Course Design and Alignment

Abstract

Alignment refers to how critical course elements work together to promote students’ achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Courses that have misaligned learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessments can undermine student motivation and learning. This activity, designed to be used in a faculty development workshop, introduces the process of backward course design and alignment of objectives, activities, and assessments. Participants in this workshop will have an opportunity to evaluate course objectives, activities, and assessments for alignment and get some feedback about alignment within their own course. Participants will leave with a list of assessment types that are aligned with various levels of learning objectives and a template for use with backward course design.

Setting: workshop (classroom)

Activity Type: Learning Cycle

Discipline: Faculty Development

Course: N/A

Keywords: backward course design, alignment, student learning objectives, assessment of learning objectives