Course Development Process
Whether working on your own or collaborating with our team, an intentional approach to course development facilitates effective learning by ensuring alignment of content, activities and learning objectives. The FSE Learning Experience Designers are experts in learning design and pedagogy and are available to provide tailored guidance to faculty developing courses in all modalities.
IDEATION AND ANALYSIS
Ideas for a new or renewed course development can be motivated by a number of factors. To get started, it’s helpful to first clarify the opportunity (or problem), identify the audience, acknowledge specific constraints and list available resources.
DESIGN
The design phase results in a blueprint for a course to ensure alignment, facilitate innovation, and avoid rework. The primary components include:
- Defining and refining learning objectives for the course and related modules.
- Developing an assessment strategy aligned to the learning objectives.
- Detailing a plan for instructional resources aligned with the assessments.
- Creating a communication plan for impactful engagement.
The final deliverable in this phase is a comprehensive course map.
DEVELOPMENT
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Resources include assessments, activities, media, and other content that will reside within the Learning Management System (Canvas) to support the learning objectives.
VIDEO PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
Video development typically occurs concurrently with instructional resources. Faculty can make use of Fulton studios to envision, develop, record, and publish videos that meet the specific needs of each individual course.
COURSE BUILDING
Once assets are developed, or in parallel, the course is laid out with an intuitive student navigation.
FINAL COURSE REVIEW
A full course review should occur at least 5 days prior to the course start date to ensure instructor and student readiness.
COURSE LAUNCH
Students typically receive access to Canvas courses three days days prior to the first day of class. This is also a good time to begin developing a presence and rapport with a clear communication strategy.
EVALUATION & DEBRIEF
The first time a newly developed course run provides the best insight and opportunity for updates. A midterm survey can provide valuable and actionable feedback. An end-of-course review of course evaluations and performance data enables instructors to determine necessary improvements to the course prior to the next iteration.