Course-Level Resources

Designing a Course

1. Course Improvement Cycle: Implement a cycle that includes planning, implementing, assessing, and refining your course. This cycle should allow for continuous improvement based on feedback and assessment results.

Plan

• Identify the course goals and objectives. These are broad statements regarding the university and program. They can be located in strategic plans, course descriptions, university catalogs, or websites.
• Create content, resources, and activities to accomplish these objectives.
• Incorporate feedback from earlier evaluations and comments.

Comment Function: This function enables students and instructors to propose ideas for enhancements during the planning phase.

Implement

• Deliver the course according to the plan.
• Facilitate lessons, activities, and discussions as designed.
• Monitor progress and collect initial feedback.

Comment Function: Enables participants to share insights on the delivery method and suggest real-time adjustments.

Evaluate

• Assess the effectiveness of the course using surveys, performance data, and feedback from participants.
• Analyze strengths and areas for improvement.

Comment Function: Provides a platform for detailed evaluations, allowing participants to share their experiences and constructive criticism.

Refine

• Make improvements based on evaluation results and comments.
• Update course content, resources, and methods.
• Prepare for the next iteration of the course.

Comment Function: Encourages stakeholders to review the changes and provide feedback to ensure continuous improvement.

This cycle repeats continuously, with the Comment Function acting as a feedback loop that connects all stages to gather insights and foster collaboration.

2. Writing Clear Student Learning Outcomes in the context of program learning objectives:

• Context of Program Learning Objectives: Ensure your course SLOs align with broader program objectives. This helps maintain coherence across the curriculum.
• Articulate learning objectives. These are course-level statements outlining what students are expected to demonstrate and the skills they should possess by the end of the course. Use action verbs to describe the tasks they need to complete, the attitudes they should adopt, and what is expected of them intellectually. These statements convey student performance in a clear, measurable, and student-centered manner. Bloom’s Taxonomy is utilized to define the cognitive level of each outcome for clear results.

3. Student Learning Chart

• Create a chart to map out student learning outcomes (SLOs) and align them with course activities and assessments. Use templates and guidelines to ensure clarity and consistency.
• Template (updated January 2018)
• Guidelines for Creating a Student Learning Chart (updated Feb. 2018)
• Link to ThinkSpace sandbox

https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044206573-Sandbox-Sites

• An excellent example of a Student Learning Chart (we have some.

4. Designing Sound Assessments

Assessment is not only grading; it includes other measures of learning, e.g., attendance and participation. Graded and ungraded assessments can serve as evidence of student progress in learning. Categories of Assessments include:

• Formative Assessments: Offer timely and constructive feedback to help students improve before final evaluations. These assessments provide evidence of what students mastered, what needs to be repeated, or whether a different methodological teaching approach is needed. The students can gain insight into which strategies to implement or improve. The goal is to give the students and the instructor an understanding of the student’s level of subject mastery.
• Summative assessments take the form of exams, projects, and final papers.
• Ensure each type meets quality criteria and provides meaningful data on student learning.
• Provide examples of high-quality assessments and establish clear criteria for success.

5. Designing Rubrics

• Context of MIU’s ELOs and Performance Indicators: Align rubrics with institutional expectations and performance indicators to ensure consistency and fairness in grading.
• Using Existing Rubrics: Adapt existing rubrics for your course to save time and maintain alignment with institutional standards.
• Grading Rubrics: Make Grading Easy by Using Rubrics— Giving Students the Blueprint of Creation (PPT)*
• Rubric Sample(PDF)

How to use an existing MIU rubric for feedback and grading?

6. Closing the Loop

• Report on Evidence Collection: Document where and how evidence of student learning was gathered, provide commentary on the data, and outline plans for improving the course based on this evidence.
• Templates and Guidelines: Use updated templates and guidelines to complete and post your Closing the Loop reports.
• Where to post it ?
• An excellent example of Closing the Loop report ?

7. Grading

• Faculty Development: Engage in seminars and workshops focused on grading and continuous improvement. These opportunities offer valuable insights and strategies for effectiveness grading.
• Department Policies: Make sure to understand your department’s grading policies to maintain consistency and fairness.
• Rubrics: Use rubrics to simplify grading and provide clear expectations to students.
• Grading Faculty Development Seminar: Grading and Continuous Improvement in the Classroom (April 2010) (PDF)
• Sample of Department Grading Policies: Meaning of Grades in the Teacher Education Program” (April 2010) (PDF)
• Handout from Workshop on the Power Law of Learning and its Implications for Grading (Jan. 2005) (PDF)

8. Additional Resources

• ThinkSpace Sandbox: Utilize this tool for collaborative course design and assessment planning.
• https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044206573-Sandbox-Sites
• Examples and Templates: Refer to excellent examples and updated templates to guide your assessment design process.

These guidelines can create robust and effective assessment resources that enhance student learning and course quality.