Course Development Model
To assist faculty and departments in planning and implementing effective college courses, the Center for Teaching & Learning, the Testing Center, Independent Study, and the Harold B. Lee Library have worked together to develop BYU’s approach to course design based on L. Dee Fink’s model for significant learning. The resulting document is Learning-Centered Teaching at BYU (this is the full version). This model emphasizes instruction that promotes “significant student learning,” i.e., learning that has important, long-lasting effects on students’ lives.
An important key to achieving significant learning is effective course design. The essential features of the Center for Teaching & Learning’s model are the consistent alignment and continual improvement of significant learning outcomes, engaging learning activities and informative learning assessments within the context of situational factors (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Adapted from Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences, Jossey-Bass.
Alignment
Alignment is achieved when congruence exists among the goals for student learning, the planned activities that facilitate learning, and the assessments to evaluate student learning. Relating each learning activity and assessment to a specific learning goal helps learners and instructors maximize significant learning. A course that is aligned for significant learning integrates the following three components:
- Significant learning outcomes. Effective learning outcomes are clearly defined with precise action verbs that specify what students will be able to do as a result of their learning experience. The learning-outcome verbs describe the performance of the students in their learning activities and their assessments.
- Engaging learning activities. Engaging students in meaningful learning activities will lead them to master the concepts and skills defined in the course learning goals. Such learning activities prepare students for subsequent assessments.
- Informative learning assessments. Assessments that are aligned with the learning goals and activities provide learners and instructors with accurate feedback on the achievement of learning goals. Effective assessments provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate and further develop their knowledge and skills. In addition, informative assessments provide instructors with valuable feedback to improve and align each component of the course.
Continuous Improvement
Continuous course improvement is a process through which the instructor is continually looking for ways to improve teaching and learning. This process makes course design cyclical in nature. Course objectives, learning activities, and assessments are continually evaluated for alignment and effectiveness. The instructor reviews the teaching and learning experiences to determine their impact. Then steps are taken to make improvements and evaluate their results. Following are examples of questions that can guide the continual improvement process:
- Are the learning goals significant and clear? Are they congruent with the Aims of a BYU Education? To what degree are the goals for the course achieved?
- How effective are the various learning activities? Are they significant? Relevant? Challenging?
- Are the assessments appropriate, effective, and informative?
- What worked well? What could be improved?
- What can be learned from student evaluations?
- How can the goals, learning activities, and assessments be better aligned to enhance student learning?
VERBS TO USE IN WRITING SIGNIFICANT LEARNING GOALS
| Remember | Understand | Identify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application: | |||
| Use | Judge | Calculate | |
| Critique | Do (skill) | Create | |
| Manage | Imagine | Coordinate | |
| Solve | Analyze | Make decisions about… | |
| Assess | |||
| Integration: | |||
| Connect | Relate | Integrate | |
| Identify the reaction between… | Compare | Identify the similarities between… | |
| Human Dimension: | |||
| Come to see themselves as… | Understand others in terms of… | Decide to become… | |
| Interact with others regarding… | |||
| Caring: | |||
| Get excited about… | Be more interested in… | Value… | |
| Be ready to… | |||
| Learning How to Learn: | |||
| Read and study effectively | Identify sources of information on… | Create a learning plan… | |
| Set a learning agenda | Be able to construct knowledge about… | ||
From Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences, Jossey-Bass, 75.