Lia Conklin Olson. Objectives of the Session Upon conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to: Articulate the processes needed to design.

Course Design: What’s the Big Picture?

Lia Conklin Olson

Objectives of the SessionUpon conclusion of the workshop, participants

will be able to: Articulate the processes needed to design a course Discuss needs assessment tools & how they inform

course design Use backwards design to articulate the content that

meets learner needs Form clear course objectives and goals Discuss course assessment tools Organize course content for instructional delivery Conceptualize a course syllabus to communicate

course objectives & timeline to students

Objectives Task

Please look over the objectives on your handout, and rate your proficiency for each AT THIS POINT

(We’ll return to these at the end!)

Warm-up

Why do we do what we do?

Who are the stakeholders in what we do?

What’s at Stake?Promoting Learner Transitions to

Postsecondary Education and Work: Developing Academic Readiness Skills from the Beginning: Betsy Parrish and Kimberly Johnson, Hamline University, St. Paul, MinnesotaApril 2010Study of instructional alignment surveyed MN

ABE instructors and college & university faculty in the fields of developmental education, health care, and trades and technical education.

To identify expected skills at postsecondary level and types of skills taught in ABE classes

Instructional GapResponses showed that many academic skills

expected of postsecondary students are receiving limited attention in ABE programsReadingListeningOrganizing informationTaking notesThinking critically

Why do we do what we do?Look at the Transitions WordleTurn to the people around you and discuss

these questions:

Which words are most prominent?

Which words represent the needs of your students?

Which words represent what you do in the classroom?

Course Design ProcessesThink about your prior experience with

course design or lesson planning. What processes have you used?

Assessing Needs

Different types of needs

Program needs / requirements Target needs Student considerations

What needs assessments do you already use?

How do they inform your teaching?

Course Goals

Identify desired results…Goal: Improve CASAS scoresGoal: Align course with CASAS life skill

themes and competenciesGoal: Make life skills more

authentic/applicableResult: Life-skills theme-based curriculum

with highlighted CASAS competencies and real-life tasks

Learning TargetsShare your course’s learning targets.

Discuss why those targets were chosen.

Are they still priorities for your course?

Are there other skills that merit an “I can” statement?

Course Goals

Determine acceptable evidence…CASAS test scoresStudent demonstrations of life-skills tasks

scored with a rubricStudent self-evaluations pre/post unitBenchmark tests for language modalities

AssessmentsDiscuss and evaluate the tools you

developed/are developing to assess the Learning Targets.Have they been effective? Why or why not?Is the level of mastery required appropriate for

the level of instruction?Other?

Housing Unit Example

Final Product* Complete a

simulation of looking for an apartment,

talking to a manager, and filling out a rental

application.

Section Product 1

* Label a floor plan with rooms &

furniture

Section Product 2

* Ask classmates about what items they have in their

homes.

Section Product 3

* Ask & answer questions about

housing problems

Section Product 4

* Ask & answer questions about

specific rentals with an apartment

manager.

Section Product 5

*Practice valuable work skills within the housing career field.

Section Product 6

*Numeracy: Write out checks for bills;

Measure the perimeter of a room.

Section Product 0.5

*Set unit goals & action steps;

Practice test-taking

Course Goals

Organizing and Sequencing the Content

Housing Unit Example – Product-based DesignStarted with language-modalities-based

curriculumAligned it with CASAS competenciesAdded authentic life skills goals:

Housing UnitEmbedded work skills and soft skills:

Final Housing Unit

Organizing and Sequencing TaskImagine that you’re teaching a Business

English class. The final student product is to type and present an outline or power point of a viable business plan.

Think about what content (skills, language, etc.) students need in order to complete the product.

Choose one of the templates, and begin to organize the content you’ve just brainstormed.

Conceptualizing ContentWhat could be included in a course?

Skills: reading, writing listening, speaking Competencies (life skills) Functions Grammar Pronunciation Vocabulary, jargon, slang, idioms Learning strategies: journals, word webs Study skills: research, test taking, note taking Paralinguistic features: body language, gestures, non-verbals Cultural competence Soft skills Transitions skills: self-management, navigating complex systems Others?

Organizing and Sequencing TaskJigsawIn a small group look at the curriculum document

example you were given and answer the questions on your handout.

Now form a new group composed of one member of each of the previous groups. Share your curriculum document and evaluation. What do the other members of your new group think?

What documents are good models for the course you’re planning? How would you tweak them? Take notes on your Curriculum Design Plan of Action.

Formulating Goals and ObjectivesWhat are some basic “how-to’s” for writing

learning goals & objectives?Long-term vs. short-term goals: Level of

specificityMeasurable “verbs”SWBAT: Students will be able to…

Think back to the Business English class. Write 1 general goal. Then write 3 more specific goals.

Course OrganizationUse a template of your choice or your own

design to begin organizing the structure of your curriculum

Help each other out…

Ask for help…

Have fun!!

Course Syllabus ExamplesLook at three examples of a course syllabus.

Who is the intended “audience” of each syllabus?

What components does each syllabus contain?

Which components do you feel are important for a syllabus to have?

Course Syllabus ComponentsCourse name, time, start & end date, etc.Teacher name & contact infoLearning TargetsOther skill sets: technology, life skills, transitions skills,

etc. (Course content skills)ThemesTimelinesExpectations for studentsMaterialsAssessmentsProgress indicators (communicate progress to student)

Course Syllabus BrainstormTake a few minutes to think about and jot

down some ideas about your course syllabus.What components will your syllabus have?

How will you organize those components?

Any ideas yet for timeline of course content?

How will you share student progress with them?

Objectives of the SessionUpon conclusion of the workshop, participants

will be able to: Articulate the processes needed to design a course Discuss needs assessment tools & how they inform

course design Use backwards design to articulate the content that

meets learner needs Form clear course objectives and goals Discuss course assessment tools Organize course content for instructional delivery Conceptualize a course syllabus to communicate

course objectives & timeline to students

Thank You!