Course design intensive (CDI) and Journey into course design (JiCD)
At CTLT, we offer two series of cohort-based programs to support your course design needs. The Course Design Intensive (CDI) are for faculty members who are teaching credit-courses are UBC; participants meet four times over two weeks. Journey into Course Design (JiCD) is for educators who may be developing learning modules, short courses, or other resources for students, staff, and peers; participants meet twice within a week to kick start their design work.
Resources on these pages are designed for your course design need rather you are planning to participate in the Course Design Intensive cohort, the Journey into Course Design workshops, or looking for some just-in-time support.
What is course design?
Course design is an intentional process of planning learning experiences to help students achieve specific learning goals.
It is more than just creating a syllabus or choosing textbooks; it is a systematic approach to thinking through what students will learn, how they will demonstrate that learning, and what experiences will help them get there.
Good course design makes teaching more effective and learning more meaningful. When you design thoughtfully, you create courses where every element, from readings to assignments to class activities, works together toward clear purposes. Students know what’s expected of them, they understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, and they have multiple opportunities to develop and demonstrate their learning.
Two course design frameworks:
1. Learner-Centred Teaching:
This approach puts students at the centre of the learning experience. Instead of asking, “What will I teach today?” we ask, “What do my students need to learn, and how can I best support that learning?” Learner-centred design considers students’ prior knowledge, diverse needs, and active role in constructing understanding
2. Backward Design
Developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, backward design is a three-stage process that starts with the end in mind. When designing a course, rather than beginning with content or activities, you first identify desired learning outcomes, then determine what evidence you would like to see to assess students’ learning, and finally plan learning experiences that prepare students for success.
These frameworks complement each other: backward design provides the structure for planning, while learner-centred principles ensure your design decisions keep students’ needs and experiences in focus.
How to interact with this resource
This resource is designed to support instructors with different course design needs, levels of experience, and amounts of time. You can move through the pages in sequence, or you can begin with the topic that is most relevant to your current design question.
Across the resource, you will see three levels of engagement:
Use Wade when you want a brief introduction to a course design idea or a quick way to reflect on your current course. Wade activities are intended to help you understand the concept, notice something about your course, and identify a possible next step.
Use Swim when you are ready to apply an idea to your own course. Swim activities invite you to draft, revise, or strengthen one part of your course design, such as a learning outcome, assessment, activity, or course map.
Use Dive when you want to examine your course design more deeply. Dive activities invite you to question assumptions, consider equity and inclusion, identify barriers to learning, and explore more substantial changes to your course.
You do not need to complete every page at the same level. For example, you might Wade into one topic, Swim through another, and Dive deeply into the area where your course needs the most attention.
Want to join a course design cohort?
The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) hosts two course design programs.
Course Design Intensive (CDI)
The CDI is for faculty members, including instructors and sessional lecturers, teaching credit courses at UBC, where you will work in a supportive atmosphere, both individually and collaboratively, to design or redesign a UBC credit course. The CDI is usually offered around mid-August and composed of two in-person sessions and two online sessions.
Journey into Course Design (JiCD)
JiCD is for faculty members, staff, and graduate students, who are designing courses, modules, and/or learning activities. This 2-part in-person workshop is usually offered in May/June and November/December.
Please check CTLT’s event page for the latest offerings of either CDI or JiCD.
