Whatever the course modality, when preparing for a course you are developing for the first time or revising a course you have taught before, it is important to work with a course design outline. Using an outline to plan out each course session will ultimately save you time and will result in a more organized course layout and a more easy-to-follow road map for your learners. Below are three key instructional components that each course session should include that align with the principles of Backward Design.
- Competencies and learning objectives
- Assessments
- Course content and learning activities
This Course Design Outline for Online Courses or the Course Design Outline for Hybrid and Face-to-Face Courses will guide you through key components of setting up your Canvas course site. The structure of these outlines aligns with this recommended Canvas course template, which presents instructional components in a sequence that is learner-centered. In other words, learners want to know what the learning objectives are, what course content and learning activities they are expected to engage in, and what the assessment is for a given class session. You will note that this departs slightly from the Backward Design model which recommends that in the course design phase, instructors consider assessments before course content and learning activities.
Use the checklists posted here to make sure your course meets minimum standards.
*If you may prefer a different Canvas course template, adjust the outline accordingly, but continue to use it and revise it each time you teach your course. Whatever structure you choose to use, make sure you keep it consistent across all your course sessions.
