how to build a college course?

10 steps to build your first academic course

1. Gather basic information. Put yourself in your future students’ shoes. ...
2. Speak to colleagues. Find someone supportive, and ask lots of questions: Is there a previous course outline you can...
3. Assess your own strengths and weaknesses as an instructor. Be realistic about what you can expect from yourself. How...

Full Answer

How do I make a course my own?

May 17, 2019 · Write an effective course description that provides a basic overview of the course material that will be covered in one semester. Submit your proposal to the appropriate faculty members. Write a list of course objectives and outcomes that students should be able to meet by taking the course.

What should I consider when starting a college?

10 steps to build your first academic course 1. Gather basic information. Put yourself in your future students’ shoes. ... 2. Speak to colleagues. Find someone supportive, and ask lots of …

How do you develop a college curriculum?

Aug 29, 2018 · Generalizing here, an individualized major usually goes one of three directions: 1. A wide variety of courses across many disciplines; 2. A very specific set of courses going more in …

What is the best way to introduce a new course?

the course and the other will change the graduation requirements of the major or minor. 3. Enter the proposed course prefix and number. Since you are creating a new course, there is no …

Can you create your own college course?

How long does it take to create a college course?

How do you plan a course?

How much time does it take to build an online course?

How to make a course your own?

Make the course your own by expanding the paragraph in the course calendar: Before you begin, refresh your subject matter expertise by skimming three or four leading texts in the field. Aim for 100–200 words, and mention your focus and main themes.

What is the best course?

The best courses are focused. Instructors have clear expectations of what their students should learn and how they plan to enable the learning process. Set expected learning outcomes first, dividing them into knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Establish your objectives in light of these outcomes. Keep in mind your course, discipline, program, and your university’s mission.

Is it easier to take a course the second time?

Planning a course the second time is always easier, but how much easier depends on how closely you track your first experience. Throughout the course, track well-received and poorly received readings, keep records of sessions that go well and those that must be revised, and reflect on the effectiveness of your choice of assignments.

How to design your own major?

According to The Wall Street Journal, “Designing your own major takes a lot of effort, plus skill in selling yourself and your major. At most universities, students must persuade at least one professor to sponsor and advise them. They must tie their major to a specific field of work or future study. Most are required to produce a weighty final project or paper. Self-designed majors hinge on a theme, such as women’s health, international relations, or environmental sustainability. Students then pick classes to support their topic. Advisors may suggest (or require) a certain foundation of classes, but students generally have plenty of freedom in their selection.”

Why would a student want to create their own major?

Why would a student want to create their own major? Usually they want to pursue a course of study not available at their institution, but instead of settling or transferring, they stay put and build their own course of study.

How many credit hours are there in a bachelors degree?

For the most part, an academic curriculum for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) totals around 124 credit hours (though it varies) and consists of credit hours spread out with one-third general education courses, one-third major courses, and one-third elective courses.

What is self designed major?

Self-designed majors hinge on a theme, such as women’s health, international relations, or environmental sustainability. Students then pick classes to support their topic. Advisors may suggest (or require) a certain foundation of classes, but students generally have plenty of freedom in their selection.”.

How many credits do you need to declare a major?

Even though schools ask you to declare a major before you step foot in the door, colleges generally don’t let students officially apply for a major until they have a defined number of completed credits (say, 60 credit hours—late sophomore or early junior year). The early “declaration” is usually so an advisor from the field and/or some introductory courses in the named field can be scheduled.

Should students choose elective classes?

A student may also be struggling to find connections between their courses of study. Either way, all students should at least choose elective classes that are of particular interest and/or tie into their intended program or make the connections clear.

Can you name your new major on your diploma?

While some institutions require using “Individualized Major” on the diploma or transcript and others allow the approved title of the “new” individualized major, virtually all will allow some sort of note on the transcript that allows the naming of the new major— thus explaining what the course of study is meant to be.

What is the purpose of the curriculum and course design handbook?

This handbook applies theory to practical issues of curriculum and course design and assessment. Intended first for faculty members but also for department chairpeople and administrators concerned with curricula and courses, the book describes a design model that has been used in diverse institutions and that produces “visible results in the shortest possible time” (p. xvi). Topics include deciding whether and how to start the design process, the relationship between courses and curriculum, the design process; course design, including defining intended outcomes, developing a plan for assessing their achievement, and designing an instructional process; communication between instructors and students, including the use of syllabi; dealing with student diversity in terms of developing intended cross-campus instructional outcomes concerning diversity; and course and programmatic assessment, evaluation, and improvement. The book also discusses trends in improving the quality of education and “major lessons about course and curriculum design” the author has learned. The author suggests ways in which the scholarly work involved in modern curriculum and course design can be documented for purposes of recognition in the institution. Checklists, case studies, examples of materials from various institutions, and nine resource appendices support text.

What is the purpose of curriculum?

Curriculum is the heart of a student’s college or advanced learning experience. Curriculum is a college or university’s primary means of guiding students directions. Curricula should be reviewed and revised on a regular basis, better to serve the changing needs of both students and society. We are often urged to reassess the quality ...

Why is empirically based education important?

Current empirically based education theory is essential to effective instruction and thus the improvement of curricular quality. For example, there is little evidence that using traditional lectures will develop in students the higher-order cognitive abilities a faculty may value.

How do faculties respond to this challenge?

Faculties are responding to this challenge by turning their attention to long neglected issues. They are doing so as a practical means of both attracting and retaining more students, ensuring their success, and producing high quality, fair outcomes for everyone.

Is lecturing still the predominant method of instruction in most institutions today?

Nevertheless, lecturing is still, by far, the predominant method of instruction in most institution s today. Sequence – Educational activities are carefully ordered in a developmental sequence to form a coherent curriculum based on the stated intended outcomes of both the curriculum and its constituent courses.

How to get students interested in a course?

Acquiring the number of students who want to take a given course may be a challenge, but you can start by asking previously- and currently-enrolled students concerning their interest. You may also want to send out a survey to students enrolled in specific degrees.

How to present a course?

Presenting specifics about a course will take you a step closer to approval. Take the time to show how the course will fit into an existing academic program, as well as how well this course will overlap with classes in other departments. Specify the course credit hours and name of the course, and provide a sample syllabus, schedule, and other details that a university requires.

Why do you need a syllabus?

Develop a syllabus early on in the process of creating a new course. The syllabus will help you structure the course and give the department chair a course overview.

What is the key to writing effective learning outcomes?

The outcomes should be student-centered rather than instructor-centred. The key to writing effective learning outcomes is the selection of active, measurable verbs.

How to start a college?

1. Seek advice from professionals with experience in starting a college. Find experts that can help in business, finance and education. Meet with founders of other colleges for specific guidance and suggestions on how to handle roadblocks that you will come across.

How to get a college license?

Research your state's educational institution requirements. Start with your state Department of Education. You will most likely be required to apply for a license to operate. You may be approved with a provisional license to get your college started and then be required to submit additional information for a final or ongoing approval. Once you have researched the license requirements for your state, you will be able to determine at what point you should submit the application for approval to operate a college.

How to recruit students for college?

Market your college. Marketing is essential to recruit your students. Word-of-mouth is an important starting form of marketing, so tell your friends to tell their friends and so on. Have excellent brochures and websites in place to help spread the word quickly and easily.

Why is accreditation important?

Accreditation is an essential step for colleges because it will set your institution apart from the so-called "diploma mills" that do not have appropriate educational programs in place and do not meet educational requirements for issuing diplomas or degrees.

What should a business plan include?

Write a business plan. Your business plan should include details about your philosophy, operational plans, budget, funding and your educational plans.

What should a college mission statement include?

Your mission statement should include your reasons for starting the college, the educational approach and curriculum and your goals. Pass your mission statement reasons around friends and family to gauge their thoughts and ideas. Ask them if you have made your mission clear enough for them.

Is a university a for profit?

It depends. Many universities and colleges are private, for-profit institutions. Non-profit colleges and universities put much of their revenue into faculty and staff salaries, maintaining their facilities, providing student services, and developing their academic programs.

How to get students to get out of a course?

Determine learning objectives. Decide what you want students to get out of the course as a whole and out of each individual unit. These outcomes should be explicitly stated to the students and guide your development of the content. Start with objectives for individual units.

How to organize online courses?

Because of this, it is especially important that your content is organized consistently and with purpose. Divide the core subject matter into major units or modules and create further subdivisions that guide students through the content.

Why do you outline some rule of engagement in the syllabus?

You’ll want to outline some rule of engagement in the syllabus to ensure that everyone on the message board is respectful and refrains from personal attacks. It may help to stay away from questions that involve particularly hot button political issues unless they’re directly related to the content.

How to help students adjust to the pace of the course early on?

Try to be consistent with the amount of information, the amount of time required, and the number of assignments for each module. This will help students adjust to the pace of the course early on and prevent confusion.

How to save yourself time in a class?

There is nothing wrong with borrowing or remixing material that other teachers have used for similar courses. You can save yourself a lot of time and maximize the quality of your content by reading other curriculums and adapting it to your class.

Why should each unit include some kind of interactive assignment?

Each unit should include some kind of interactive assignment so that students are consistently engaged. This type of assignment may be more difficult for math or science course. However, you can use message boards to encourage students to explain how they worked out certain problems or applied formulas.

Why do people prefer online courses?

Many prefer online courses because of the convenience while others note challenges for interactive and engaged learning. Before you start designing your course, it’s important to recognize the differences that will make lesson plans originally designed for an in-person class an imperfect fit for your online class. By focusing on ease of use and emphasizing interactive activities, you can adapt those lesson plans more effectively or even design your own online lesson plan from scratch.

How to make a course interactive?

Plan for interaction! Make sure your course is rich in opportunities for students to engage with the content, with you and with each other. This means creating diverse activities like discussions, group work, case studies and collaborative problem-solving. Also, be sure to select resources that are relevant and present a variety of viewpoints and meet different learning styles. Consider multimedia, periodicals, web resources, etc.

How to align a course?

Using the learning objectives you can become more selective in what you include in your course. This selection process is known as alignment. Alignment occurs when the course component (activity, assignment, material, technology and/or assessment) will help the student meet the learning objectives. To get started, build a Conceptual Framework for each module. In this framework outline the learning by identifying the course competencies and learning objectives for the module. Then review the course components (each piece of your module that you identified in the module map process) and see if they fit (align), i.e. contribute to the student achieving the stated learning objective. If a component does not align you need to either change the objective, change the course component or if it is essential to keep this non-aligned component, make sure that it is clearly identified as supplemental.

What are course competencies in Maricopa?

In Maricopa there are “course level” competencies that are designed and written by faculty at the district level through the Instructional Council for each discipline . Course competencies are what is required to be covered and taught in every course. For course design and mapping, especially online, a faculty member designs activities, assessments, lectures, etc. to teach those competencies….along the way students will learn incrementally – those are unit or module level learning objectives. These help students understand what they will be learning, how all the activities and assignments help them learn, and then in the end see where they have been.

What is a well designed C.A.T.?

Tip: Well designed C.A.T.s include a planning, implementing and responding phase.

How to organize a project?

Organization is key to any project. Gather all the resources from previous courses you have taught, content and instructional materials you have researched or picked-up from colleagues, etc.. Put them in a format/file and store in a way you can easily access (computer, online or USB Drive). This includes your syllabi, notes, textbook, lectures, hand-outs, quizzes, exams, assignments/papers/projects, online resources, journal articles, and any other pertinent resources. Ask your department or colleagues for resources specific to your subject area. Sample syllabi, lessons and even course templates may be available to get you started. Taking the time to organize up front will save you lots of time later, so don’t skip this critical part of the process.

How many students have taken online courses?

According to a 10 year study conducted by the Online Learning Consortium, 6.7 million students have taken at least one online course and roughly thirty-two percent of all higher-education students now take at least one online course during their educational career. And these numbers continue to rise.

Do we love our course content?

We all love our course content! As a result, it is tempting to throw everything into your course in an effort to spark that same love in the heart of your students. But how do students know what is important and essential to their learning? How do we help them focus?