how to prepare a course outline

by Dr. Daija McCullough Sr. 10 min read

Constructing a Course Outline or Syllabus

  • Course Description from the Academic Calendar. The University Calendar has a description of your course that gets published every year. ...
  • Course Goals. What are the big ideas that you are going to cover in your course? ...
  • Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes. ...
  • Assessment Overview. ...
  • Assessment Plan. ...
  • Schedule of Activities. ...
  • Plagiarism Announcement. ...
  • Reading List. ...

A course outline should include the following sections:
  1. Course Name, Number, Credits and Description.
  2. Prerequisites/Co-requisites.
  3. Instructors Name, Contact Info and Bio.
  4. Course Schedule.
  5. Learning Outcomes.
  6. Content Breakdown by Session.
  7. Instructional Methods Used.
  8. Course Evaluation Process, Policies and Grading Scale.
Jun 9, 2016

Full Answer

How to create an effective course outline?

Title your lessons: title your lessons so your students actual want to complete them – make them mouthwatering, sexy, and click-worthy. Now that you have your course outline locked and loaded – it’s time to start creating! Download ConvertKit’s Online Course Outline Template to take the next step in your course creating journey.

How to create a successful outline?

Write the course outline Design competency-based course objectives/learning outcomes Select subject matter content Create learning activities Design assessment activities yCorrelate (()p ymatch) competency-based course objectives with your course assessments

How to make the perfect outline?

Below are some tips that should be considered when writing a Course Outline; Focus on the topic – Always remember to stick around your chosen topic. For example, information about a certain discipline should not be mixed up with another.

How do you set up an outline?

Feb 25, 2017 · Step 1: IDENTIFY YOUR CUSTOMERS STARTING POINT. This is your customer’s current reality. The only reason someone would purchase a course is to solve a problem they are currently facing or if they believe it will improve their life in some way. Therefore, your first step is to identify their current pain-points.

How do you make a course outline?

When creating your course outline there are some essential pieces that you need to include:Course Description from the Academic Calendar. ... Course Goals. ... Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes. ... Assessment Overview. ... Assessment Plan. ... Schedule of Activities. ... Plagiarism Announcement. ... Reading List.

What does a course outline contain?

A Course Outline defines the course aims and learning outcomes, course requirements, textbooks, and assessment dates and criteria. It also contains contact details for the Course Coordinator and tutors.Feb 8, 2019

What is a course outline meaning?

What Is a Course Outline? The course outline is defined for purposes of Middle States Accreditation as the official, approved document that outlines what students are expected to learn in a course and what they can expect in the way of instructional methods, activities, assignments and grading methods.

How does a course outline look like?

A course outline should include the following sections: Course Name, Number, Credits and Description. ... Course Evaluation Process, Policies and Grading Scale. Classroom Rules/Code of Conduct Expectations.Jun 9, 2016

Is course outline same as syllabus?

Course Outline is a word document that you can use instead of a full syllabus. It contains the Higher Learning Commission's required information as part of the university's accreditation. The same information is also critical for students during the course registration process.

How do you create an online course outline?

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.Jul 18, 2018

What is another name for course outline?

Course outlines, or syllabi, are an integral part of course design.

What is a course structure?

Each course consists of one or more sections often called topics. The course sections (topics) are learning content holders of the course lessons and study material. Each course has one Common resource section which holds common course resources like URLs, Files, Videos.

Why is it important to have an outline?

Having an outline allows you to organize these topics in a way that will make sense to your students. In addition, it prevents you from forgetting to add critical information that is relevant to the topic. Writing out what you plan to cover will also help you generate ideas.

How long does it take to create an eLearning course?

The idea behind rapid eLearning is where you use every tool and strategy you can to potentially create a course in 2 to 3 weeks instead of taking several months. So within your lessons, outline the exact content you will cover.

What is assessment plan?

Assessment plans fall in line with learning objectives. While your learning objectives identify what the student will learn, the assessment allows you and the student to have a clear picture of how well they have mastered the objectives. Your outline will identify the types and frequency of assessments.

How long should a microlearning lesson be?

Depending on how far down the path of microlearning you are going, lessons might only need to be a couple of minutes up to 10 to 15 minutes in length. There's not too much content in a 2-minute lesson so you really need to get at the heart of the topic and do so quickly if you're going that route.

Can you use a pen and paper for outline?

Like with everything, there are tools you can use to help you outline your course. You can definitely use a pen and paper for this exercise, but it's really nice if your outline is already on a device where you can work with it later. That way you can expand on it when you go from outline to your actual content.

What is a good course outline?

A good course outline allows students to assess the course for fit with their learning needs, clearly understand what is expected of them and how they will benefit from the instruction.

What is course description?

A course description is an important part of the course outline. The course description needs to reflect exactly what will be covered in the course and how learning will be assessed by assignments and/or tests.

What is learning outcome?

Learning Outcomes. The learning outcomes are the goals of the course i.e. what the course is meant to teach students. Often it is the learning outcomes that help a student determine if the course will meet their needs. It is important to use language that does not make false promises.

Is a prerequisite a co-requisite?

Prerequisites/Co-requisites. If the course is at an advanced level, it may be wise to request a prerequisite (a course that must be completed prior) or a co-requisite (a course that is taken concurrently). This ensures that students have a foundation level knowledge of the topic before completing the more advanced course.

Find the steps

With your two main questions answered, now is time to get clear on the steps. If “Sam” wants to go from A to B, i.e. their current location, where they don’t know what to do, to this fancy schmancy destination, how are you going to get them there?

Give them the roadmap

Inside each module there are going to be things your student needs to know to progress on to the next step. Don’t assume anything about their previous knowledge or experience. Break down a single step into smaller bit size chunks that give them the literal roadmap.

KISS – Keep it simple stupid

At this point you should know the main objective of your course. You should have defined all the modules and all the lessons. But now you need to think about what you will actually teach in each particular lesson.

What is course outline?

A course outline is a document that benefits students and instructors. It is an essential piece when designing any course. The course outline has a few purposes. A syllabus is a planning tool. Writing it guides the instructor’s development of the course. Through the development of a syllabus, instructors can set course goals, ...

What is a course description?

Course Description from the Academic Calendar. The University Calendar has a description of your course that gets published every year. It is a good idea to take a look at this description because this may be the description your students are using to determine if they wish to take your course or not.

What is outcome design?

The outcomes are usually statements that are verb oriented and directed at the students. For example: “Students will be able to identify key geomorphological formations on a Southern Alberta map.” This example uses the verb identify, which is a lower level thinking skill. A higher order thinking skill is incorporated in the next example: “Students will be able to read and analyze population maps interpreting any trends the data may show.”

What is assessment overview?

The assessment overview is a grading guide that allows students to see what weightings can apply to the different assessment elements of a course. An example of an assessment overview is below.

What is an assessment plan?

Assessment Plan. Assessment plans are built in line with student learning objectives. Student learning objectives state what students will learn while your assessment plan states how you, as an instructor, will gather evidence for achievement of the objectives.

What is a reading list?

Reading List. It is a good idea to put the readings for the course within the syllabus. What you include may simply be a reference to a textbook, or it may be many references to online readings. Listed readings will allow students, administrators, and other educators see what content will is to be covered within the course.

Can you submit work through Turnitin?

Due to student privacy issues, if you wish to submit your student’s work through a plagiarism detection service such as Turnitin, you must inform your students that you are going to do so. Furthermore, if students request an alternative method of plagiarism detection because of privacy concerns, you must provide them with an alternate option.

Project Management Course Outline Template

Creativity is another key issue that needs to be observed. Unique always does not go away without notice. People will always go for an exclusive content. Also, think about your target group. For example, a course outline template for high school should be made in an easy way to help high school students understand.

Sample Business English Course Outline PDF

When any reader wants to develop a training course outline, it is wise that you organize entire document or syllabus. All your work should be easy and simplified to make entire work understandable. People always like presentable work, so to impress them; your guidelines should be in a format that is well to be seen by everyone.

What is an orientation course?

An orientation course provides an overview of all the courses you offer. If you are offering many courses in your Academy, create an orientation course to build student engagement and interest with the course contents and let them get acquainted with the goals of your Academy.

What is a presell course?

Presell courses serve as a storefront of an upcoming course. They can rapidly validate a course idea and start building an email list of your potential students before officially releasing a course.

What is instructional design?

Instructional design is a thoroughly researched subject I suggest you study to get lots of insights into your course design.

How often can you schedule a live interview?

You can schedule a series of (live) interviews every three months or two weeks, for example, and ask for payment from the beginning.

Who is Anthea from LearnWorlds?

Anthea is a Course designer and Content Creator for the LearnWorlds team. She holds years of experience in instructional design and teaching. With a Master of Education (M.Ed.) focused in Modern Teaching Methods & ICT (Information & Communications Technology), she supplements her knowledge with practical experience in E-Learning and Educational Technology.

What is a mini course?

Mini-courses are short to consume summaries (teasers) of a full-sized course. Like presell and orientation courses, they serve as teasers that make students enroll in a course. However, in contrast to the other two categories, Mini-courses provide real educational value: A full summary of what will be taught in the full-sized course .

What is professional training?

Professional training courses serve in building knowledge, skills, and competence in a group of individuals or a team. Companies are used to promote job quality, efficiency, and effectiveness while also motivating employees to make a formal commitment to growing with the institution and being more productive.

Why would someone buy a course?

The only reason someone would purchase a course is to solve a problem they are currently facing or if they believe it will improve their life in some way. Therefore, your first step is to identify their current pain-points.

What is the completion rate of online courses?

A study in the December 8 issue of Educause Review Online (ERO) by Harvard University researcher, Justin Reich, reveals that completion rates of online courses range, between 2 and 10 percent.

How to teach a course?

1. Establish your goals for the course. Having clear objectives for your course will help you know exactly what to teach, and will help your students realize what they should be learning. Objectives are meant to give you a way of measuring whether you and the course have achieved what you need to.

What is required to teach a course?

Teaching a course at any level requires knowledge, authority and the ability to anticipate and answer questions. Your students will expect to learn things they did not know, and to attain the tools necessary to continue learning in whatever subject you are teaching.

What are some examples of learning goals?

Some examples of learning goals used in actual courses are: Demonstrate the ability to read, evaluate and interpret general economic information. Apply research methods in psychology, including design, data analysis, and interpretation to a research project. Communicate effectively in an oral presentation.

How do you measure student achievement?

Rubrics help you measure student achievement by comparing it to certain levels that you've set. Most rubrics operate on a points or letter-grade scale, such as A/B/C etc.

What are some ways to assess learning?

Some typical ways of assessing learning include: Quizzes and exams. Learning activities (fill in the blank, practice equations, etc.)

How to learn about teaching?

Talk to other instructors about your course. You can learn a lot about teaching by discussing ideas with other instructors. Talking to instructors who have taught the same or similar courses can help you when you are planning your syllabus and lesson plans. You can also gain ideas from them throughout the term.

What are the components of a syllabus?

However, syllabi commonly include sections on: Basic information (course title and/or number, meeting times, office hours, contact information) A course description.

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Basic Course Information

  • Course Name, Number, Credits and Description
    Avoid using cute names that do not clearly indicate the course content. Choose a simple name that conveys the depth and breadth of the subject that will be taught. Assigning course numbers (a 3-4 letter code and/or number) will clearly show potential students the level of the course. Fo…
  • Prerequisites/Co-requisites
    If the course is at an advanced level, it may be wise to request a prerequisite (a course that must be completed prior) or a co-requisite (a course that is taken concurrently). This ensures that students have a foundation level knowledge of the topic before completing the more advanced c…
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How and What Students Will Learn

  • Learning Outcomes
    The learning outcomes are the goals of the course i.e. what the course is meant to teach students. Often it is the learning outcomes that help a student determine if the course will meet their needs. It is important to use language that does not make false promises. For example, “St…
  • Content Breakdown by Session
    Typically this section of the course outline is a session by session breakdown of the topics or course content covered. List the dates of the sessions or refer to each session with phrases such as “week one” or “day one”.
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Course Participation and Evaluation Guidelines

  • Course Evaluation Process, Policies and Grading Scale
    Students will be very interested in how their learning will be evaluated through tests, assignments, projects, etc. List the different evaluation tools to be used with the percent of the final grade they represent. Also include exam writing policies such as whether exams can be taken at a later dat…
  • Classroom Rules/Code of Conduct Expectations
    An outline of consequences should student be caught plagiarizing, cheating or acting out in class is outlined in this section.
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Course Materials

  • Course materials include: 1. Required and Optional Texts 2. Readings both pre-readings and course readings 3. Supplies and equipment needed A well written course outline can be a great course marketing tool, can set clear expectations for student and help instructors to prepare lesson plans. A good course outline can also help record course structure for future offerings. C…
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Course Description from The Academic Calendar

Course Goals

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Assessment Overview

Assessment Plan

Schedule of Activities

  • This portion of the outline should be built once the plan has been made. Once you understand how you want to assess your students, you can create activities that help facilitate the learning that needs to be done to help students achieve the objectives. Course activities should work in parallel with the assessment plan. If students need to provide evidence of learning by completin…
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Plagiarism Announcement

Reading List