Course Design

In this phase, a Course Blueprint (or map) of the entire course is created. In developing the Blueprint, consider all the components of instruction. It can be helpful to work backwards and think about what learners should be able to do by the end of course, how they will demonstrate what they have learned, how they can practice what they are learning and prepare for assessments, as well as what materials and supports they will need to help them successfully complete the course.

We have developed a Course Blueprint that can be imported into your own online course site to serve as a starting point for designing an effective and engaging online course site.

In this phase, the following components are created:

Syllabus

A Syllabus is used to inform learners of the intent of the course, by offering a description of the content and curriculum expectations, describing the evaluation methods and material requirements, and identifying important policies that learners must be aware of.

Begin with a welcoming statement

The course syllabus is one of the first things learners encounter and provides an opportunity to establish a welcoming environment.  Learning online could be new to some of your learners; therefore, it's important to let them know where and how to begin when they first access the course.  A welcome statement or video from the instructor is an opportunity to personalize the course, set the tone, and provide a general overview of the course expectations - much like what would be done on the first day of a face-to-face class.  

Some ideas you may consider for your course:

  • Getting familiar with the course structure and expectations is very important.  Here are some suggestions to get you started:
    • Look through the course to familiarize yourself with the technology and the content of the course.
    • Read the course outline and contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
    • Access the technology tutorials located under the Help link on the navigation menu if you are new to mycourselink/D2L.
    • Read all the material in the Getting Started section of the course, which you will find in the Table of Contents (Content link in the navigation bar above).
Include an accommodation or accessibility statement

An important part of any course syllabus is the accommodation or accessibility statement. It ensures learners are aware of the accommodations available to them and how to request assistance if needed.

Lakehead's Accommodation Statement:
Lakehead University is committed to achieving full accessibility for persons with disabilities/medical conditions. Part of this commitment includes arranging academic accommodations for students with disabilities/medical conditions to ensure they have an equitable opportunity to participate in all of their academic activities. If you are a student with a disability/medical condition and think you may need accommodations, you are strongly encouraged to contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) and register as early as possible. For more information, please email sas@lakeheadu.ca or visit https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/sas

Supports for Learners

There are many resources available to support our learners. These include but are not limited to:

Establish ground rules

Clearly state what is expected of your learners and hold each of them to the same standards. These ground rules may be static as with institutional codes of conduct, but can also evolve from discussions within the learning environment.  Much like it would be done in a face-to-face classroom, it is the instructor's responsibility to manage the conduct of the class to ensure a safe and positive learning environment. 

An idea you may consider for your course:

  • Learners are asked to behave in the discussions and other class interactions in a professional and civil manner. If you are in doubt, do not post it! Instructors reserve the right to remove any postings deemed inappropriate, unprofessional, or otherwise distracting from the course.

Additional Resources

mycourselink/D2L Resources

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes clearly describe the competencies that learners should be able to demonstrate upon the successful completion of the course. Outcomes inform course design, including the development and selection of assessments, course activities, instructional materials, multimedia, and support resources.

Develop clear learning outcomes
By developing clear learning outcomes for the course, activities and assessment strategies can be directly aligned to measure  learner progress. In sharing the learning outcomes, learners become aware of what is expected of them and will understand the direction of the course.

Additional Resources

Sections of this design module have been adapted from the Universal Design -- Best Practices for Online Learning resource from the University of Guelph and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.