Course Design Template

1. Course Design Template

2. Essential Questions Make the content “answers” to questions Have no simple “right” answer Are designed to provoke and sustain student inquiry, while focusing learning & final performance Often address the conceptual or philosophical foundations of a discipline Raise other important questions Naturally and appropriately recur Stimulate vital, ongoing rethinking of big ideas, assumptions, and prior lessons

3. Six Facets of Understanding Explanation What is the key concept in___? Interpretation What does___ reveal about___? Application How and when can we use___? Perspective What are the strengths and weaknesses of___? Empathy How might we reach an understanding about___? Self-Knowledge How are my views about___ shaped by___?

4. Essential Questions Identify a few potential “big ideas” or “enduring understandings” for your course Write a few (e.g., 4-7) essential questions to guide learning in your course ~15 minutes individual ~10 mins sharing in small groups

5. Syllabus - Essential Questions

6. Syllabus – Enduring Understanding

7. Why Not Give Them A Map? How will they get there… …if they don’t know where they are going ?

8. Course Design Template

9. Goals for Student Learning What theme(s) pervade(s) my teaching? How do I decide what to teach and what to leave out? What are my goals for student learning? Content Discipline specific and general skills Ethics, values, dispositions, life-styles Teaching Goals Inventory ~5 minutes individual ~15 minutes group discussion

10. Defining Goals Identify a few potential “big ideas” or “enduring understandings” for your course Write a few essential questions to guide learning in your course Write several “important to know and do” learning targets for your course. ~15 minutes individual Worth being familiar with Important to know and do Big Ideas & Enduring Understanding

11. Developing An Action Plan A bit of time for starting your action plan: What changes do you plan to make to the targets for student learning in your course? What needs to be done to accomplish these targets? Identify dates for several critical benchmarks in the process. ~10 minutes individual