Course Design Course Design refers to the planning and structuring of a course to achieve desired instructional goals. The process entails identifying appropriate goals, choosing content consistent with the goals, selecting ways of achieving the goals, and assessing student learning in relation to the goals. The process also includes important reflection about one's own teaching style, about students who take the course, and about the larger department or program context in which the course is being taught. For resources and tools to help you in the process of Course Design, see Course Design Tools .
CIDR staff are also available to consult on the process of course design.
The Process of Course Design Prior to teaching a course. There are a variety of issues for an instructor to consider prior to teaching a course. Initially, there are important questions about what the body of content is, what instructional goals should be associated with the content, how best to impart the knowledge to the students, and how to assess what students are learning. As the instructors works out such details of a course, they consider factors such as their own needs and preferences, students' knowledge and experience, and the larger departmental, programmatic, or university context in which the course fits. Ultimately, the instructor decides how to represent the course in a syllabus that describes the course, sets forth expectations, and outlines class sessions for the time allotted.