Crash course design
The University of Manitoba’s Learning Technologies Centre is hosting a crash course on course design:
Summer Institute on Course Design
The Learning Technologies Center (LTC), University Teaching Services (UTS), Extended Education Summer Session 2008, Distance and Online Education (DE) with the support of Information Services and Technology (IST) are offering an intensive one week Summer Institute on integrating technology into course design from June 2 -6, 2008.
The Summer Institute will assist faculty in redesigning an existing course, or designing a new course, based on established theories of learning and instruction. Institute participants will receive instruction, support, direction and feedback on creating a sound pedagogical framework for their course and hands-on experience with numerous technologies that may be incorporated into the design of their course. The Summer Institute will demonstrate and utilize technology in its instructional strategies. Participants will provide peer feedback during and upon completion of their revised course design.
For more information visit the Learning Technologies Centre website.
A “Technological Make-Over”
I came across a great ePortfolio that outlines a course make-over in some detail. This website takes us through the transformation of Physchology 350, an undergraduate research methods course, over the course of 3 years. Calvin P. Garbin has documented the ways in which he tried to change the course so that it was better suited to course objectives, and he succeeded!
Visit his website for a great example of a thoughtful course re-design!
Canadian E-Learning Conference, June 17-20 2008
The theme for this year’s Canadian e-learning conference is Enhancing Learning with Technology: Is it working?
The conference has two foci:
- the appropriate application of technologies to enhance learning, and
- how effective those technologies are in enhancing learning.
Presentations are invited that will inspire and assist participants in their application of technologies to enhance learning. Presentations may be based on research, practical experiences or a combination of both.
The deadline for submissions is March 3rd, 2008.
Location: University of Calgary Campus
Dates: June 17-20, 2008
Visit the conference website for more information.
The Power of Course Design to Increase Student Engagement and Learning
“All professors would like for their students to be prepared when they come to class, to be motivated to learn, and to achieve high-quality learning that prepares them not only for future classes but also for future personal, social, and professional life experiences. But it often doesn’t happen that way. What many professors are finding is that students become more motivated and engaged when courses are designed and integrated with significant learning goals…”
Read on to learn more about the principles of effective course design and to see some examples of what happens when people use these ideas.
Here is the article from the Winter 2007 issue of Peer Review:
The Power of Course Design to Increase Student Engagement and Learning
Cultural Assumptions: Inclusivity Gone Bad
A couple of weeks ago, A Culturally Aware Course Design was posted. This article is supposed to address cultural difference in teaching and learning, but how do we determine cultural difference, and what kinds of assumptions might be made in an effort to “accomodate” different cultures in the curriculum?
Here is a critique of the article posted on November 21st. Brendan McSweeney argues that Hofstede makes crucial assumptions about the possibility for systematically causal national cultures. As one contributor summarized, Hofstede’s model imagines individuals as “culturally pre-programmed automatons”.
What is a better model for conceiving of “cultural difference”, and can this be incorporated into a more inclusive course design?
Step-by-Step to an Online Course
This is a resource for online course development, and a description of the course design process to create the new, interactive online course sites that will provide successful learning and teaching objectives.
Visit Portland University’s Instructional Design Handbook. It’s online!
What about Inclusive Course Design?
A Culturally Aware Course Design by Nigel Munro-Smith discusses the profound influence of culture over student expectations and the way in which students engage with computer mediated teaching and learning. Munro-Smith uses Hofstede’s model of cultural analysis to talk about course design as a means of minimizing cultural incompatibilities in the Australian system.
Download the article: A Culturally Aware Course Design
How a Teaching Philosophy Informs Course Design
A teaching philosophy is not only an integral part of your teaching portfolio, included in your dossier or posted online to help others understand your teaching objectives and methods. A teaching philosophy is also a very important part of your own understanding in developing and planning a course. Thinking about how you want your students to learn and the ways in which you aim to teach them is a helpful way of preparing your course.
Here is a list of sample exercises and questions to ask yourself in developing your own teaching philosophy.
Teaching Philosophy Sample Exercises
This information can be found on the University of Waterloo Teaching Tips page.
Welcome to TAG’s Community of Practice for Course Design!
We have just started this blog to make it easier for our community to communicate and share information. Please feel free to tell others who may be interested.
If you have questions about upcoming events or course design, this is the place to ask!
