Course Design and Planning
Criteria for Course Submission
Overview of Course Design and Planning Process
CRITERIA FOR COURSE SUBMISSIONS
Adult Education has a long tradition at University College Dublin and is now a large and vibrant centre providing a wide range of credit and interest courses at several locations around Dublin.
The programme varies from year to year. Each spring new course proposals are reviewed. Consideration is given as to which courses should be included in the programme for the following academic year. An Interest/Credit Course Proposal Form must be submitted for each possible new course. Each proposal must include the following:
- Clear course title and description
- Detailed learning outcomes
- Course outline/syllabus
- Teaching methodologies
- Assessment Criteria - assignments, weighting, etc. (for accredited courses)
- Reading texts and websites. Two or three core texts must be identified and details given on further additional reading which students can reasonably be expected to access
- Teaching Team
- Tutor qualifications/experience
- Logistical details, e.g., preferred time, dates, term and venue
New tutors are invited for interview and given an opportunity to present their proposal. Tutors are selected for their subject expertise and are expected to have experience working with, and an empathy for, adult learners.
Certain courses will be selected for further consideration and the proposals then go through a rigorous approval procedure. All submissions are reviewed by a panel of assessors before approval is sought by the relevant academic department. Submissions then go before the Board of Studies for the Adult Education Centre, U.C.D. and are finally signed off by the Academic Council.
OVERVIEW OF COURSE DESIGN AND PLANNING PROCESS
- Decide on a topic
- Determine Overarching Goal
- Identify desired results -Learning Outcomes
- Determine acceptable evidence - Assessment
- Design learning experiences and organise material-Content
- Develop evaluation mechanisms - Evaluation
- Information and marketing - Course Description
DECIDING ON A TOPIC
Deciding which courses will run is not an exact science. Courses that we anticipate might be very popular may never generate sufficient enrolment while others, which would seem to have more limited appeal, often register very well. Trends, political events, work patterns, etc., impact on whether or not a course will run. We rely on tutors who have worked with students getting an understanding for what they are interested in. Consulting with students is key to deciding how a course might develop. Who are your audience, what are their expectations?
Some of the most successful courses run in the UCD Adult Education programme are those that have been developed in response to the interests and needs of students. Students are central to the adult education process so should be involved in determining course topics, setting objectives and planning content. Student feedback on existing courses provides ideas and suggestions for new courses. Many want follow-on courses, others want particular aspects of a course covered in greater detail, or perhaps an interest has been generated in a related area.
Consult with your students
- What topics are of interest to your students?
- What worked/didn't work in the past and why?
- How might existing courses be developed or modified?
- Which exercises/problems/assessment assignments were most appropriate?
PLANNING BACKWARDS
Begin with the end in mind
Steven Covey
When planning a course, the best place to start is at the end. Determine what students might reasonably be expected to achieve from a course and then plan how material can be organised and delivered to reach this end.
OVERARCHING GOALS
Overarching goals describe the most important understandings that students should develop during an entire course. Ask yourself:
When my students leave my class at the end of this course,
what are the essential understandings that I want them to take away?
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Exercise Determine the overarching goal for a new course you have in mind. Write this goal in one concise sentence. |
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Once the overarching goal is determined, the next step is to break this into identifiable and manageable units of achievement, i.e., learning outcomes.
Learning outcome descriptions are explicit statements of achievement: what a given person can do, know or understand as a result of a piece of formal or informal learning - something possible now that was not possible before. (McNair, 2000)
McNair, Stephen Learner Autonomy in a Changing World in Boundaries in Adult Education. Editors, Edwards, Hanson & Raggett. Routledge/OU Press: London 2000
Students regularly ring to ask, What will I learn from this course? What will I be able to do when the course is over? Sometimes the course description alone does not provide sufficient detail. Generalised learning outcomes do not supply much additional information to prospective students. More focused outcomes can identify key tasks in the learning process, or observe stages in cognitive development.
Levels of Abstraction
Benjamin Bloom created a taxonomy for categorising levels of abstraction of questions that commonly occur in educational settings. The taxonomy provides a useful structure in which to categorise learning outcomes and, subsequently, assessment questions.
Introductory courses, and some interest courses, may expect to have outcomes at the initial levels of abstraction, whereas accredited and certified courses would be expected to have more complex outcomes at higher levels of abstraction.
Levels of abstraction
| Competence | Skills Demonstrated | Questions, Cues |
| Knowledge |
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list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc. |
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Comprehension |
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summarise, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend |
| Application |
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apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover |
| Analysis |
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components analyse, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer |
| Synthesis |
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combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalise, rewrite |
| Evaluation |
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assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarise |
Adapted from: www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html
Writing Up Outcomes
Outcomes can be written up in the following format:
At the end of this course students should be able to:
- Define ...
- Summarise ...
- Demonstrate...
- Analyse....
- Integrate ...
- Critique ....
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Exercise Determine outcomes for the course you are planning ensuring that you
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Discussion of Outcomes
At the beginning of a course, learning outcomes should be discussed with students. This ensures that you are both working towards the same goals and gives students an idea of what they can reasonably expect to achieve over the course of a module. This also provides an opportunity to amend learning outcomes in line with the wishes of particular student groups. In this way students feel more involved with the programme and feel their input influences the shape of the course. Learning outcomes should be fluid as not all learning can be prescribed or predicted. Learning opportunities can arise during a course which were never envisaged at planning stage, and it is important to accommodate such diversions.
EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING
Questions that might now be asked include:
- How do I determine if objectives/outcomes have been met?
- How will I be able to distinguish between those who really understand and those who don't?
- What would constitute sufficient and revealing evidence of understanding?
- Against what criteria do I measure achievement?
- If not formally assessing the course, how can I be sure that there is evidence of learning?
Ongoing and systematic consultation with students goes some way to ensuring outcomes are being met. Student feedback should be sought to ascertain whether content is being understood and to ensure the material is being covered at an appropriate pace for the group. Individual/group exercies and problem based learning exercises can also be used throughout the course to ensure that students are progressing through the material.
Formal evidence of understanding can be verified through a variety of assessment methods.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment should be decided upon at the outset as an integral part of design and not merely attached on at the end. For those people setting assessment exercises, assessment should be linked to the projected learning outcomes. Assessment criteria should be understandable so that students can see that the assignment is related to the overall aims of the course. Questions you might address include:
- Are the learning outcomes assessable?
- What form of assignment would best assess the learning outcomes?
- Does the assessment capture the most important elements of my course?
Learning Journals, Case Studies and Projects may be used to assess aspects of a course that can be overlooked in essays. Exams cause difficulties for adult learners and often deter prospective students before they ever register. For accreditation purposes certain courses require that aspects of the course are examined. In such instances, students should be supported so as to reduce the panic that exams can instil.
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Exercise Consider how you might assess your proposed course. Can the learning outcomes be demonstrated in the assessment exercise? |
PLANNING CONTENT
Once outcomes have been established, and assessment methods (either formal or informal) decided upon, the following questions need to be considered:
- How can my material be organised best and presented so as to reach my proposed learning outcomes?
- What do I need to consider about the type of learners I work with?
- How do adult learning styles impact on the way I present material?
- What teaching methodologies are most suitable for adult learners?
When planning and organising your course content, it is important to take into consideration the individual nature of adult learners who come to your course. Learners will have varied abilities and require varied levels of support. Prior experiences of learning may differ radically with some students being enthusiastic lifelong learners and others making a tentative move back into education. Motivations for attending will also range from those needing a particular course for work/personal reasons to those who just wish to take a course to get out and meet people. In between will be all degrees of commitment, interest and enthusiasm. All of these learners may have to be accommodated in the one group.
Motivation, Ability, Prior Experience, Support
When planning learning activities, you might consider the following:
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Motivation |
Why are the students here? |
| Ability |
What range of abilities will they have? |
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Prior |
Are people seasoned lifelong learners, and possibly highly accredited, or is this their first venture into adult education? |
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Support |
How much support will students require? What kinds of support will be needed? |
As tutors do not usually get a chance to meet the group until the first class, you may need to plan for the broad spectrum of learners that might possibly attend. Once you have had an opportunity to meet the group, you can determine why people are attending and get an appreciation for their educational backgrounds and personal interests.
Malcolm Knowles is accredited with applying the term andragogy to the teaching of adults. His ideas form a central role in adult education methodologies.
The four assumptions of andragogy:
- Adults both desire and enact a tendency toward self-directedness as they mature, though they may be dependent in certain situations.
- Adult's experiences are a rich resource for learning. Adults learn more effectively through experiential techniques of education such as discussion or problem-solving.
- Adults are aware of specific learning needs generated by real life tasks or problems. Adult education programmes, therefore, should be organised around 'life application' categories and sequenced according to learners' readiness to learn.
- Adults are competency based learners in that they wish to apply newly acquired skills or knowledge to their immediate circumstances. Adults are, therefore, "performance-centred" in their orientation to learning. (Knowles, 1980)
Knowles, M.S. (1980) The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge Books.
What Adults Want
Working from evaluation forms and anecdotal feedback from students phoning and dropping by the Adult Education Centre, we have been able to establish which elements of courses work well for adult learners. These findings, which are in line with research in this area and with the ideas expressed by Knowles, include:
- Opportunities for inputs -ownership of the course content and scheduling
- Group work
- Individual participation
- Experiential learning - respect for their own expertise
- Critical reflection
- Practical application
- Feedback - both ways
- Guides to additional resources
- Tutor as guide in a democratic environment rather than tutor as expert
- Use of technology/visual aids, but only where it enhances the learning process.
What Adults Don't Want
- Lecture format
- Chalk & talk methodologies
- Inequality of participation - excessive contribution by one or two individuals with no effort made to curtail/manage their inputs
- Poor organisation of material
- Poor time management
- Sense of time/money wasted. Adults may be trying to juggle many obligations in order to attend class. If they feel their time is being wasted by poorly organised or badly structured classes, huge frustrations arise. In such instances students complain much more bitterly about their time being wasted than about any loss of a course fee.
- Exams
- Excuses, apologies. Students do not wish to hear tutors apologise for why they cannot use up-to-the minute technologies, or about lack of time to prepare copies, etc. They have made an effort to get to class and do not want to hear excuses for why someone is unprepared. If you cannot use PowerPoint or up-to-the minute technologies, highlighting this fact to students will undermine your ability in their eyes. Working well with materials/equipment with which you are familiar is far more effective than working poorly with snazzy high tech presentations.
- Use of technology. Endless use of PowerPoint and overhead slides do not impress when used as a crutch, or when used just to demonstrate the tutor's ability to create such presentations.
Implications for Content and Delivery
Accommodating diverse learners and learning styles is challenging and demanding but also rewarding. By providing diversity in delivery methodologies and classroom exercises, it is possible to encourage all students to participate. This can be done by:
- Using a variety of presentation techniques
- Mixing group work & individual participation
- Pitching content so that it is accessible to all
- Avoiding jargon and inbuilt assumptions
- Adopting a facilitation style - guide on the side
- Developing questioning and listening skills
- Demonstrating a flexibility and willingness to accommodate student interests
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Exercise Reflecting on your own teaching/learning experiences... How can presentation methodologies be varied? How could you incorporate group work into your course? As a learner, which aspects of a course engage/frustrate you? |
Evaluation
Evaluation is the collection of feedback on a course to determine how the course content and presentation has been received. Evaluation is essential in ensuring quality control. Feedback received in this way provides information on:
- the standards of the course
- the materials distributed
- the delivery methodologies used
- the nature of the group dynamics and tutor/learner rapport
- the ability of students to transfer/apply knowledge gained.
Self-evaluation and learner evaluation are both necessary to provide effective quality control. Self-evaluation requires you to reflect on your practice throughout a course, to critique your presentation style, to analyse your group and time management skills, and to consider how you might alter your practice in future.
Learner evaluation allows the learner an opportunity to evaluate both the facilitator and course content. The evaluation can provide information on whether the course met participants needs and supply recommendations as to how a course might be modified in future.
Time for course evaluation and review should be allocated at the design and planning stage.
Course Descriptions
Using overarching goal(s) and learning outcomes as a basis, the next step is to write up a course description. Course descriptions are used for two purposes: information and marketing. The adult education programme is circulated widely to past students and to people who respond to advertising campaigns. Brochures are also distributed to libraries, businesses, and certain community groups. The course description is the key element in drawing students to a course. Dynamic creative descriptions engage prospective students and encourage further inquiries. Descriptions may also be used on flyers and postcards for niche marketing purposes. Short punchy descriptions which summarise exactly what the course intends to cover provide maximum information to students in a limited space.
Review
When putting a proposal together, have you considered the following:
- Learner's needs
- Overarching goal
- Learning outcomes
- Evidence of understanding
- Assessment
- Content planning
- Dynamic course description
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WEBSITES
Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals: Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York; Toronto: Longmans, Green
Brookfield, S.D. (1986) Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning. San Francisco: Jossey Bass
Covey, Steven as quoted in Inquiry in Curriculum Design, BANDL Curriculum Design Tools. San Francisco, 1999.
Daines, C. & J., Graham, B. (1993) Adult Learning Adult Teaching. University of Nottingham, Department of Adult Education.
Knowles, M.S. (1980) The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge Books.
Mc Nair, Stephen Learner Autuonomy in a Changing World in Boundaries in Adult Education. Editors, Edwards, Hanson & Raggett. Routledge/OU Press: London 2000
Pont, T. (1996) Developing Effective Training Skills. 2nd ed. Berkshire: McGraw Hill
Reay, David G. (1994) Understanding How People Learn. London: Kogan Page.
Reay, David G. (1994) Understanding the Training Function. London: Kogan Page.
Tyler, R, W. (1971) Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. London: University of Chicago Press
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J., (1998) Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/workshop/ccdt_framework.cfm
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html
