Course Design Series

This session is geared towards instructors with previous teaching experience who are redesigning an existing course or developing a new one. Participants will be guided through the entire redesign process, from identifying their individual curricular goals to developing a course structure that supports the realization of these goals.

Through hands-on activities and evidence-informed discussions, this session will highlight strategies for designing adaptable learning activities and assessments that support student success and align with course learning outcomes. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn from each other and engage in cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing.

• Align learning outcomes with assessments and instructional strategies. 
• Identify the steps needed to update and integrate the course syllabus, structure and approach to instruction.  
• Develop a comprehensive plan to refine and address your course development or redesign goals  

• A personal action plan outlining your redesign goals and two to three concrete next steps for your course design practice 
• Frameworks and resources for updating your course syllabus  
• Access to a shared resource repository developed collaboratively during the institute 

This session of our Course Design Institute Series brings together faculty from across the university to explore evidence-based strategies for designing courses that engage all learners. Grounded in current research on educational equity, active learning, universal design principles, and technology integration, this institute invites participants to create intentional and inclusive course designs. 

Through hands-on activities and collaborative discussion, participants will examine strategic design choices from assessment structure to digital tool selection, which directly shape student experiences. Participants will leave with concrete and implementable strategies, along with a network of colleagues invested in meaningful pedagogical growth. 

• Apply principles of Universal Design to reduce barriers and increase accessibility in course design 
• Evaluate and select educational technologies that meaningfully support student engagement and learning outcomes 
• Design active learning experiences grounded in student engagement  
• Identify and address equity gaps in course structure, participation, and assessment practices 
• Articulate a coherent, inclusive course design rationale aligned with their disciplinary context 

• A revised or newly structured course component (syllabus section, community agreements, or assessment guidelines) incorporating Universal Design, an Accessibility Checklist, and engagement principles 
• A curated toolkit of vetted educational technologies with guidance on pedagogical application 
• A personal action plan outlining two to three concrete next steps for your course design practice 
• Access to a shared resource repository developed collaboratively during the institute 

The third session of our Course Design Institute Series invites educators to navigate opportunities and challenges in designing groupwork learning activities and assessments in the classroom. Through hands-on activities and collaborative discussion, participants will design group work experiences that align with their course learning outcomes and integrate their specific disciplinary contexts. Facilitators will share best practices for equitable group creation and assessment, strategies for addressing conflict and supporting group dynamics, and technological strategies that support teamwork development.  

• Design equitable and accessible assessments for group work  
• Identify strategies for training TAs on expectations for group projects and strategies to address groupwork conflicts  
• Evaluate and select educational technologies that meaningfully support student engagement and agency in groupwork  
• Create meaningful and inclusive group work agreements 

• A completed draft of a groupwork assignment or activity aligned to your course goals, including an evaluation and feedback plan.   
• A curated toolkit of vetted educational technologies with guidance on pedagogical application for groupwork  
• A personal action plan outlining two to three concrete next steps for your course design practice  
• Access to a shared resource repository developed collaboratively during the institute  

The final session of the Course Design Series focuses on intentional assessment design in an era of rapidly changing educational technologies, including Generative AI. Educators will explore current best practices and research-informed approaches to creating learner-centered, flexible, and authentic assessments that remain meaningful and rigorous in the context of evolving AI tools. 

Through hands-on activities and collaborative discussion, participants will examine strategic design choices — from assessment structure to digital tool selection — that directly shape student learning experiences. By the end of this session, participants will have developed an alignment framework connecting assessments to course learning outcomes, and drafted a syllabus statement articulating clear, course-specific guidance on the appropriate use of Generative AI.

• Evaluate existing assessments for alignment with course learning outcomes and identify opportunities to strengthen authenticity and flexibility within the context of Generative AI. 
• Apply research-informed frameworks to design or redesign assessments that are learner-centered and resistant to superficial AI completion. 
• Analyze the implications of Generative AI tools on academic integrity, student equity, and assessment validity. 
• Select appropriate digital tools and assessment structures that support meaningful student engagement and demonstrable learning. 
• Construct an assessment alignment framework that connects assignments directly to stated course learning outcomes. 

• An assessment alignment framework connecting assessments directly to course learning outcomes 
• A course-specific syllabus statement outlining expectations for student use of Generative AI 
• A curated toolkit of vetted educational technologies with guidance on pedagogical application for groupwork  
• A personal action plan outlining two to three concrete next steps for your course design practice  
• Access to a shared resource repository developed collaboratively during the institute