This topic was actually my favourite as I have been using this concept of teaching this year and I will definitely recommend my programme manager to followed the suggested step by the University of Concordia when designing the programme. These steps are;
- Identify course goals and learning objectives
The course goals and outcomes are explicit statements that answer the question: What skills, knowledge or attitudes will the students demonstrate to successfully complete the course?
What is the difference between a learning goal and a learning objective?
The terms learning goals, objectives and outcomes are often used interchangeably. However, we use learning goals to describe overall desired learning in a course while we use the term objectives (often referred to as outcomes) for more specific statements about learning.
Learning Objectives
Learning objectives (sometimes referred to as outcomes) are specific statements that describe what a student should be able to demonstrate as a result of learning within a lesson or a module. This is typically in the form of knowledge, skill or attitude.
The objective should be written using specific language so that it states the level and kind of thinking required and can be measured with a summative (formal) or formative (informal) assessment.
- 2. Determine assessments to measure each objective
To determine the assessment activities for a course, consider the following question: How will students demonstrate the skills, knowledge or attitudes required to successfully complete the course? These are directly tied to the learning outcomes from Step 1.
With your learning outcomes in mind, determine what activities might serve as evidence that students meet each of the outcomes.
The nature of the assessments will depend on the depth of knowledge or skill required. When simple facts are required, quizzes might be an efficient way of measuring learning. However, when students must use higher-order thinking skills to analyze and evaluate, real world problems and scenarios are more appropriate. Examples of assessment activities include:
- problem solving tasks and scenarios
- models and diagrams
- essays
- research reports
- videos
- reflections (written or in an alternative medium)
- artistic works
- Role-plays
- Plan all course learning activities
The learning activities include any course activities the students must complete in order to help them meet the course objectives and goals. Examples include:
- readings
- attending/watching lectures
- watching other videos
- participating in an online discussion forum
- completing individual or collaborative assignments
- taking quizzes
- participating in in-class group work or other activities
Note: A three-credit course requires a minimum of 10 hours of work per week including lectures, readings, exams and other assignments.
It is particularly easy to pile on readings and lectures in the online environment, so when planning your course activities, determine whether a learning activity is a need to have or a nice to have. Consider creating a separate Supplementary Resources & Activities section in the LMS for the nice to have activities, and direct students to specific resources and activities as appropriate.
- Determine sequence and environment for each activity
This final step of the planning process is putting all the pieces together and mapping out what the course will look like. To create the completed plan for your blended course, complete the following tasks:
- Group all learning activities and assessments into modules or weeks and determine the sequence of each of the activities within in each module.
- Determine the environment for each activity and assessment (i.e. online or face-to-face). If any activities are to be online, make notes about which tool you will use for the activity and what development is required to get it online (i.e. record a lecture, enter quiz questions into LMS, create student groups in LMS, etc.)
References
Graham . 2014. Designing a Blended Learning Course. Available online at https://www.concordia.ca/offices/ctl/digital-learning/blended-learning/Developing-blended-learning-course.html [Accessed: November 2018].