Transcript Testing and Grading

Course Design
“Once you have a sound
course design, your
syllabus almost writes
itself.”
-Teaching at its Best
L. Nilson, 1998
Course Design
What will I cover?
What will they learn?
Course Design
Learning-Centered
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Students learn how to find knowledge,
they do not wait for faculty to provide it
Ongoing student and course assessments
show faculty where teaching is effective
and ineffective
Students’ performance on activities and
assignments is assessed by more people
than a single instructor
Students construct the questions they
need to ask, rather than expecting
teachers to choose what students ought
to know
(Allen, 1996)
Course Design
The General Design
 Consider your audience
 Establish tiered instructional
objectives
 Evaluate content options and
appropriate readings
 Determine class format
 Develop assessments
Course Design
Consider your audience!
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What preparation will most students
bring? Do prerequisites guarantee this?
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Attitudes? Required course? Elective?
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What are the student expectations?
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Student long-range goals?
Are these appropriate? Can they be
incorporated into your teaching plan?
Can flexibility be built in to accommodate
this?
Course Design
Establish tiered
instructional objectives
“An instructional objective is a
statement that gives instructional
focus and direction, establishes
guidelines for testing, and
conveys one’s teaching intent to
others.”
-Stating Objectives for Classroom Instruction
Gronlund, 1985
Course Design
Establish tiered
instructional objectives
Course Design by Objectives
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First define your “ultimate” endof-course objectives
Then work backwards…what will
students have to be able to do
before they can accomplish each
“ultimate” objective?
Continue working backwards to
the most basic performances they
must master to achieve the above
Course Design
Content
Skills
Objectives
Course Design
Assessments
Skills
Objectives
Course Design
Format
Skills
Objectives
Instructional Objective
(for a specific group of students)
Skills
(what students will need to be able to
do in order to attain this objective)
Content
Class
Format
Syllabus
Assessment
Format
Does your syllabus share with your
students the thinking process that you
followed to design this course?
Course Design
 Establish basic learning
objectives
“Students will learn to
appreciate their natural
surroundings and will know that
underlying geologic structures
control the landforms we see”
Course Design
 Translate these, if needed,
to become effective
instructional objectives
“After working with slide images
and through field experiences,
students will be able to locate
and identify faults, fractures
and folds present in an
unfamiliar landscape.”
Course Design
 Identify the skills needed
in order for students to
be able to achieve the
objective
 Recognize the surface expressions
of different geologic structures
AND how expression varies with
topography
 Critically observe and analyze an
unfamiliar landscape for diagnostic
geologic contact relationships
Course Design
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (1956)
Course Design
Motivation
Human
Dimension
Foundational
Knowledge
Learning
how to
learn
Integration
Application
Fink’s Taxonomy
To Improve the Academy (2001)
Course Design
Writing objectives
Many
Interpretations
To know
To understand
To really understand
To appreciate
To fully appreciate
To grasp significance of
To enjoy
To believe
To have faith in
Fewer
Interpretations
To write
To recite
To identify
To sort
To solve
To construct
To build
To compare
To contrast
from Mager (1975) in Diamond (1998)
Course Design
Evaluate content options
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Rank the topics
(rank highly your “essentials” AND
those that meet student needs or
expectations)
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Slash, burn & distill
(this always hurts, but designing
courses backwards will help establish
priorities)
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Compare to your “full array” of
content options
is something missing that you value?
Are you missing a major learning
goal?
Course Design
Evaluate readings
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Consider the level (and financial
resources!) of your students
What is the purpose of the reading?
How will it support the course? How
often will students use this resource?
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Read a variety of texts
...unless you wrote the text, you won’t
find exactly what you need… BUT...
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Is a course reader better?
...can better suit to your needs...but
takes a huge effort to integrate well...
Course Design
Determine the class
format
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Lecture based?
Discussion based?
Need labs or experiential
components?
How and when will student inquiry
take place?
What does the phrase
“knowledge transfer” conjure
up for you?
Course Design
Encourage Active Learning
From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
Students should:
 be prepared to work hard
when they enter a classroom…
 take an active role in acquiring
and maintaining new
information during the class…
 continue their interest after
class hours
What questions will you ask... what examples will
you use... to help stimulate interest? How
will you hear from students during class?
Course Design
Design Effective Learning
From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
Most of the learning in a typical
course takes place outside of
class…
 design meaningful after class
projects, labs, readings…
 prepare assignments that
apply class material to new
contexts
How does each experience contribute to the
goals for the course?
Course Design
Provide Prompt Feedback
From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
Learning is an iterative process…
apply, discover errors, try
again...
 plan to provide prompt and
supportive corrections
 keep in mind that not all
feedback need be graded
How long will it take you to return graded
assignments? How can you provide
immediate feedback? How can the
students themselves provide feedback?
Course Design
Emphasize importance of
time and effort spent
learning… From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
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Everyone who wants to learn a
subject must put in time and
effort
Students must make effective
use of class and study time
Will you discuss time management with your
class? What study strategies will be most
successful for the course objectives?
Course Design
Encourage Student-Faculty
Contact... From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
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This is at the very heart of
the educational process
Allow time both within and
outside of class to display
enthusiasm, sensitivity, and
command of content
How many students will you know by name? How
open will your office door be? How will you
show students that you are receptive?
Course Design
Encourage Cooperation
among Students
From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
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improve collaborative skills
develop personal responsibility
enhance self-esteem
build confidence in science
Will in-class or out-of-class projects be
assigned that require students to work
together? What do you need to learn
about directing successful group work?
Course Design
Communicate High,
Attainable Expectations
From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
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attendance and class
participation are greatest in
courses that demand a lot
students often give highest
ratings to their most difficult
(yet attainable) courses
What are your expectations for this course?
What will students be able to do after this
course? How high will you set the bar?
How will you “catch” struggling students?
Course Design
Respect diverse talents
and ways of learning...
From Davidson & Ambrose, 1994
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each student brings a unique
set of abilities, interests, and
experiences into class
people process and learn
science in very different ways
What strategies will you use to reach students
with various learning preferences? Will
you challenge students to develop new
learning styles? How will you discover
whether or not your teaching style is
reaching all students?
Course Design
Develop an assessment
plan… for them
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What have your students
learned?
How will students acquire the
skills you value?
Let the course objectives shine
through your assessment… end-ofcourse objectives should map out your
projects, homework, exams, etc.
Course Design
Develop an assessment
plan… for you...
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Options for getting feedback…
(CATs) Classroom Assessment
Techniques
Mid-term formative evaluations
Professional feedback… classroom
consultations, videos, etc.
Course Design
Sources
Allen, L. R. (1996) “An Instructional Epiphany.”
Change, Mar.-Apr. 1996, 28 (2), 52.
Angelo, T.A. and Cross, K.P (1993) “Classroom
Assessment Techniques,” Jossey-Bass Publ.,
San Francisco, 427p.
Davidson, C.I. and Ambrose, S.A. (1994) “The New
Professor’s Handbook: A Guide to Teaching
and Research in Engineering and Science.”
Anker Publ. Co., Bolton, MA 199p.
Diamond, R.M. (1998) “Designing & Assessing
Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide.”
Jossey-Bass Publ., San Francisco, 321p.
Fink, L.D. (2001) “Higher-Level Learning: The First
Step Toward More Significant Learning” in To
Improve the Academy, v. 19 Anker Publ.,
Nilsen, L. B. (1998) “Teaching at its Best: A
Research-Based Resource for College
Instructors.” Anker Publ. Co., Bolton, MA
219p.
Course Design
Other Good Reads
Boice, R. (2000) “Advice for New Faculty Members:
Nihil Nimus,” Allyn & Bacon Publ., 319p.
Davis, B. G., (1993) “Tools for Teaching,” JosseyBass Publ., 429p.
Reis, R..M. (1997) “Tomorrow’s Professor: Preparing
for Academic Careers in Science and
Engineering,” IEEE Press, NY., 416p.