1. Center for Learning and Development Higher Order Thinking Series
Course Design and Redesign
Fall 2010

2. Course Design/Redesign: I want to know…

3. Additional Items Essential course elements: Instructional strategies
Course description
Measurable student learning outcomes
Assessment and grading
Course requirements and schedule
Instructional strategies
Resources

4. Essential Course Elements – Pt. I
Goal (broad, abstract)
What do you want to accomplish?
Example:
The goal of this course is to provide students with the fundamental knowledge of human physiology that will serve as an essential foundation for their future professional studies.
Measurable Student Learning Outcomes/Objectives (SLO’s) (specific, able to be validated)
What are the students doing (specifically) to accomplish this goal?
Students will perform clinical scenarios to correlate basic physiology with the pathophysiologic outcomes they may encounter in the clinical setting.
Explain using Bloom’s verbs – distribute handout

5. Goal
SLO
Statement
1. Describe the legal basis of health services.
2. Introduce multidisciplinary fields of inquiry.
3. Demonstrate leadership skills.
4. Feel a sense of fellowship with fellow classmates.
5. Prepare learners for future study in biomechanics.
6. Differentiate between proper and improper diagnoses.
7. Provide a foundation for examining policy perspectives.
8. Create a treatment plan. 9.
10.

6. Goal
SLO
Statement
1. Describe the legal basis of health services.
2. Introduce multidisciplinary fields of inquiry.
3. Demonstrate leadership skills.
4. Feel a sense of fellowship with fellow classmates.
5. Prepare learners for future study in biomechanics.
6. Differentiate between proper and improper diagnoses.
7. Provide a foundation for examining policy perspectives.
8. Create a treatment plan.
9. Goal for your course…
10. SLO for your course…

7. Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

8. Essential Course Elements – Pt. II
Methods of assessing student learning
Performance Measures: How will the SLO’s will be measured?
Case studies
Direct observation
Examinations
Multiple choice
Short answer
Essay
Oral questioning
Surveys
Simulations
Portfolios
Presentations
Self assessments
Performance projects
Assessment
Response Rate
Rubrics
Checklists
Surveys
Handouts of examples of rubrics, checklists, response rate, knowledgsurveys

9. Goal SLO Statement Performance Measure x
1. Describe the legal basis of health services.
2. Introduce multidisciplinary fields of inquiry.
3. Demonstrate leadership skills.
4. Feel a sense of fellowship with fellow classmates.
5. Prepare learners for future study in biomechanics.
6. Differentiate between proper and improper diagnoses.
7. Provide a foundation for examining policy perspectives.
8. Create a treatment plan.
9. Goal for your course…
10. SLO for your course…

10. Essential Course Elements – Pt. III
Grading policy
Inherent Targets
Benchmarks for success: What constitutes success?
Example:
All students will achieve 80% mastery on their clinical scenario performance project.
Course requirements
Expectations for academic and social behavior
Academic integrity, attendance, tardiness, group work, behavior, accountability, etc.
Tentative Schedule of topics, instructors, dates, assignments
Feedback mechanisms
Revision opportunities

11. Sample Course Syllabi Rubric
Element
Exceeds Expectations
Meets Expectations
Does Not Meet Expectations
Course description
Describes course’s major areas of inquiry. Outlines key concepts, topics, and/or skills to be covered. Provides context for learning and rationale for course. Indicates course’s role in department/degree curriculum.
Provides context for learning and rationale for course. Outlines key concepts, topics, and/or skills to be covered. Indicates course’s role in department/degree curriculum.
Describes topics to be covered. Does not describe major skills or concepts. Does not link course to competencies or overarching goals.
Student learning outcomes
Are measurable and/or observable. Progress toward more ambitious and rigorous higher order thinking skills. Are anchored by verbs describing what the student will do to provide evidence of mastery. Are grounded in departmental and/or school-wide competencies.
Are measurable and/or observable. Describe desired behaviors that students will perform to demonstrate skill/concept mastery in the course. Involve cognitive challenge and higher-order thinking skills.
Are not measurable or observable. Do not describe behaviors that students will perform in order to demonstrate higher order thinking. May describe content to be covered rather than student learning outcomes.
Assessment and grading policy
Thoroughly describes each assignment. Describes grading policy and philosophy clearly and concretely. Expectations for all forms of assessment (e.g., assignments, exams, group projects, etc.) are clear.
Describes all assignments. Grading policy is defined, and point’s distribution is explained.
Assessments are not defined. Grading policy is either not explained or is defined in vague terms.
Course requirements
Clearly and thoroughly outlines requirements for success in course. Specifically and concretely describes all expectations for academic and social behavior. Details policies related to lateness, attendance, group work, citations, etc.
Clearly outlines expectations related to class participation, group work, assignments, etc. Defines policies related to lateness, attendance, group work, citations, etc.
Describes expectations in general terms (e.g., “You should come to class prepared”). Does not specify course policies.
Course schedule
Lists learning objective(s) for each week in addition to topics. Cites related readings, both required and supplementary, for each week and any relevant assignments due.
Lists topics and learning objectives to be covered each week. Identifies required readings and any relevant assignments due.
May list topics to be covered but does not specify a schedule for learning.

12. Success is a work in progress

13. 3 major questions to ask yourself when designing a course:
The Big Picture
3 major questions to ask yourself when designing a course:
Where are we going?
How will we know when we have arrived?
How will we get there?
Goals & Objectives
Source: Smith, P. & Ragan, T. (2004). Instructional Design, 3rd edition.
Assessment
Instructional Strategy

14. to maximize significant learning Significant Learning Outcomes
Continuously
align and improve
course components
to maximize significant
learning
Significant Learning Outcomes
Engaging Learning Activities
Informative Learning Assessment
Situational Factors
Adapted from:
Dee Fink.

15. Strategy/Activity Planning Sheet
Goal
SLO
Assessment
Instructional Strategies/Activities
Content/ Resources
Source: Fink, D. (2003). A Self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning.
Focus on what students will do in/out of class, not what you are going to do.

16. Do they align?
SLO
Name the 5 types of white blood cells in peripheral blood.
Assessment
Multiple-choice quiz
Strategy
Demonstration to learner of each cell type on stained blood film.
Source:

17. Do they align? Objective
Evaluate/interpret given patient blood cell differential reports and conclude each report to be consistent or inconsistent with a specific cited pathological condition.
Assessment
Patient reports for students to determine whether each is consistent with a pathological condition and provide rationale
Strategy
Learner views videotapes detailing protocols for treatment of disorders.
Source:

18. It’s a complex world.
Problem solving, evaluating, creating, critical thinking are required of students. But are we ready for instructional strategies yet?

19. Five Principles of Good Course Design
Challenges students to higher order learning.
Uses active forms of learning.
Gives frequent and immediate feedback to students on the quality of their learning.
Uses a structured sequence of different learning activities.
Has a fair system for assessing and grading students.
Source:

20. Active Learning Passive Learning Receiving information & ideas
Experience
Dialog
Doing
Self
Observing
Others
Adapted from: Fink, D. (2003). A Self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning.

21. Higher Order & Active Learning
Rich Learning Experiences
In-depth Reflective Dialogue
Identify some learning activities to add to your course that will give students a “Doing” or “Observing” Experience.
What “Rich Learning Experiences” are appropriate for your course?
What kinds of Reflective Dialogue can you incorporate into your course?

22. What are possible instructional strategies?
What are strategies that provide rich learning experience and reflective dialogue?

23. Instructional Strategies
Case study
Problem-based learning
Experiential learning
Simulation; role playing
Debate & discussion
Journaling
Collaborative learning
Strategies focusing on HOT and active learning
Can use case study, simulation, discussion as example to illustrate that how you implement a strategy matters.
Reflective listening video in discussion:

24. Strategy/Activity Planning Sheet
Goal
SLO
Assessment
Instructional Strategies/Activities
Content/ Resources
Source: Fink, D. (2003). A Self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning.

25. Course Design/Redesign Resources
UNTHSC SLO Generator:
UNT N-Gen Initiatives:
Planning Your Course: A Decision Guide
Duke University Faculty Development Module on Curriculum Design

26. Contact Information:
Christine Savi, PhD
Kun Huang, MEd
Location: LIB-448
Phone:
Website: