what makes a good course outline

by Mike Erdman 5 min read

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. There are many possible components to a course outline but a basic course outline

Full Answer

Why do you need an outline for your course?

Jul 23, 2021 · The creation of an outline that serves as a guide to the course is useful for both student learning as well as for you so you can develop a more effective course. By outlining the most important components—the main modules, lessons, topics, and learning objectives, you can deliver a highly effective, high-quality course in no time.

What is a course outline or syllabus?

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.

How do I build a strong course outline?

Constructing a Course Outline or Syllabus Course Description from the Academic Calendar. The University Calendar has a description of your course that gets... Course Goals. What are the big ideas that you are going to cover in your course? What are …

What makes a good online course?

An outline is simply a framework for presenting the main and supporting ideas for a particular subject or topic. Outlines help you develop a logical, coherent structure for your paper, making it easier to translate your ideas into words and sentences. Once your outline is complete, you’ll have a clear picture of how you want your paper to develop.

What should be in a course outline?

THE COURSE OUTLINE:BASIC COURSE INFORMATION:COURSE DESIGNATION:COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES. List one to three student learning outcomes for the course. ... SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: ... COURSE CONTENT:REPRESENTATIVE METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: ... REPRESENTATIVE ASSIGNMENTS:

How can I improve my course outline?

Include more rather than less material. A detailed syllabus is a valuable learning tool for students and lessens their initial anxieties about the course. ... Provide basic information. ... Describe the prerequisites to the course. ... Give an overview of the course's purpose. ... State the general learning goals or objectives.

What is the purpose of a course outline?

Did you know that a course outline is a legal, binding document? It communicates important information about a class such as course outcomes, class expectations, and grading structures. Both instructor and student are obligated to follow the content of the syllabus.May 1, 2012

How do you outline a course module?

Here's the process I use to complete my course outlines:Identify 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 criteria can make a good online learning?

A good online course is engaging and challenging. It invites students to participate, motivates them to contribute and captures their interest and attention. It capitalizes on the joy of learning and challenges students to enhance their skills, abilities and knowledge. A good online course is cognitively challenging.Jun 10, 2020

How can a teacher improve a course?

5 things teachers can do to improve online teaching.Utilize a variety of technology options. ... Connect to students individually. ... Prepare to work with parents. ... Consider new learning methods. ... Provide collaboration and socialization opportunities.Aug 9, 2020

How do you design a course structure?

To design an effective course, you need to:Consider timing and logistics.Recognize who your students are.Identify the situational constraints.Articulate your learning objectives.Identify potential assessments.Identify appropriate instructional strategies.Plan your course content and schedule.

How do you create a curriculum outline?

How to Write a Curriculum from Start to FinishDetermine your vision and intention for the curriculum.Outline your overarching topics.Review any current curriculum to determine what to keep and what to retire.Organize your standards based on the topics and timeline.More items...•Jul 31, 2020

What an outline is?

An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented in a speech or a paper. The outline shows the order of the various topics, the relative importance of each, and the relationship between the various parts. Order in an Outline. There are many ways to arrange the different parts of a subject.

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.

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 course outline?

According to the University of Lethbridge’s Teaching Center, a course outline is a document that benefits students and instructors as it is essential when designing any course. Also known as a syllabus, a course outline serves as a planning tool. As the syllabus is written, it also guides the instructor’s development of ...

What information should be provided about required readings?

Provide specific information about required readings, including title, author (s), edition number and availability (from where they can be purchased or borrowed). It is helpful to the students to indicate how each reading relates to a particular topic in the course. You may also like outline an essay.

What is a syllabus?

Finally, a syllabus also works as a reference for colleagues, administrators, and accreditation agencies.

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 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 an academic course?

Academic courses are courses with a traditional academic structure followed by universities. Each section usually consists of an introduction to the course, where objectives are discussed, a short test to assess pre-existing knowledge, and multiple lectures.

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 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 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 .

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 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.

What makes an online course good?

A good online course is engaging and challenging. It invites students to participate, motivates them to contribute and captures their interest and attention. It capitalizes on the joy of learning and challenges students to enhance their skills, abilities and knowledge. A good online course is cognitively challenging.

What does "online course" mean?

It means audiovisual materials that don’t stereotype, shame or degrade people. It may mean that open educational resources are prioritized over expensive textbooks. A good online course is interactive. Courses are much more than placeholders for students to access information.

Why is online learning important?

A good online course promotes student agency. It gives students autonomy to enable opportunities for relevant and meaningful learning. Such a course redistributes power - to the extent that is possible - in the classroom. Again, this may take many forms in the online classroom.

What are the problems with media comparison studies?

The problems with media comparison studies — that is, those that compare outcomes between one medium, such as face-to-face, to another medium, such as online — are such that many researchers advocate against them. How can students who enrol in online courses in the fall know they are receiving a good educational ...

Is physical proximity a precondition for good education?

Physical proximity isn’t a precondition for good education. Comparing one form of education to another distracts us from the fact that all forms of education can — and should — be made better. Higher education. Education policy. Online learning.

What is creative writing class?

In a creative writing class, students may write a short story, receive feedback, revise it and then write a different story. In a computer programming class, they may write a block of code, test it and then use it in a larger program that they wrote.

What is an econometrics class?

In an econometrics class, they might examine relationships between different variables, explain the meaning of their findings and then be asked to apply those methods in novel situations. A good online course is effective.

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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

  • It is always important to give the students a brief idea of what the course is all about. This is also the section that informs the students on what subjects they will be taking should they enroll. Some syllabuses also provide a small descriptionof the subjects to give further detail on what they can expect for that subject.
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Course Goals

  • As you begin encoding the syllabus, it is important to ask these questions: What are the big ideas that you are going to cover in your course? What are the essential understandings that students will take away with them after the course has finished? It is imperative to define these course professional goals, as they will help you determine what you expect from your students, and wha…
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Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

  • At the end of the day, it is pointless to have your students taken the course if they have not learned a single thing. Which means formulating a syllabus is easier said than done since you also have to start designing outcomes that the students might achieve during their time in the university, and it is a valuable element to have in your syllabus. The outcomes are usually state…
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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 overviewis below. Quizzes: 50% Participation: 5% Journal Assignments: 20% Team Assignment: 10% Final Exam: 15% As well as including the overview of grading, a grading scale should be identified for …
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Assessment Plan

  • These assessment plans are built in line with student learning objectives as these indicate what the students will learn. While your assessment plan states how you, as an instructor, will gather evidence for achievement of the objectives. This will detail the type of assessments that will occur within the course structure, how they will be marked, and how they provide evidence of stu…
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Instructional Method

  • Though it is not always required, indicating on how the course is going be taught from here on is not really such a bad idea whether they would be lectures, seminars, video presentations, etc. But along the way, it is important to be evaluated by the very students you teach before the end of the semester as it also helps you grow as a teacher to see how your students feel on how you teach…
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Required Course Materials

  • Provide specific information about required readings, including title, author(s), edition number and availability (from where they can be purchased or borrowed). It is helpful to the students to indicate how each reading relates to a particular topic in the course. You may also like outline an essay. It is never a bad idea to go to the library as it provides access to course materials, both pr…
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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

  • Students have the tendency to be lazy and due to that, they might end up copy-pasting someone else’s work and making it their own. With that said, you have to inform your students that a plagiarism detection service such as Turnitin will be used to ensure original quality work from the students. But should they request an alternative method of plagiarism detection because of priv…
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Reading List

  • This section will serve as a guide for the students on the textbooks and other educational materials during the entirety of the course. Listed below is an example of a course outline. Course Code: ENGL 105 Course Title: The Dynamic World of Neil Gaiman Course Description: Neil Gaiman is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books and graphic novels. His notable works i…
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