Design and Structure

Key components of a well-structured educational module or a course:

  • Learning objectives
  • Assessments
  • Activities
  • Instructional approaches (the  digital tools which structure the learning activities and communications about the course content)
  • Scheduling the content release (as a chronological sequence, or as a movement from abstract to concrete, or build around a logically coherent set of questions, etc)
  • Modes of communication (description of the communication tools and activities in the course)

Backward design is a good way to build your course. Authors of the backward design concept – McTighe and Wiggins (2004) – suggest  three phases of design: 1. identifying desired results, 2. determining acceptable evidence, and 3. planning learning experiences and instruction.

  • know your audience, and their prior knowledge; start with the end in mind: goals and learning objectives
  • determine acceptable evidence – the procedures for the students to demonstrate (and for the instructor to distinguish) whether students are meeting the learning objectives
  • design the activities to promote students acquisition of learning and successful reaching the learning objectives
  • design the elements of content in a way that promotes students learning and engagement, helping them to get the desired results
  • iterative design

open access resources:

1. McTighe, J., and Wiggins, G. (2004). Introduction: The logic of backward design. Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (PDF)

2. Fink, L. D. (2005). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from Dee Fink & Associates (PDF)

3. Georgia State University (1999). Mager’s Tips on Instructional Objectives. Adapted from Mager, R. F., Preparing Instructional Objectives (2nd ed.), Belmont, CA: David S. Lake, 1984. (web page)

4. Workshop by D. Langley (2013), Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology, U of Minnesota
Syllabus Goals vs. Objectives (PDF), Taxonomy of educational objectives (PDF)