When designing a course or program, thoughtful design is key to success. A Backward Design approach is the most effective way to create a strong course and cohesion across a program.

Principles of Curriculum Design & Development

When employing the backward design approach, the instructor begins by identifying what they want students to be able to do by the end of the course. These are the course competencies and should be based on external standards for the profession. The course competencies must be appropriate for the student’s understanding level and must be observable, measurable, and achievable within the course timeframe. Additionally, learning objectives that support the course competencies must be identified. Subsequently, the instructor should determine the evidence needed to ensure students achieve those goals. This is the assessment strategy, which contains the criteria students need to meet to demonstrate competency for each course competency successfully. Finally, the instructor will decide on the learning activities that will support students in achieving the course competencies by the end of the course.

If you want to learn more or review the curriculum design for a course or program, our instructional design specialists can help you.

A course outline is a detailed document that outlines a course’s objectives, requirements, assessments, and delivery structure. It serves as a roadmap and a legal contract for faculty and students, outlining expectations, assessments, and learning outcomes. For faculty, it aids in course planning and delivery, while for students, it provides essential information to navigate the course successfully and understand how it fits into their academic journey. The course outlines at Michener include multiple elements to provide clarity and understanding between faculty and learners regarding course expectations and outcomes and to set the tone for the course.

• The program administrative assistants and the chair initiate the annual renewal/review of course outlines for their faculty
• The instructional design and curriculum experts are available for one-on-one consultations with faculty and programs to review and develop all course outlines
• For the development of new courses, please review the Course Outline Template and book a consultation with our team

The following materials were produced by Michener and adapted with the permission of wids.org.

Competencies

Definition

Major skills, knowledge or attitudes that are measurable and observable; field or discipline specific outcomes addressed at the learning plan (lesson) level. Samples: Use active listening skills, write a narrative, adjust automotive brakes, prepare an income statement, analyze costs that affect food service, solve quadratic equations, examine the impact of WWII on the family.

What are competencies for?

Competencies provide an organizing framework for planning and implementing a learning experience. They are the intended outcomes of learning experiences. Since they describe what you want learners to be able to do, they must be stated in observable measurable terms.

Competencies:

• Determine what content you will teach.
• Tell what you want your learners to be able to do with what they know at the end of the learning experience
• Drive a course. Teachers design assignments and assessments around competencies.

Competency Domains

Benjamin Bloom identified three domains of learning: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. They are referred to as Bloom’s Taxonomy. Cognitive: Focuses on thinking or knowledge. Psychomotor: Focuses on doing or performing. Affective: Focuses on the development of attitudes and interests. Competencies can be written in any of the domains.

Cognitive Domain

Performance statements in the cognitive domain can be placed into one of six levels. Because the definition of a competency implies the application of knowledge, typically they are written at the APPLYING level or above on Bloom’s Taxonomy. (That means they are not written at either the Remembering or Understanding level.) The Verb Library in the WIDS software allows you to search the library by domain and level.

Competency Checklist

• Describe what you want learners to do with what they know at the end of the learning experience (applying level or above on Bloom’s Taxonomy)
• Begin with an action verb (one verb)
• Are measurable and observable
• Are clear and concise (short)
• Describe the learner’s performance
• Require the application of content
• Can be accomplished within the timeframe of the learning experience (3-6 competencies per credit or 9-18 hours of learning)
• Often result in a product, a service, decision, or a performance
• Become the target of a learning plan

Sample Competencies

• Conduct a patient interview
• Recommend diagnostic procedures
• Implement infection control strategies
• Apply conflict resolution strategies
• Measure EKG
• Evaluate the care plan
• Compare primary tissue types of the body

Learning Objectives

Definition

Supporting skills, knowledge and attitudes that lead to mastery of a competency.  Learning objectives serve as benchmarks.  They represent the content in terms of performance and provide cues for the development of learning activities.

Sample competency: Interview for a job

Samples learning objectives:

• Explain the purpose of an interview
• List the documents required for an interview 

What are Learning Objectives for?

While competencies set the target outcomes for the course, learning objectives form the basis for what is to be learned. Learning objectives are important for both the learner and the instructor.

For the learner they:

• Break the major skills into smaller pieces and give students smaller goals that are less overwhelming.
• Provide a roadmap for achieving mastery of the competency.
• Provide benchmarks for learners to measure their progress towards achieving the competency.

For the instructor they:

• Detail the content that is embedded in the competency.
• Guide the selection of learning activities (assignments).

Learning objectives are linked directly to a competency. There are usually 2–10 learning objectives per competency. Most often they are written at or below the level of the competency. If you cannot write at least two learning objectives for the competency, the competency may be too small.

Guidelines for Writing Learning Objectives

To write learning objectives:

1. Ask, “What do learners need to know in order to perform this competency?”
2. List any facts, concepts, procedures, processes, and/or principles that support the competency.
3. Cross out any prerequisite skills or content.
4. If your list has many detailed items in it, consider combining some of them.
5. Write a performance statement for each item still on your list. You should have 2–10 learning objectives per competency.

Learning Objectives Checklist

• Learning objectives include supporting skills, concepts, procedures, processes, and/or principles a learner needs to perform the competency.
• Learning objectives begin with action verbs.
• Learning objectives are measurable and observable.
• Learning objectives are clear, concise, and precise description of skills, knowledge, and attitudes.
• Learning objectives specify a single performance (one verb).
• Learning objectives number 2–10 per competency.

Resources that can support you.

• Make sure your competencies and learning objectives are written using Bloom’s Taxonomy.  Download our Bloom’s Taxonomy Verb List .
• Download the Competencies Information Sheet  and Learning Objectives Information Sheet  to keep these details handy.
• Self-assess the competencies and learning objectives you have developed using the rubrics on the Competencies Self-Assessment  worksheet and the Learning Objectives Self-Assessment  worksheet.

The following materials were produced by Michener and adapted with the permission of wids.org.

Lesson Plans (a.k.a. Learning Plans)

Definition

A written learning guide that describes the intended performance outcomes (what), suggests learning activities or strategies (how), and designates assessment requirements (when). A learning plan addresses one or more competencies and the related outcomes; it is written to the learners. There may be multiple learning plans within a given course, project, or learning experience.

Learning Plans help students.

Learning plans help your learners navigate through the learning process. A learning plan links what learners will learn with how they will learn and when they will know they have achieved competence. When you develop learning plans, you provide your learners with a handbook for learning.

A single learning plan addresses one or more competencies and/or outcomes. There may be multiple learning plans within a given course or learning experience.

Learning plans are handy tools to be used in several ways.

• You might incorporate learning plans into a study guide for learners to purchase or receive at the beginning of a course.
• Learning plans are also useful if a learner misses a class meeting, falls behind, or wants to work ahead
• You can post your learning plan online either in an online course or as a companion to a face-to-face course.

Engage students through learning activities

At Michener, we represent the learning process as a cycle. There are four major stages: motivation, comprehension, practice, and application. Each stage supports one or more of the five thinking processes: attention, encoding, rehearsal, retrieval, and metacognition. When you select the learning activities for a learning plan, choose activities that provide a framework for guiding learners all the way through the cycle.

Motivation

At the motivation stage you facilitate the attention process by inspiring learners to learn and answering the question, “Why do I want to learn this information or skill?”

Comprehension

During the comprehension stage you facilitate encoding and processing in the working memory by clarifying performance expectations and helping learners access the information they need to perform the target competency.

Practice

In the practice stage you need to provide guided practice—elaborative rehearsal, giving feedback to facilitate encoding to long-term memory.

Application

Finally, at the application stage, foster retrieval from the long-term memory to enable working memory processing on demand. During the application stage learners need to show that they can apply what they have learned to real world problems and decision-making. It is during the application stage that you build in assessment.

When you design learning plans, try to move learners through the complete learning cycle: motivation, comprehension, practice, and application. However, learners need to swing back and forth between the comprehension and practice stages before moving on to application. By doing this you help them avoid cognitive overload by chunking the learning into manageable pieces and punctuating it with frequent practice.

Learning Plan Checklist

• Learning plan addresses 1–3 related competencies
• Learning plan includes a title and overview or introduction
• Learning plan includes a series of learning activities that help learners master the competency or group of related competencies
• Learning activities begin with an action verb
• Learning activities support the learning cycle (motivate, comprehend, practice, apply)
• Learning activities are varied and require active learner involvement
• Learning activities address all of the learning objectives
• Learning plan includes assessment activities

Resources that can support you

• Download the Learning Plans Information Sheet  to keep these details handy.
• Self-assess the learning plans you have developed using the rubrics on the Learning Plans Self-Assessment  worksheet.
• View our Sample Learning Plan .

The following is adapted from Angelo and Cross (1993), British Columbia Institute of Technology (2010), Carnegie Mellon University (2015), and Vanderbilt University (2017).

Classroom Assessment Techniques

Definition

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are methods used to evaluate student learning and student reactions to your teaching methods.  CATs are generally simple, non-graded, anonymous, in-class activities that give you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening.  For the best results, it is important that any CAT you use is non-threatening, student-centred and active.

Why Use CATs

• To improve the teaching and learning in your course (e.g., speeding up or slowing the pace of your instruction or explicitly addressing areas of confusion)
• Provide just-in-time feedback about the teaching and learning process
• Provide information about student comprehension without the rigor and work required for traditional assignments (essays, tests, other PATs)
• Help students become better monitors of their own learning
• Help students feel seen and heard, even with course with large class sizes

How to Use CATs

Results from the CAT you use can help guide you in fine-tuning your teaching strategies to better meet student needs.  Knowing what you are looking for will help you determine which technique to choose and how to interpret the results.  Think about:

• What do I want to know? Identify a specific “assessable” question where student responses will influence your teaching and provide feedback to aid their learning.
• Which technique will I use to get this information? Why? Choose a CAT that provides you with the feedback you need, is consistent with your teaching style and can be implemented easily in your course
• How will I introduce this technique to my students? Explain the purpose of the activity to students before you conduct the CAT
• How much class time will it take? Make sure you build this time into your Lesson Plan for the day. You can complete the CAT yourself or have a colleague do it, to ensure your estimate is accurate.
• What instructional changes will I make as a result of the information I receive? Review the results to determine what they tell you about your students’ learning and decide what change to make, if any
• Let your students know what you learned from the CAT and how you will use this information – Tip: This shows students that you have learned from the assessment and helps them identify specific areas of difficulty for themselves.

Examples of CATs

Muddiest Point

Useful for: Determining key points that were missed by students

What it looks like: Ask students to jot down a response to the question “In today’s session, what was least clear to you?”

How to apply it:

• Use at the end of your class
• Hand out cards/post-it notes to students and give them about three (3) minutes to respond anonymously

Minute Paper

Useful for: Assessing how students are gaining knowledge (or not).  This also helps encourage quiet students to ask questions.

What it looks like: Ask students to write a brief response to the questions (1) “What was the important thing you learned during this class?” and (2) “What important questions remain unanswered?”

How to apply it:

• Use after a class or at the beginning of a class to review the previous session
• Answers to question 1 indicate whether you met your goal for the session
• Answers to question 2 indicate which parts of the lesson you may need to review

Defining Features Matrix

Useful for: Assessing students’ recall of information and their ability to categorize it.

What it looks like: A matrix with several columns and rows.  The specific number of columns and rows are based upon the concepts you want students to differentiate between.  In the first column, list your distinct concepts that are potentially confusing (e.g., the indications and contraindications of specific pharmaceutical agents).  At the top of the remaining column(s), list the important characteristics of concepts in no particular order (see example).

Medication	Indications	Contraindications
Acetaminophen	(fill in)	(fill in)
Ibuprofen	(fill in)	(fill in)
Naproxen sodium	(fill in)	(fill in)

How to apply it:

• Use after a lesson, as a review or as a pre-assessment tool
• Write down the appropriate row and column headings and leave the cells blank
• Set a time limit of about 10 minutes and instruct students to fill in the blank cells with as many correct answers as they can think of
• When reviewing the matrices, look for patterns. Where did the students do well? Where did they seem to have the most trouble?

Application Cards

Useful for: Determining if students really “understand” the material you have taught.

What it looks like: A two column chart with several rows.  Ask students to list the knowledge or skills they have learned during the session in the left column and possible clinical / practice applications in the right column (see example).

Knowledge or Skill	Possible Application(s)
(fill in)	(fill in)
(fill in)	(fill in)
(fill in)	(fill in)

How to apply it:

• Use at the end of your class or unit of instruction
• Hand out the chart to students (you can identify the knowledge/skill in advance) and ask students to come up with one to three applications for each knowledge/skill
• Set a time limit of about 10 minutes to allow students to respond anonymously
• The information will show you whether students have just memorized the material or if they know how they could use it
• Discuss any problems or trends with the class during your next session

Using CATs in an online environment

You can transfer most CATs from a traditional classroom environment to the online environment using tools built in to the Learning Management System (LMS), such as Discussion Boards, Survey or email.  Your choice of tool depends on how public or private you want your students’ responses to be.  Keep in mind that many students will be reluctant to voice their opinions in an open forum (i.e., Discussion Boards), but will likely be more forthcoming responding anonymously (i.e., Survey) or in a direct message to you (i.e., email).

It is very important in the online space, that you provide students with clear instructions as to the purpose of the activity and how they are to complete it.  Make sure you CATs are labelled appropriately with parameters that define the start and end of the activity.

References

• Angelo, T.A. and Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom Assessment Technologies (Second Edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
• Carnegie Mellon University (2015) – Using Classroom Assessment Techniques. .
• Vanderbilt University (2017) – Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) .

Whether you use PowerPoint presentations as a preparatory element in your weekly learning plans, or you are delivering material for your online course asynchronously, adding voiceover audio can enhance the student student experience.  In Michener’s Sound Studio, located in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), you can create voiceovers for your presentation that are free of loud, annoying or distracting background noise.

Benefits of using audio in PowerPoints

• Many learners now prefer multimedia to stay engaged in a learning environment
• Appeal to auditory learners
• Audio may help reinforce certain points in your material and make them more memorable (“sticky”) for learners
• Audio can add personality and a personal touch to your course, especially online where students may not always get to see or hear you
• Reduces reading load and allows for more narrative instruction
• Easy and cost-effective tool for creating flipped, blended or fully online content

Challenges of using audio in PowerPoints

• Bad quality audio can be more distracting and detrimental than useful
• Writing and practicing scripts for recording can be time intensive tasks
• If your course requires frequent updates then it can be difficult and time consuming to edit your audio
• Matching audio and on-screen text can be redundant and boring
• Audio can sometimes force students to go at the same pace through your material. They may prefer to skim material they are familiar with and slow down and concentrate on more challenging parts

The best time to use audio in PowerPoints

• To explain complex graphics or images that students may need to interpret
• To inspire learners or appeal to their emotions (human voice can make a huge difference)
• To facilitate learning for students who have different accessibility needs
• To facilitate lectures electronically, particularly in online courses

Best practices for voiceover PowerPoints

• Consider writing a script to avoid pauses or saying “um”. This will help save you time by preventing the need for re-recording.
• Use conversational language and tone.
• Avoid reading your slides! If your slides contain a lot of text, speak around the material rather than reading it directly. Bullet points are generally recommended.
• Use the LRC Sound Studio for clear and crisp audio free from distracting background noise.
• Use graphics and images to illustrate and enhance the message – they should support your content.

Resources

• Instructional video on how to record a voiceover PowerPoint
• Need some support in creating a voiceover PowerPoint for your course? Contact our Production Coordinator, Tim Chipman at tchipman@michener.ca for more information.

Please refer to our guidelines to promote academic integrity for online exams, including Akindi and Blackboard.