Evidence-Based Course Design for Higher Education

Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning

Overview

Instructors who wish to design significant, effective, and assessable learning opportunities can benefit from ongoing practice and support with preparation through intensive training in student-centered course design. In this Course Design in Higher Education pathway, you will receive expert support in learning and applying the backward design process. This endorsement provides participants with the tools, time and support they need as they work to build or rebuild effective, student-centered courses.
 

This pathway provides instructors a structured way to (re)design a course of their choosing. Most university instructors have a great deal of experience with student-teacher interaction and many have received some preparation for that element of teaching. However, very few have any structured, formal preparation for designing significant, effective, and assessable learning opportunities. The Drake Institute's Course Design Institute (CDI) provides that preparation through an intensive multi-part workshop in which instructors, with hands-on guidance from experts, focus on designing or redesigning a specific course. Regular reflection, feedback, and peer-interaction are built into the process, enabling participants to learn from and support each other. The CDI provides participants with the tools, time and support they need as they work to build or rebuild effective, student-centered courses.