What is course design, anyway?
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.
The course design frameworks we will use at UBC:
At the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, there are two foundational course design frameworks that inform our course design:
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 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
You can engage with the material with tabs that describe three different levels of depth: wade, swim, or dive, allowing you to choose the level of exploration that best fits your goals, experience, and available time.
At this depth you will:
Apply ideas to make a just-in-time refinement in your course design, such as revising your learning objectives or modifying an existing assignment guideline.
Engaging at this depth can help you:
Strengthen or revise existing materials, by undertaking a holistic review of the various components of your course design together, to create a connected and aligned course.
The dive tab provides innovative ideas, tools, and resources that may require additional planning before implementing them. We hope these ideas will help you make your courses more equitable and inclusive.
