Self-Assessment Question:

Are you able to design a course that integrates course goals, teaching/learning activities, and assessment?

Quick Take:

Most professors, when they put together a course, just make a list of topics, and then prepare a lecture or two on each topic. This "Topics" approach to course design is very convenient for the teacher but does not maximize learning.

A more effective approach is the "Design" approach. Here, the teacher, when planning a course, begins by looking at various situational factors in order to gather information about what the students are like and what they really need in terms of learning (i.e., a needs assessment). Next, one should carefully identify 3-6 major learning goals for the course, e.g., content mastery, learning how to "think" about the content, learning how to keep on learning, etc. Second, design the assessment activities: What would students have to do to convince you, the teacher, that they have achieved the learning goals? Third and finally, design the general teaching/learning strategy and the specific learning activities that would suffice to prepare students to successfully complete your evaluation activities.

References:
1. Designing and Assessing Courses & Curricula: A Practical Guide by Robert M. Diamond. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998. Provides a thorough elaboration of how to both design and then assess individual courses and whole curricula.

2. "A Decision Guide for Planning a Course" In the belief that "planning a course" is actually a process of making a series of decisions about the course, this guide identifies 11 decisions that teachers should address when designing a course.