As faculty, we can find ourselves in common patterns of thinking about course planning. We sometimes worry about covering the material. Often we may choose texts and materials first before considering what the intended learning outcomes are. Starting with the outcomes in mind is an important approach, but we may find that the end goal is situated at an overly long distance from where the students actually are. We may find ourselves at times flabbergasted by the gap between what we are teaching and what the students are bringing to the learning experience. What are we to do?
This week’s Teaching and Learning Collaborative blog post, “Your image of the student: Where teaching begins” by Jeffrey White, explores Building a Pathway to Student Learning, by Steven Jones, Robert Noyd, and Kenneth Sagendorf (2014), which argues that course planning is a design process that starts with focusing on student learning factors. From this first step, the authors provide a helpful systematic framework for course design.
For more information contact White at x7141 or white@up.edu.