how to write a educational course

1. Determine your vision and intention for the curriculum. Understanding what you want to achieve from your curriculum is crucial. It’s working with the end in mind.
2. Outline your overarching topics. Once you have the basic design and intention for your curriculum, now it’s time to select your overarching topics.
3. Review any current curriculum to determine what to keep and what to retire. There’s nothing worse than throwing the baby out with the bathwater. ...
4. Organize your standards based on the topics and timeline. ...
5. Write the lessons to provide a comprehensive student learning experience. Once you have the topics and standards outlined, now you can write your lessons. ...
Create or attach a variety of assessments to the lessons. In this step, we’re looking at all kinds of assessments. That includes diagnostic, formative and summative measures.
Determine what materials and resources you’ll need. Once you’ve created your lessons and assessments, it’s time to take a look at what materials you’ll need to complete each ...
Pull it all together. Finally, you’re able to pull everything together into a nice, neat curriculum package. It’s time to celebrate all your hard work!

How to choose your writing course?

Steps Download Article

1. Decide what interests you. List the fields of study that interest you, and come up with a list of courses you would consider studying based on these interests.
2. Do your research. The internet, newspapers, television and people around you are the best sources of information.
3. Check out the course content. ...
4. Examine the university quality. ...

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How do I create a course?

— When her husband first floated the idea of an advocacy organization for people diagnosed with ALS, Sandra Abrevaya responded in just two words: The first wasn’t suitable for print, and the second was “no.” Abrevaya had founded and run nonprofits in the past.

How do I structure my course?

• Boring presentations that leave you unfocused ✅
• Dominating voices crowding out constructive discussion ✅
• Politics playing out in real time ✅
• Little closure, few decisions made, and fuzzy next-steps ✅

How to structure your course?

• 1. ...
• The alignment between topic and the week of the quarter will be a powerful aid for students in quickly orienting themselves to your course each time they sign in. ...
• 2. ...
• We recommend a six-section Canvas module structure: Module Overview, Review, Prepare, Learn, Apply and Additional Resources. ...
• 3. ...

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How do you write a good course?

Writing a Course Descriptionshould be no longer than 125 words.should begin most sentences with a verb.should be student-centered and explain how the reader would benefit from the course.should be written in the present tense and active voice.

What is the format of a course?

A course format refers to the layout of a course. The course format can be selected in Administration > Course administration > Edit settings.

How do I create a course content?

Four Steps to Create Course Content that FlowsConsider your goals in teaching this course. Decide what you would like your students to accomplish from taking this course. ... Develop topics and subtopics, then narrow down further. ... Structure the course with what you have finalized. ... Plan your content types.

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.

What is course content?

Any informational material that is required for participation or understanding content such as assigned readings, video recordings, exams, and any other material needed for learning.

How to write a course?

Some things to keep in mind as you're writing the course. The person taking the course doesn't know what you know. He or she is a beginner, so start at the beginning. Make a glossary of terms and define them. Make sure you also define them in the course the first time you mention them.

Why is it easier to write a course?

Once you've chosen a platform, it will be easier to write your course, because you'll know what format you need to create the course in. For example, if you're planning to offer a video course, then you'll need to write a script to follow and practice recording lessons.

How much does a Udemy instructor make?

Forbes reports that the average Udemy instructor makes about $7,000 per course , but the range is wide. Some might make $60 a year and others in the six figures.

How to create an online course?

1. Choose a Topic. Your first step in creating an online course is to choose a topic to teach. This should ideally be: 1a. A Topic You Understand Well. If you are going to teach others, you need to understand the topic inside and out.

Is word of mouth good for online courses?

Getting the word out about your online course isn't going to be easy or happen quickly. It's a good idea to ask for help. Word of mouth is one of the best and cheapest forms of advertisement.

Is it hard to write an online course?

Writing an online course isn't hard, but writing an online course that impacts people is challenging. By paying attention to all the elements that make up an excellent class, you can develop a reputation as a good instructor. Not only will your students love you, but they'll recommend you to others.

What do you want students to learn and be able to accomplish?

What do you want the students to learn and be able to accomplish? With your goals clearly defined, decisions to include certain content, the teaching methods to employ, and the types of assignments and exams to utilize can be more readily determined. To help with curriculum planning primarily in defining goals to maximize student learning (opposed to course content, it is called Backward Design ), check out G. Wiggins and J. McTighe’s Understanding by Design (1998). Basically, according to Backward Design, instructors should clearly define what they expect their students to have learned by the end of the course or section.

How to grade work?

Decide how to grade the work: papers, assignments, exams, and if appropriate, class participation. Determine how you will deal with issues of student tardiness, attendance, late work, and any extensions/rescheduling of assignments/exams.

Why is it important to allow time for active learning?

It is essential to allow time for active learning as well as to block out sufficient work/study time for students to complete major assignments and to prepare for exams.

What should instructors know about backward design?

Basically, according to Backward Design, instructors should clearly define what they expect their students to have learned by the end of the course or section. See also: ADDIE Model. During the process of determining course goals, it is important to think about student learning.

What should the exam focus on?

For example, if a course goal is to sharpen problem-solving skills, then the exam should focus on a question that uses problem-solving, not mainly recalling facts. Similarly, both homework and class activities prior to the exam should involve questions and exercises that deal with problem-solving skills.

Is planning a course fluid?

Remember that planning a course is a fluid process. The diagram shows this below. Each step is made with the other steps in mind and, likewise, each step will be refined every time you teach the course.

1. Know Your Audience

A course description is the cornerstone of your marketing efforts. A poor course description prevents students from deciding if they want to enroll in your class and advisors from referring students to you.

2. Create a Description That Encourages Action from the Reader

A concise, informative course description is a very important part of your marketing and sales materials. It is the first part of your communication with potential students. If it doesn’t grab their attention and encourage them to come to an information session or apply, it’s time to revise.

3. Use Appropriate Keywords

As stated in tip 1, when writing a course description, it’s important to understand who your target audience is. Is it employers? If so, you want to think about how the skills and knowledge in the course will help them.

4. Use Short Catchy Phrases or Words to Draw Attention

Well, if you’re teaching a course, then you should know that it’s incredibly hard to separate yourself from the crowd. Therefore, you need to make sure that your course description stands out. Here’s an example: “The 4-Hour Workweek.” The title itself is catchy.

6. Good Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling Counts

The course description has to be written in a way that conveys the importance of the course to the students and appeals to them. Although most students look for answers to their problems, a course description has to be different from an article.

8. Use Common Terms That Prospective Students will Understand

Teachers use course descriptions to help prospective students understand what they’re going to experience. Course descriptions typically include a variety of common terms. Terms should be understandable by the prospective student.

9. Keep Your Language Simple and Avoid Jargon

If you are writing a course description, you are doing it because you want the students to enroll in your course. Good course descriptions illustrate the essence of the course. This is important because most of them are unaware of what the course is about. A good course description is a critical factor in course success.

What are the Common Core Standards?

The Common Core Standards are already broken into topics like Operations and Algebraic Functions. Similarly, the National Arts Standards also have basic topics to explore like Organize and Develop Artistic Ideas and Work. You can use these as a basic outline, or your can do something totally different.

Do teachers need a scripted curriculum?

Some teachers want a scripted curriculum, others don’t. Some schools want you to have a very specific lesson outline included and others are much more relaxed. The key here is to create a curriculum design that makes sense for you and your students. Sketch it out and create a basic template that you’ll use throughout the process.

Do topics spiral throughout the curriculum?

Remember that most topics will be spiraled throughout the curriculum. But there are certainly time periods when you’ll focus on a topic more deeply. Identify these time periods as an overview to your curriculum.

What grade should I be writing?

The average American reads at about a 7th or 8th grade level. So you should generally keep your writing at that level, too. If you're writing for doctors, attorneys, and engineers, write at a higher level. If you're writing for people who don't speak English as their first language, write at a lower level.

How to train a trainer?

Write to your training audience. Use the second person and refer to the learners as "you.". Don't ignore the audience you're hoping to train by writing simply about work processes or machines. And don't write about the learners in the third-person--address them directly.

Can long sentences confuse a reader?

Long sentences may confuse your reader. This is even more true if the sentence structure is complex. So use short, simple sentences instead. Here's a good resource about simple and complex sentences.

Is it easy to write?

It's not easy to write well. Or, as Ernest Hemingway put it, "Easy writing makes hard reading.". As a writer, you want to do the difficult work so your reader doesn't have to. And while it's true that all types of writing are difficult, it's also true that each type of writing presents its own special challenges.

Do you explain things your training population doesn't need to know?

Don't explain things your training population doesn't need to know. It's it's not necessary, leave it out. For example, if you're teaching learners to make a common household item, your training shouldn't start with a 15-minute history of that item's development over the past three centuries.

What should be included in a college syllabus?

The syllabus should include a comprehensive course schedule, the course objectives, information regarding the types of assessments that will be required ( exams, quizzes, papers, etc.), your contact information and any required institutional statements that your college may require in all of its syllabi. Write your course lectures.

What can a history professor teach?

For instance, history professors may teach a course in sports history or women's history in addition to teaching U.S. history survey courses. Creating a course requires extensive planning and a high level of organization. Create a course proposal to be reviewed by the department head or committee in charge of curriculum decisions at your school.

What is the joy of teaching?

One of the joys of teaching at college level is the opportunity to create a course in your area of specialization. College professors often teach survey courses as a regular part of their teaching duties, but many also teach upper-division courses in more specialized areas of study. For instance, history professors may teach a course in sports ...

How to write a syllabus for a course?

Getting Started with Writing a Syllabus 1 Check how your course contributes to your department, program, or graduate field curriculum and learning outcomes. Certain programs may have requirements set by their accrediting organizations (e.g. ABET in Engineering). 2 Review syllabi for the same course from previous instructors. Consider meeting with them to discuss how they have taught the course in the past, what has gone well, and what has been challenging for students to learn. 3 Find out which students typically enroll in this course (year, major) and how many? 4 Search online for sample syllabi for the same or similar courses created by colleagues at other universities. Some disciplinary societies provide online resources for common subjects in introductory courses. 5 This Course Decision Guide can guide you in the process of designing your course.

Why is a syllabus important?

In particular, it: sets the tone for the course. communicates what, when, and how students will learn.

Can you import a syllabus template into Canvas?

to review some recommended best practices for syllabus construction. From the Canvas site, you can import a syllabus template into your own Canvas course or download a Google Doc to customize when constructing your own syllabus.

What is a course outline?

A course outline can also include a description of assignments and evaluation if the course will have exams, quizzes or other forms of student evaluation. For a more detailed article on the contents of a typical course outline, see Writing a Good Course Outline.

How many characters should a course title be?

Cute or creative names may not market the course as well as you’d like. Limit your title to between 60-100 characters.

How many words should a bio be?

Your bio is a short (approximately 150 words) description of your relevant experience – especially any teaching experience or industry experience related to the course content. The bio is used to sell the potential student on your expertise and ability to teach the course.

Should I include my bio in my resume?

Your Resume. If your bio is a good description of your background, including a resume is optional. If your resume lends more credibility to your industry experience though, it is a good idea to include it with the proposal. Sharing your expertise with a group of eager students can be highly rewarding.

What is curriculum in education?

This article has been viewed 566,414 times. A curriculum often consists of a guide for educators to teach content and skills. Some curricula are general road maps, while others are quite detailed and give instructions for day to day learning. Developing a curriculum can be quite challenging, especially when expectations have such a large range.

How to design a curriculum?

1. Define the purpose of the curriculum. Your curriculum should have clear topic and purpose. The topic should be appropriate for the age of the students and the environment in which the curriculum will be taught. If you are asked to design a course, ask yourself questions about the general purpose of the course.

What are unit topics?

Organize your brainstorm or state standards into unified sections that follow a logical sequence. Units can cover big ideas like love, planets, or equations, and important topics like multiplication or chemical reactions.

How long is a two hour class?

The difference between a two-hour class that meets once a week for three weeks, and a two-hour class that meets every day for three months is significant. In those three weeks, you might be able to put on a 10-minute play. Three months, on the other hand, may be enough time for a full production.