Course Design


Backward Course Design Benefits of Learning Outcomes Examples for Learning Outcomes Developing Measurable Learning Outcomes

Backward Course Design

Backward design is an approach to defining learning outcomes. It supports the alignment of classroom activities with learning outcomes.  Instructors traditionally approach course design through a forward approach whereby they start the designing process by considering learning activities and develop assessments around these activities before they connect them with the learning goals. Conversely, in backward design, the instructors start by defining learning outcomes before they develop activities that assess whether learners have learned something from the course. The backward design is the most effective because it establishes the learning outcomes before the assessment approaches.

 

Stages of Backward Design

Stage 1- Identification of desire results. The instructor is expected to assess the educational content and develop associated learning objectives and learning outcomes. This is typically aligned to the course instructional sequence.

Stage 2- Collect evidence of learning. This stage involves instructors reflecting on how they will provide evidence of learners’ proficiency and learning. This stage takes place before deciding how instructors will teach the necessary capabilities and competencies for the course.

Stage 3- Learners’ experiences and instruction delivery. This stage involves planning instructional activities once the desired results and possible evidence for understanding is set up.

 

Benefits of Learning Outcomes 

Learning outcomes support in the design of curriculum and the approach to pedagogy for a course and program.  Learning outcomes enable effective integration between learning and teaching methods, and assessment. The integration enables learning outcomes to be used wide range of purposes for teaching, learning and assessment.

For Learner:

Learning outcomes provide the learner with an idea of what they will achieve at the end of the course.

  • They reduce pressure on the learner and provide insights into how they will be assessed.
  • Learning outcomes support learners’ to read and prepare themselves for lecture topics.
  • Learning outcomes help to demonstrate and track learners’ progress based on the course objectives. 

For Instructors:

  • Learning outcomes give the instructor a focus on what material to plan and teach. 
  • Learning outcomes help instructor to prepare their lecture material and assessment.
  • Learning outcomes support instructor by helping them to select appropriate teaching strategies.

For Assessment and Evaluation:

  • Learning outcomes are used to map assessment. 
  • Learning outcomes support in assessing course ‘effectiveness.
  • Learning outcomes support instructors to allocate marks; these are important in determining learner’s performance.
  • Learning outcomes encourage learners to study in preparation of their lecture.

 

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Examples for Learning Outcomes

 

Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the core knowledge in chemistry and applied physics.
  • Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to understand fundamental physical concepts in the modern cutting-edge technologies.
  • Evaluate  scientific method to resolve current challenges related to catalysis and other materials.
  • Create links with other subjects such as thermodynamics and simulations.

Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Learning Outcomes: 

  • Identify a strong introduction to living matter concepts.
  • Apply knowledge on the development and application of engineering principles and biological systems.
  • Prepare to work in different areas that handle some of the pressing world issues.
  • Evaluate  how plants grow under extreme conditions and their role in supporting molecular and physiological level systems.

Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the demand in different application domains for hardware acceleration and its impact on performance and energy efficiency
  • Reason about the types of applications that can be mapped to hardware accelerators and how this process can be applied
  • Evaluate the types of applications that can be mapped to hardware accelerators
  • Demonstrate practically the ability to design an accelerator for a chosen application
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Developing Measurable Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes (LOs) are an explicit description of what a learner will understand and be able to apply as a result of learning processes. Identifying LOs is an important stage in planning and developing the learning process.

Learning outcomes are fundamental to the backward design method. They mainly assess a learner’s understanding of the subject in the course, selection of assigned readings, and the classroom activities. This assessment provides transparency on the defined outcomes for the course. Learning outcomes are a learner-centered approach that are intended to be measurable, achievable and meaningful.

Learning outcomes are a measure of learners’ capabilities and competencies that are required from a course. These capabilities and competencies include accurately recognizing something or performing some action. The learning outcomes should be designed and outlined before the course begins. To write an effective learning outcome consider the following aspects:

  • Write clear statements where possible, including a verb and an object of the verb, of what learners are assumed to learn.
  • Avoid vague words and sentence where possible.
  • The learning outcomes should be written from a learner perspective of what they will learning.
  • Each learning outcome should be aligned with the course objectives and assessments.
  • Emphasis should be on learner behavior.
  • Align both formative and summative assessment methods. 

For more details click on the following link for Bloom’s Taxonomy and active verb list

 

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