how to organize a small learning course

by Jayden Bergnaum 8 min read

How to organize learner-centered course material

  1. Organize all materials in Canvas modules. The Modules feature in Canvas can accelerate the process of organizing a...
  2. Upload materials to Canvas and organize them in folders under “Files”. Another way to organize materials within...
  3. Upload/create materials in Google Drive and share folders with students. This...

Full Answer

How to organize courses and learning?

How To Organize Courses And Learning. 1 Use a ring binder for each course. 2 Use one ring binder and separate each course with a divider. 3 You can use notebooks for each course.

How do I create a mini course?

1. Choose a course topic For those: Who have content already: A blogger, a YouTuber, a podcaster, an Instagrammer, etc. may have all the content needed to create a mini course and already have an audience. In this case, take a look at analytics to understand which topics may be good for a mini course.

Why is it important to have an organized system of learning?

You must keep an organized system, otherwise, you will learn nothing but gain lots of mess and perhaps stress too! If you don’t have some sort of order to your learning, you won’t develop and grow with the information. As well as finding it difficult to find the material you might need when it comes to testing your knowledge!

How do I create an online course structure?

While creating your online course structure, it’s essential to go ahead and outline each lesson—even if it’s only for your own benefit. First, make sure each lesson is in the proper module and that they are ordered the way you want them. Then, decide on a flow that each lesson will follow.

How do you structure a learning course?

Decide what material to cover. ... Group subject matter into modules. ... Break down each module into sections. ... Links between sections for a self-directed learning approach. ... Create a roadmap for the course. ... Develop a theme that reflects course structure.

How do I create a short course?

How to create an online courseChoose the right subject matter.Test your idea.Research the topic extensively.Write a course outline.Create the course content.Bring your course online.Sell your online course.Market your content.More items...•

How would you plan and organize your course modules?

Organize your course on CanvasSegment topics into separate Canvas Modules of similar length. ... Use consistent structure within and across Modules. ... Give students a “roadmap” for each Canvas Module. ... Structure your Canvas module as you would a formal outline to help students engage with your course.

How can you structure and organize your own learning?

5 Steps to Creating a Personal Learning PlanIdentify a Learning Objective. Before creating a personal learning plan, you need to identify your objective. ... Break Your Objective into Smaller Goals. ... Develop Your Plan. ... Take Advantage of Available Resources. ... Hold Yourself Accountable.

How do you launch a course?

Online course launch checklistChoose a “first steps” course idea.Create the course outline and the first module.Make your sales page.Set up a post-purchase thank you page.Devise your sales emails.Create a landing page for your live challenge.Set up a thank you page for your live challenge.More items...•

How do I write my course?

The following are tips for writing a course description:The course description should be no longer than 100 words.Write from a student-centered perspective.Use present tense and active voice.Use clear and simple sentence structure and language.Use gender neutral language.More items...

How do you structure an online course?

How to Structure Your Online Course?Group Similar Ideas into Modules.A progressive flow that depends on the order.A collection of tips – not dependent on order.Select Type of Content.Organize Online Course by Choosing a Format.Providing Supportive Content to Students.Consistency is Important.Add a Link for Discussions.More items...•

What is course organization?

1. The administrative tasks that are part of educational processes. These tasks include student information, organization of group work, scheduling of activities, and collecting assignments for grading.

How do you outline an online course?

How to Outline Your Online CourseIdentify Modules. ... Break Each Module Down into Core Steps. ... Brainstorm the Details. ... Building Your Outline. ... Add Worksheets and Bonuses. ... Validate Your Outline.

How do I create a self study schedule?

PLAN A SCHEDULE OF BALANCED ACTIVITIES. ... PLAN ENOUGH TIME FOR STUDYING EACH SUBJECT. ... STUDY AT A SET TIME AND IN A CONSISTENT PLACE. ... STUDY AS SOON AFTER YOUR CLASS AS POSSIBLE. ... UTILIZE ODD HOURS DURING THE DAY FOR STUDYING. ... LIMIT YOUR STUDY TIME TO NO MORE THAN 2 HOURS ON ANY ONE COURSE AT ONE TIME.More items...

What is a learning plan template?

A learning plan template defines a set of competencies which you can assign to a group of users. This is better than creating individual learning plans for many different students and means you only need update the template and the changes will appear for all students.

How do you organize your study space?

5 Tips for Organizing Your Study SpacePut Your Phone Away. One of the hardest parts about studying is not getting distracted. ... Color Code Your Materials. An easy way to organize your materials and coursework is to pick a color for each class. ... Have an Array of Writing Utensils. ... Keep Chargers in One Place. ... Clean Up.

Why is it important to organize your course?

Organizing Your Course to Facilitate Student Learning. Well-organized courses encourage student motivation, performance, and persistence. Instructors can design their courses in many rich ways to cultivate student motivation and enhance opportunities for more effective learning. When a course is designed so that the learning goals align ...

What is experiential learning?

Experiential Learning – Instructors at Yale have a treasure trove of resources at their fingertips, many of which have been used to expert effect. Instructors can carefully design field trips and other experiential learning that refresh student attention, connect course content to their lives, and bring new ideas to life.

What is open with intrigue?

Open with Intrigue – Instructors might consider opening lessons with a provocative question, an interesting demonstration, or a problem related to forthcoming content. This approach hooks student interest, gets them thinking critically from the start, and helps them connect previous learning to new ideas.

Why do instructors forecast future content?

Instructors might also forecast future content, in order to draw out connections among major class themes. This practice helps students improve recall, grasp major content, and practice owning their knowledge. ► Consider other small but effective ways to innovate at the beginning and end of class.

Step 1: List All of Your Course Topics

The first step for organizing your eLearning content by creating an eLearning course outline is to list all of the topics you need to cover in the course. Whether you do this with sticky notes or using an online whiteboarding tool like Miro or Jamboard, the goal is to simply get everything listed on the screen.

Step 2: Organize Your Course Topics

After you’ve identified and listed all of your course topics, the second step for organizing your eLearning content by creating an eLearning course outline is to organize your topics. Use this time to identify which items should be main topics vs. sub-topics.

Step 3: Identify Where You'll Include Interactivity

The third step for organizing your eLearning content by creating an eLearning course outline is to identify where you’ll want to include interactivity.

Step 4: Indicate the Flow of Your Course

The final step for organizing your eLearning content by creating an eLearning course outline is to indicate the flow of your course. This is where you’ll outline how the learner will flow from one topic to the next. Again, if you’re creating your outline on paper or with sticky notes, you can do this by simply drawing arrows between each topic.

The Bottom Line

Taking the time to create an eLearning course outline not only can help you start to organize your eLearning content, but also help you start to write the initial draft of your eLearning storyboard.

How to create a course plan?

Having a formal Course Plan is extremely important for lots of reasons, but some include: 1 Ensures that you meet your aims, objectives and outcomes 2 Being able to clearly see the flow and content of your course and to optimise the learning experience 3 Organising your content and avoiding duplication of teaching 4 Keeps you clear and organised when filming 5 Organising your videos and other teaching resources 6 Assist with the formulation of your sales page 7 To help any staff or contractors assist you

What are the lessons in a collection of tips?

A COLLECTION OF TIPS – NOT ORDER DEPENDANT. • Lesson 1: Tip 1. • Lesson 2: Tip 2. • Lesson 3: Tip 3. You see, it all depends on what you’re teaching. Now go back to your post-it notes, and move each tip around so that they are positioned in what you feel is the most natural order.

Why is it important to have a course plan?

Having a formal Course Plan is extremely important for lots of reasons, but some include: Ensures that you meet your aims, objectives and outcomes. Being able to clearly see the flow and content of your course and to optimise the learning experience. Organising your content and avoiding duplication of teaching.

How to create a mini course?

Choose a course topic. For those who have content already: A blogger, a YouTuber, a podcaster, an Instagrammer, etc. may have all the content needed to create a mini course and already have an audience. In this case, take a look at analytics to understand which topics may be good for a mini course.

What is a mini course?

1. To build an online audience. For creators whose biggest concern is finding and growing an online audience, a mini course is an incredible tool for doing so, especially if offered for free and used as a lead magnet, or offered to students who pre-pay for the full course.

Who is the creator of Teachable?

Teachable spoke to course creator, photographer, and video editor Stefanie Dworkin —who struggled with these exact worries above and decided the best first step to deal with these roadblocks was to create a mini course. “I am a filmmaker, photographer, and educator, and run a small production and education business,” says Stefanie.

Is Stefanie's list too large for a mini course?

Although Stefanie’s list is thorough, it’s still far too large for a mini course. The next step for any creator after making their list is to shrink that list even smaller. Here’s an example of a few mini courses Stefanie might teach based on her list: Editing Video on the iPhone with iMovie.

Why is it important to divide an online course into parts?

Designing an online course can be an overwhelming process, which is why it’s helpful to divide it up into parts. Your students will also be able to follow your course more easily if it’s broken down into a few digestible components.

What is course outline?

A course outline is one of the most crucial elements you can create for your online class. It’s the blueprint showing the foundational structure and design for ...

Why do we need an outline?

An outline helps you keep your ideas organized when you are designing a course. It enables you to group together related topics, not to mention see the order in which topics need to be addressed. Starting with an outline helps you create the course more efficiently.

What is the best format for online courses?

Video. This format is becoming increasingly popular with online course creators, as it allows the instructor to communicate directly to students in a personable, relatable way. Video is best for demonstrating skills and giving easily-digestible presentations.

How many lessons are in a module?

While modules should have the same basic structure, they don’t need to have the same number of lessons. One module may have only three lessons, while another module may have ten —and that’s perfectly fine! 4.

Why do people take online classes in person?

This is mostly because in-person classes rely on guidance from professors that allows for a more free-flowing structure. An online course, on the other hand, lends itself to easy confusion on the students’ part if not carefully structured.

How long is an academic learning center?

What are Academic Learning Centers? Academic Learning Centers are a block of time during the school day, usually about 30- 45 minutes, which provides my students with meaningful academic choice while fostering independence.

What is the best part of academic learning centers?

The best part of Academic Learning Centers is that the activities can be changed, differentiated, and modified to meet the needs of all learners and abilities in any grade level.

How to keep track of your centers?

Keep track of your centers by using a pocket chart. The pockets should say the center name, include a center picture, and the number of how many students could “fit” in that center. I had an index card with each student’s name on it and on the back of the card, I kept track of which centers they went into each day. I rotate where each student goes on a daily basis, but also allow students to return to the same center for a few days if they are working on a continuous project.

What are the sets of rocks and minerals?

There are sets of rocks and minerals to observe with magnifying glasses. There are recording and observation sheets to draw, label, and record on. There are puzzles and games related to rock and minerals to extend and enrich learning. It was an engaging place for young geologists!

How many learning objectives should you have for each class?

You should only have one or two learning objectives for each class. If you have more, you are likely to have too much information to cover, and trainees may feel overwhelmed with information.

What is a training session plan?

A training session plan – also called a learning plan – is an organized description of the activities and resources you'll use to guide a group toward a specific learning objective. It details the subject matter that you'll teach, how long each section should take, the methods of instruction for each topic covered, ...

How long should a lecture be?

Lectures are ideal for introducing a topic. Keep lectures to 30 minutes or less , and summarize the important points at the beginning and end. You may want to use a guest speaker if the topic is highly specialized. Demonstrations work best when you need to show the steps in a process or task.

Can you use online training sessions?

This will help your students engage with it, and, ultimately, understand and retain it. You can also use training session plans for online training sessions, although you'll need to allow extra time, and include extra learning checks, as it may be harder to gauge whether students have understood all of your points.

image

Enriching Learning Today

  • Open with Intrigue – Instructors might consider opening lessons with a provocative question, an interesting demonstration, or a problem related to forthcoming content. This approach hooks student i...
See more on poorvucenter.yale.edu

Resources For Organizing Your Course

  • Course Goals - When designing a course, instructors may start by asking, “What do I want students to be able to know and / or do by the end of the semester?” or, more broadly, “How do I want my stu...
See more on poorvucenter.yale.edu

Resources For Facilitating Students’ Skill and Knowledge Development

  • Understanding Student Minds – Ongoing research in the cognitive, educational, and sociological sciences continues to reveal that students – and all people – tend to construct knowledge and develop...
See more on poorvucenter.yale.edu

References

  • Roksa, J., Trolian,T., Blaich, C., and Wise, K. 2017. Higher Education 74: 283-300. Wang, J., Pascarella, E., Laird, T., and Ribera, A. 2015. Studies in Higher Education 40.10: 1786-1807. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. 2005. Understanding by Design: Expanded Second Edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
See more on poorvucenter.yale.edu