Have you been feeling like:

  • You're not sure where to start on the design of a new course. 
  • Your course lacks student engagement. 
  • Your materials are outdated and don't align with current standards. 
  • Course retention rates are down. 
  • Your personal teaching philosophy and pedagogical approach has changed. 
  • You want to innovate and enhance the student learning experience. 

If so, working through the design and development process may be a opportunity to create or revitalize a course, address concerns, and ultimately create a more dynamic and impactful learning experience for both you and your students.

Designing (or redesigning) a course can be overwhelming. 

This page is intended to get you thinking and asking questions about the course design process. At this point, you may be asking yourself:

  • Why should I do this?
  • How can I do this?
  • What will this look like for students?
  • What will this look like for me as the instructor?

As you navigate through the process you will be directed to the Course Design Handbook. The handbook provides detailed explanations of all aspects of course design, including examples of these concepts that may be applied in a course. This resource has been developed to ensure a successful design (or redesign) that aligns with program/course outcomes, scaffolds student learning, supports diverse learning styles and fosters an inclusive educational environment.

Course design process

Image showing the steps of course design

Step 1: Analyse Learners & Context

Scenario:  

  • Some students have shared feedback that they find the course content to be quite extensive. 
  • At the start of the course, it appeared that some students may not have had all the required skills. 

In this step, you will analyse your learners and the context in which learning is taking place. Some questions to ask are:

  • Who are the learners?
  • Where will the learning take place?
  • Where will the learning be applied as part of the course and beyond?

Review Step 1: Understanding Your Learners and Context in the Course Design Handbook.

Step 2: Design Your Course

Scenario:  

  • I've noticed that some of my students are facing challenges in achieving the desired outcomes. 
  • I can’t keep up with all the marking required for my course. 

There are many considerations when designing a course. To ensure a successful course design, one must make sure that it aligns with program/course outcomes, scaffolds student learning, and integrates diverse instructional strategies, and assessment methods. Some questions to ask are:

  • What do learners need to know when they finish this course?
  • How will I know they learned it?
  • What content will be a part of the course?
  • What instructional strategies will you use?

Review Step 2: Design and Develop Your Course in the Course Design Handbook.

Step 3: Develop Course Materials

Scenario:  

  • I want to utilize Canvas in my face-to-face course. 
  • I want my course to leverage learning technology to enhance student engagement. 

Whether planning for in-person or online learning, it is important to integrate course materials with the technology tools available to you. There are many things to consider when implementing your materials. Some questions you may ask are:  

  • How will students access the materials? 
  • What tools within Canvas will you use to enhance engagement? 
  • How will you provide feedback and grades? 
  • How will you communicate with your students?
Review Step 3: Implement Your Course Materials in the Course Design Handbook.

Step 4: Gather Feedback and Improve

Scenario:  

  • I found the midterm results to be unexpected, and would like to identify the areas where students may need additional assistance to ensure their success in the upcoming assessments 
  • How can I collect student feedback?

Throughout the teaching process you will want to gather feedback. This can be done before, during, and after implementation. Some questions you may ask are: 

  • How did the students do? 
  • What feedback have you received? 
  • What changes will you make? 
Review Step 4: Gather Feedback and Improve in the Course Design Handbook.

Get support

For support or a consultation on this topic, reach out to the team at the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning.