Course Design
Plan to develop a new course or enhance an existing one with these strategies.
Timeline
Plan your course build based on the estimates below. Ideally, instructors have 3 + months to design an engaging and accessible course, but we know that is not always the case. Gather all the information about the class and then start developing
2-month+ before the first day of class
Faculty usually need a few weeks to complete the Course Development worksheet.
1-month+ before the first day of class
If you are new to Brightspace you will want to make sure you have extra weeks in your timeline for training.
2-weeks before the first day of class
Start reviewing your course for alignment, accessibility, and ease of navigation.
1-week before the first day of class
The Brightspace course opens for students 7-days before the first day of class by default. This is the time to craft and send a welcome announcement.
Working with an ID
What is an Instructional Designer?
Instructional Designers (IDs) are experts in the art and science of teaching and learning.
Why work with an Instructional Designer?
Instructors are hired for their knowledge in a particular subject. Instructional designers are hired for their background in learning theory and educational technology. At Wentworth, IDs typically partner with faculty to design and build courses. This is why we are your partners to your best teaching!
How do I get started?
To get started with an instructional designer, email teach@wit.edu.
Design
What is course design?
Course design is the process of putting together the best learning experience for the students. This is the step where you plan your course and map out what is going to go into Brightspace.
Why “design with the end in mind”?
Backward design, or design with the end in mind, is the best approach when it comes to course development. Backward design is beneficial to instructors because it encourages intentional design.
How do I get started?
Start with the Course Development Worksheet. This will help you map your course content and structure so that you will be ready to build in Brightspace. Consult with an Instructional Designer along the way.
As you fill out the worksheet you will be making decisions on the following
- Course Objectives – Create course goals that expand students’ interest levels and get them intellectually engaged in the content.
- Assessment – How do you assess student work to make sure they are reaching their learning goals?
- Build Learning Activities – Find ideas to help build meaningful, varied learning experiences.
Check-in with an instructional designer with specific design considerations. Next, build your course in Brightspace.
Build
What is Brightspace?
Brightspace is the Wentworth Learning Management System.
Why build in Brightspace?
Whether you teach in-person, online, or hybrid it is good practice to populate your Brightspace course with course content. Brightspace (or D2L if you want to shorten it) has everything you need to deliver content, assess learning, give feedback, and communicate with your students. It makes course structure transparent and accessible to students.
How do I get started?
When it comes to building in Brightspace, you might choose to build from scratch or apply the Brightspace Template to your course. The template offers placeholders for each module component and includes student support links. Email teach@wit.edu for template questions.
Build your syllabus using the Wentworth Syllabus template. Upload your syllabus to the course overview page or in a course information module.
Begin creating your course as outlined in the Course Development worksheet.
New to Brightspace? Visit the Getting Started in Brightspace Playlist to get started. Check out our Brightspace Resources and Tutorials.
Review
What is the quality standards review process?
One-two weeks before the start of the class is the deadline for a review. You may want to do the review on your own or you may need to initiate a final review from an Instructional Designer. These are final checks for accessibility, function, and best practices for online or blended learning in higher education.
Why do I need to review?
Before the class opens up to students it is important to review the course for readiness. Some contracts require an Instructional Designer sign-off to move the course out of “design” stage in order for the payment to be initiated. Even if this is not the case having another pair of eyes on the course will ensure the course doesn’t have any major mistakes.
How do I get started?
Complete the Review Standards Checklist to ensure you have included all of the essential components required for TLC sign-off. Note that the Brightspace template is designed to meet the majority of the standards in the Review Standards Checklist.
Here are some other things you can check.
- Check the Course Accessibility
- Preview the course in Student View
- Check for Alignment
- Check for broken links
Should you like an ID to review, or if you need an ID sign-off per your contract, contact your Instructional Designer for a final quality review. While it usually only takes a few hours to review a course, you should aim to give your ID a week or two to complete the final review. Sometimes IDs are reviewing multiple courses and their bandwidth and schedule might mean it will take longer.
Prep
What are the last steps?
Get ready for teaching the course! Check the Academic Calendar to find out the course start date. By default, the Brightspace course you have built becomes available 7-days before the first day of class.
Why is prep important?
Active and engaged classrooms require preparation. This week before the first day of class is an opportunity to welcome students and start developing a community of learners.
How do I get started?
- Look over the Course Build Checklist
- Craft a welcome announcement to send out to your incoming students.
- Plan for a Meaningful First Day
- Set up virtual office hours in Zoom.
Instructional Designers can help with the delivery component of the course as well as the development. Invite your Instructional Designer for a course observation. Email teach@wit.edu with your teaching questions.