Foundations of Course Design

Setting the Core Foundation

When designing (or redesigning) a course, always begin with the foundational structure. The information on this page is relevant for all course modalities (in-person, hybrid, online). They help construct a blueprint for your course in terms of writing the learning objectives, aligning them with content and assessments, making the course inclusive for all students, determining learning assessments, and writing the syllabus. After this blueprint is constructed, you can determine how it will be implemented in the chosen modality for that course.

Ask yourself the following set of questions to determine where to start:

Are learning outcomes clearly defined for yourself, your students, and listed on your syllabus?

Learning outcomes are statements that describe the knowledge and skills that students should demonstrate by the end of the learning experience. Fink's Taxonomy describes a wider set of learning outcomes that includes both cognitive outcomes and socio-emotional outcomes such as learning and caring about oneself and others. The more of these outcomes that are addressed will produce more significant learning. Outcome statements offer students a fuller understanding of assignments and projects, influence course design, and provide faculty members a means to assess student success in the classroom. Additional resources:

Are learning outcomes written in measurable terms?

Learning outcomes should be written with action verbs that are measurable, such as recall, explain, or produce. Using action verbs and listing them on the syllabus and assignments helps students understand what's expected of them to meet these outcomes. Print the worksheets listed above for a comprehensive list of action verbs for writing outcomes.

Are assessments aligned with learning outcomes?

After you've established learning outcomes, next determine how to assess those outcomes, and lastly determine how best to present course materials for student success. This process is known as backwards design, a strategic planning framework whereby faculty first establish the desired outcomes, decide how to assess those outcomes, and then determine how best to present course materials for student success. Read

Are content and activities aligned with learning outcomes?

After determining what you want students to learn and how they're going to demonstrate that learning, then determine which content and learning activities will help students to learn and meet those outcomes.

Does the syllabus need to be written or revised?

A well-written syllabus provides clear guidance to students as to what is expected in the course. There are evidence-based practices for designing syllabi that help to increase student motivation and success. See the separate tab in this section for more information on writing a motivational syllabus.

Additional Resources

Video Series: Using Visual Thinking to Plan your Curriculum

Designing for Inclusivity

Watch Beyond Pedagogy: Infusing Equity into Your Syllabus, Assignments, and Course Content to learn about infusing equity into your syllabus, assignments, and course content. (If prompted, use your RIC login information).

Components of Inclusive Courses

In addition, consider these components of inclusive courses:

Know Your Own Background

View the video Know How Your Own Background Influences Your Teaching, a web resource from Tufts University.

Equitable Access

Ensure that technology and content (e. g., videos, readings) are accessible to all learners. Examples of accessible content include video captioning, materials that can be read by a screen reader for students with visual impairments, and appropriate use of colors for students with colorblindness.

Content and Representation

(a) Ensure that your course content includes voices of diverse scholars, criticisms, and perspectives, (b) Ensure imagery of people in lecture slides and other materials is representative of diverse identities, and (c) Ensure that examples you use in class, assignments, and on exams are representative of diverse identities.

Foster a Growth Mindset in Students

Students mistakenly believe that learning is easy. If they struggle to learn something, they believe that they are not suited for college and not able to succeed. Normalize the idea of "struggle" for students by having them understand that such struggle is normal, they are not alone, and the struggle indicates that they are engaging in deeper learning. Read more about how to foster a growth mindset in students.

Cultivate Academic Belonging

Academic belonging is described as "... the extent to which students feel personally accepted, included, and supported at school, and includes school-based experiences, students’ relationships with teachers and peers, and students’ general feelings about school." (from the Institutes of Education Sciences.) Read more about class practices and interventions to cultivate academic belonging in students.

Course Policies: Flexibility with Accountability

RIC students are multicultural and have multiple responsibilities (school, caregiving, work, etc). To meet their learning needs, consider how to build flexibility into your policies regarding attendance/participation, religious and cultural observances, late work, missed exams, etc. Building these policies into your course design and stating them on your syllabus is a more equitable approach than granting individual allowances on a case-by-case basis.

When Possible, Include Students in Decisions about the Course

Involving students in aspects of decision-making about a course creates a greater sense of equity, belonging, and ownership of their learning. While not possible for all aspects of a course, consider when you might allow students opportunities to share in decision-making, such as setting ground rules for discussions, agreements on certain policies (e.g., when to accept late work), choosing assignments or topics for assignments, or shared expectations for completing group projects.

Additional Resources

Inclusive Teaching (Brown University)
Inclusive Teaching Resources (Marquette University)

Understanding Diverse Learners

RIC students identify in many ways: First-generation students, students with disabilities, racially and ethnically diverse, diverse genders and sexualities, traditional college-age and adult learners, active military and veterans, commuter and residential students, caregivers, and more. To learn more, review these resources:

Neurodiverse Students: Course Creation Strategies

Cultivating a Sense of Belonging for BIPoC Students

Inclusive Classroom Strategies for Gender Variant Students

Enhance Student Veterans' Success

Equitable Grading Practices

Traditional grading practices typically assign a letter grade (A through F) based on an underlying 100-point scale. These practices, developed in the early 1900's (more on this history), are based on the normal, bell-shaped curve where most students earn "C" level grades in the middle of the distribution and fewer students earn very high or very low grades. More recently, concerns have been raised about the equity of this grading system and its motivational value to students. Alternatives strategies such as Specifications Grading and/or Competency Based Grading reduce opportunities for unintentional biases and create a more motivational environment for students.

More on How to Make Grading More Equitable

Examples of Motivational Grading Practices

strategic use of low-stakes vs. high-stakes assessments
strategic use of formative vs. summative assessments
use authentic assessments
scaffold assignments
provide opportunities to revise
mitigate impact of zeros on final grade
allow opportunities to drop low grade(s)
grade actual work, not extra credit.

Specifications Grading

Specifications grading is a system in which grades are based on completing a set "bundle" of work. The work required for each bundle is listed on the syllabus so students know at the beginning of the semester what work needs to be completed for each grade. The instructor grades each item of work on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. The advantage of this is that instructors can focus their time on providing meaningful feedback rather than on deciding how many points to deduct for inadequate work. Opportunities are provided to revise unsatisfactory work and/or to show their improvement on a subsequent assignment.

What is Specification Grading? | Center for Transformative Teaching

Competency Based Grading

In traditional grading practices, students are taught at the same pace and complete assessments at the same point in time. Competency based grading allows students to progress at their own pace. Students take as much time as needed to learn, review, and practice until they have demonstrated mastery of the knowledge and/or skills before moving on to new ones. Rather than being based on a 0-100 scale system, competency based grading is typically based on an ordinal-level scale (e.g., Beginning, Developing, Competent, Proficient). To demonstrate mastery, competency based education asks students to show their understanding of skill through authentic assessments. Authentic assessments typically involve a “real world” context that requires higher-order thinking skills and allows for more creativity and critical thinking than does a more rote or fact-based assessment. Advantages of competency based grading include: Students continue to practice the skill until they demonstrate mastery over it; Students direct their efforts at their current level of skill which prevents having students struggle to keep up with other students if they need more time, or having advanced students feel held back by others who need more time; Feedback on performance is given through lower-stakes formative assessments, rather than rely on only a few high-stakes assessments which student may be more likely to fail; and Students have more autonomy over their learning, which encourages the development of greater independence, resilience, agency, and perseverance with their learning.

Assessing Student Learning

Assessment strategies have evolved considerably from the more traditional midterm exam, final exam, term paper structure. (A comprehensive overview of assessing student learning.) Two evidence-based practices that motivate students to produce higher level work are the use of authentic learning assessments and creating more transparent assignment instructions. In addition, faculty can consider:

TILT Assignment Instructions for Greater Clarity

The TILT (Transparency in Learning & Teaching) method is an evidence-based practice that helps students better understand the purpose, task, and criteria for an assignment. Rather than focusing solely on "what" to do, the TILT method provides more detailed information to students about "why" they're doing it and how it relates to course learning outcomes. Providing this transparency has been shown to lead to better student metacognition about what they're learning and higher quality work as a result.

Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessment goes beyond testing rote memorization of facts; rather, it requires that students apply what they have learned to a new situation. It often focuses on complex real-world situations and can involve a real or imagined audience of stakeholders or “clients.” An assignment is authentic if it (a) is realistic, (b) requires judgment and innovation, (c) asks the student to “do” the subject rather than just perform rote recall of information, (d) simulates contexts in which adults are “tested” in the workplace or in civic or personal life, (e) assesses ability to efficiently and effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and skills to negotiate a complex task, and (f) provides opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, and receive feedback to refine performances and products. (Wiggins, 1998, as cited in Indiana University Bloomington, Authentic Assessment.)

Authentic assessments have several advantages over conventional tests because they: (1) Are likely to be more valid than conventional tests, particularly for learning outcomes that require higher-order thinking skills, (2) Involve real-world tasks that are likely to be more interesting and motivating for students, and (3) Can provide more specific and usable information about what students have succeeded in learning as well as what they have not learned.

Examples of Authentic Assessments: Provide a case study of a patient and ask students to assess and create a plan of care (Nursing); Develop a marketing plan for an imaginary (or real) company (Business); Troubleshoot a problematic piece of code. Develop an app to solve a particular problem. (Computer Science); Role play an historic event. Describe what might have happened if one element of a historical event had changed.(History); Consider how a community agency might be impacted by a particular challenge such as budget cuts (Public Affairs).(Adapted from Indiana University Bloomington, Authentic Assessment)

Writing a Motivational Syllabus

An effective syllabus is more than a dry "contract" between faculty members and students. Instead, the syllabus should function as a map to your course, one that both outlines the plan for the semester and invites students to actively engage in their own learning. The Chronicle of Higher Education offers this review of syllabus essentials to help faculty make a positive first impression and set students up for a successful semester.

How to Create a Syllabus - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Inclusive Syllabus Strategies

These points give an overview of key concepts in creating an inclusive syllabus. To explore these concepts in greater detail, please refer to the Inclusive Syllabus Workbook (linked below).

Make Presentation More Visual

Traditional syllabi are often dense, text-heavy, and hard to read, especially for students with learning disabilities or non-native speakers of English. Use of visual cues help students digest and remember dense information.

Warm-Up Syllabus Language

Students tend to associate cooler syllabi language with a professor who is perceived as less friendly or approachable and a course perceived as more difficult. A welcoming tone increases understanding and recall of the syllabus information.

Create Inclusive Policies

Creating policies that anticipate varied students' needs and being transparent about them helps all students to feel welcome in the course. It also reduces opportunities for bias in implementing course policies.

Diversify Learning Content

Each discipline will have its own expectations for what is considered inclusive content. Whenever possible, include content, activities, examples, and projects that represent diverse socio-cultural backgrounds.

Normalize Learner Struggles

Students tend to equate difficulty with a sense of not belonging or an inability to achieve academic goals. Acknowledging that struggle is a normal part of the college experience is important for student persistence and success, especially for first generation and underrepresented students.

Reduce Academic Jargon

Colleges and universities have their own language, rules, unwritten codes of conduct, and historical practices. However, this terminology is not always obvious to students, and it is best to explain such terms on your syllabus rather than assuming that students understand them.

Foundations of Course Design

Building a Strong Foundation