Building a Well-Aligned Module

Session Description: Whether you will be tasked with building a course from the ground up, or asked to adhere to a planned curriculum, it is useful to understand the work that goes into creating a well-aligned course. From identifying learning goals and creating assessments to measure student progress to building learning activities and providing content, we will walk you through the basics of building a single instructional Unit or Module. We will wrap up with some reflections on the holistic needs of today’s student, and the teacher persona you wish to cultivate.

• Session 1 – Introduction to Course Building & Learning Objectives: We begin with a scaled-down introduction to the Course Design process by defining what we mean by alignment, and how to construct an aligned course. The course Learning Objectives guide our instructional goals, and in this session we will discuss: the difference between Learning Objectives and Course Objectives, Accreditation Standards, and Program or Institutional learning outcomes; how to write a good Learning Objective.
• Session 2 – Introduction to Assessment: Assessment is how we evaluate our students’ progress toward mastering the Learning Objectives, so we must take care that our tools are designed to measure what we intend. This session will touch on such topics as: formal vs. informal; choosing an assessment type to match the learning goal(s); and appropriate scaffolding. We will provide you with a structured approach to formatting your instructions within Canvas, and share some ideas to get you started!
• Session 3 – Created & Curated Content: Every course should contain a combination of created and curated content that is aligned to the course objectives. Created means – created by YOU! In a traditional seated course, this would refer to a lecture – but what does it mean for an online, hybrid, or otherwise asynchronous course? Curated content is resources you have gathered to support your students’ learning – your textbook for one, but also articles, videos, primary sources, and more! This session will discuss expectations for instructor’s contributions – both in terms of creation and providing context for curated sources – as well as making sure all resources align with ADA accessibility standards and support Universal Design for Learning (UDL) tenets.
• Session 4 – Instructional Strategies: To fairly assess a student’s learning in our course, they should be provided with – relevant, curated content; an opportunity to engage with the material; a chance to practice and get feedback; a valid, well-designed summative assessment. Instructional Strategies provide the opportunity for engagement. We will discuss – what do we mean by active learning; strategies to encourage whole-class engagement; strategies for synchronous and asynchronous engagement; strategies for individuals, small-groups, and large groups. You will leave this session with physical & virtual resources for inspiration.
• Session 5 – Contemplating the Big Questions – Building Your Teaching Persona: In this session, we will reflect on the classroom culture we wish to create with our students, and how we as teachers can advance (or defeat!) those goals. We will discuss some Big Questions surrounding late work and grading, attendance, assignment choice and the instructor’s role in the classroom. While the college has some rules about what must happen in the class (i.e. administrative withdrawal), this will be a safe (and hopefully inspirational!) space to discuss what options may exist within that structure.