Integrative Course Design

I've been teaching since 2004 - longer if we count the days on end of my childhood standing in front of the chalkboard tapping a ruler and lecturing my stuffed animals. So my first thought is, Of course I know how to design an effective course! But as I tap into my wheelhouse, I realize Fink's (2003) assertion is right - "most of us have had little or no training in how to design courses" (p. 1). Sure, I had to write page after page of scripted lesson plans, but was I ever really taught how to design effective courses?

So where do I start? At the end.  Using Fink's (2003) "A Self Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning," I have developed an overview for Syracuse University's Project Advance WRT 105 course.  After completing worksheets in order to give careful consideration to situational factors, I was ready to develop my goals.

I didn't just start at the end of the course; I started with what I want students to have learned and remembered several years later. Ultimately, my hope is that students will change the way they think about themselves and others while engaging critically with texts and other individuals no matter the situation. Once this was established, I moved closer to the end of the actual course and developed my Big Hairy Audacious Goal. 

In addition to the overarching course goal, Fink (2003) suggests there are 6 important components or significant learning: foundational, application, integration, human dimensions, caring, and learning how-to-learn. The following 3 Column Table was designed first with goals, then assessments, and last, with learning activities. Each piece is consistent with and supports the other making this an integrative course design.

3 Column Table

BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) – Overarching Course Goal: Learners will create an ePortfolio documenting their learning journey demonstrating the impact that writing can have an effect on themselves, their audiences, and society.