Course Design: Implement and Evaluate

Steps 3 and 4 of the Course Design Process. Now that you have written your outcomes and chosen your assessments, you need to organize your content in a systematic way and continue to evaluate your course during and after its implementation.

Now that you have written learning outcomes for your course and decided on methods of assessing your students, it is time to design your course. The questions you will ask yourself at this step are:

  • What content will be part of the course?
  • What teaching strategies will you use?

Constructive Alignment

About Constructive Alignment

The content of your course should be supportive of, and supported by, your course's learning outcomes and the methods of assessment you have chosen to use. This approach to designing your course is called 'Constructive Alignment'. For a fuller description of Constructive Alignment, and some of its principles and strategies, read Course Design through Constructive Alignment by the Centre for Open Learning and Educational Support at the University of Guelph.

Organizing Content

Organizing Content Overview: Course Design Plan, Sequencing Content, and Chunking Content

Now that you have written your outcomes and chosen your assessments, you need to organize your content in a systematic way. You should also consider the most effective sequence and how to "chunk" or break up the material so that students will be successful. This process is often referred to as 'Course Blueprinting', but goes by many other names.

Teaching Styles and Strategies

One way to devlop teaching strategies that work well for you and your students is to reflect on your teaching style. Teaching styles can be catagorized in different ways and you can read more about one of those ways at What is your Teaching Style? by Colorado State University. You can also take the Teaching Perspectives Inventory to help you reflect on your views about teaching.

After organizing the content of your course or 'blueprinting' your course, you are prepared to organize all of this information into your course syallbus. The syllabus is an essential part of your course. For more information, visit our syllabus page.

Step 4: Implement and Evaluate

Congratulations! You have reached the final step in designing your course and it is ready to implement. You can evaluate your course during and after its implementation. The questions you will ask yourself at this step are:

  • How did the students do?
  • What feedback have you received?
  • What changes will you make?