equitable and inclusive teaching<\/a>:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/implicit-bias\/\">Examine biases<\/a>:<\/strong> one\u2019s own, one\u2019s discipline\u2019s, the history of education\u2019s.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Understand learning differences<\/strong>, known and unknown. Implement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/universal-design-for-learning\/\">UDL<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Address the power of stereotype threat<\/strong>, and use tools to mitigate stereotype threat.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use measurement and assessment<\/strong> within the context of <strong>bias mitigation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Remember the value of diverse representation<\/strong>, <strong>references<\/strong>, and <strong>examples,\u00a0<\/strong>both with respect to course materials and guest speakers.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ask whether your course <strong>cultivates belonging<\/strong> for all learners in the class.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Consider<\/strong> whether your material, assignments, and activities may or may not be relevant and inviting to the wide r<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ange of students who attend 麻豆传媒在线.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/195\/2022\/08\/Equality-vs-Equity.png\" alt=\"Equality vs Equity graphic: three people of varying heights attempting to see a baseball game over a fence. Equality is depicted as everyone getting the same sized crate to stand on, which doesn't address ability to see over fence. Equity is depicted as each individual has the number of crates needed to see over the fence.\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Image from: <a href=\"http:\/\/interactioninstitute.org\/\">Interaction Institute for Social Change<\/a>; Artist: <a href=\"http:\/\/madewithangus.com\/\">Angus Maguire<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Assess the amount work you are assigning students<\/strong>: is it reasonable and manageable? Wake Forest University has developed a <a href=\"https:\/\/cat.wfu.edu\/resources\/tools\/estimator2\/\">workload estimator tool<\/a> that might be useful. <\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Resources and References<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/meaningful-redesign-for-troublesome-moments-in-teaching-conference-page\/\">Meaningful Redesign for Troublesome Moments in Teaching: Conference Archive<\/a> (2022).<\/p>\n<p>Fashant, Z., Russell, L., Ross, S., Jacobson, J., LaPlant, K. P., Hutchinson, S., &amp; Fink, L. D. (2020). <i>Designing effective teaching and significant learning<\/i>. Stylus.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fink, L. D. (2013). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/montclair.on.worldcat.org\/oclc\/51009305\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creating significant learning experiences : an integrated approach to designing college courses<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (Revised and updated edition. Jossey-Bass<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wiggins, G. P., &amp; McTighe, J. (2005). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/montclair.on.worldcat.org\/oclc\/56491025\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Understanding by design<\/span><\/i> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(Expanded 2nd). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>For more information or help, please <a href=\"mailto:faculty@montclair.edu\">email<\/a> the Office for Faculty Excellence or <a href=\"https:\/\/montclair-faculty-excellence.libcal.com\/appointments\/\">make an appointment<\/a> with a consultant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><p><em>Last Modified: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 11:19 am<\/em><\/p> VS<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/195\/2022\/08\/CC.png\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" width=\"80\" height=\"15\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nTeaching Resources by <a rel=\"cc:attributionURL\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/\">麻豆传媒在线 Office for Faculty Excellence<\/a> is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Third-party content is not covered under the Creative Commons license and may be subject to additional intellectual property notices, information, or restrictions. You are solely responsible for obtaining permission to use third party content or determining whether your use is fair use and for responding to any claims that may arise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">Creative Commons CC BY-NC-4.0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using backward design ensures the essentials of a strong course: student learning outcomes, a course outline, assignments, assessments, and learning activities. Backward Design Good courses are often designed from the end: by imagining what students should have learned before choosing the materials and activities that will help students achieve those learning goals. In this backward [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":327,"featured_media":7899,"parent":7474,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7497","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/327"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7497"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13157,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7497\/revisions\/13157"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/faculty-excellence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}