Designing courses that engage and support students starts with understanding the situational factors that shape the learning experience.
Considering these factors helps align your course design with the needs of your learners, the subject matter, and the institutional context. Here are key questions to guide your reflection:
Who are you?
What do you love about teaching this course?
What are your goals for designing this course?
Who are your students?
Consider their prior knowledge, skills, and experiences.
Are they traditional, first-year students, working professionals, or career changers?
What challenges might they face, such as balancing work and family commitments or navigating technology?
What are the characteristics of your course?
Is it an introductory course, or does it require advanced knowledge?
Are there prerequisites? Does the course build foundational skills or focus on specialized applications? What is the course placement in the curriculum?
What are the most important component(s) of your course?
What is the special challenge of teaching this subject well (online or otherwise)?
Are course materials relatively stable or rapidly changing?
How will online delivery impact your course learning environment?
What is your vision of a positive student learning experience?
How, and to what extent, do you expect to change or adapt your campus-based course delivery for online delivery (content; assignments; media)?
What institutional goals and policies or departmental needs must you consider?
Are there specific learning outcomes your course must achieve?
Will others from the department be teaching from a copy of this course?
Will teaching assistants be used to help with course delivery?
How can your design reflect institutional priorities such as career preparedness?
By thoughtfully addressing these questions, you can create a course that not only meets academic objectives but also resonates with your students and their unique contexts.
