Integrated Course Design
Begin with the end in mind.
To provide students with a significant learning experience, I am using a systematic process to create an integrated course design for my World History course. By purposefully designing my course for significant learning, I am more likely to meet the full potential of blended learning and ensure the success of my innovation plan.
In A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning, Fink emphasizes that the key components of quality course design are interrelated (2003). The four key components pictured below work together to create authentic and active learning.
Planning for one component without considering its relationship to the others results in a “broken” course where learning goals are not aligned to activities and/or assessments (Fink, 2003). If the key components are not aligned, I cannot expect my students to be successful in the course.
In the initial planning phase, I used Fink’s 5-step instructional design process to think bigger than content related objectives and develop outcomes that will provide students with learning that goes beyond the course.
INITIAL DESIGN PHASE: Build Strong Primary Components
Step 1. Identify important situational factors
It is important to consider the larger context that influences course design. There are factors beyond my control, and others are opportunities to improve. Completing The Situational Factors worksheet at the beginning helped me make more informed design choices later.
Step 2. Identify important learning goals
Establishing learning outcomes beyond content objectives sets a more engaging tone for both the learners and the teacher. Using Fink’s guide, Taxonomy of Significant Learning (below), I considered six different types of significant learning goals to help students develop the critical thinking and reasoning skills necessary for the real world. The Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals worksheet helped me go beyond the content and think about the bigger impact this course can have on a student's learning.
3 Column Table
Aligning Outcomes, Assessments, and Activities
In developing a 3-column table for my World History course, I started with a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) to set a clear and compelling goal (Learners Mindset, 2021). The BHAG is powerful because it focuses on what the learner and provides a learning purpose beyond the walls of the classroom. By starting with a BHAG and working backwards, we can design a learning environment where students actively participate in authentic learning experiences that have real world applications. From the two worksheets in steps 1 and 2, I created a 3-column table to ensure my learning outcomes, assessments, and activities were aligned and integrated.
I will continue the initial design phase with steps 3 – 5 as I move towards developing educative assessments and active learning.
Step 3. Formulate appropriate feedback and assessment procedures
Step 4. Select effective teaching/learning activities
Step 5. Ensure the primary components are integrated
References
Fink, L. D., PhD. (2003). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved from https://luonline.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-3042999-dt-content-rid-30108308_1/courses/13583.201810/Self-Directed%20Guide%20to%20Course%20Design%20-%20Fink%20Summary.pdf
Learners Mindset. (2021, February 24). Aligning Outcomes, Activities & Assessments: Learners Mindset Fundamentals [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsmbuD00Vfg&t=578s