Ensuring Learner-Centered Course Outcomes
Rationale
The first step in designing or redesigning a course is to identify the core set of skills and concepts that you want students to develop and master (Nilson, 2016). Begin by asking, “What is the big impact I want my course to have on my students two or three years after they have finished college and are in their postcollege life and profession?”
Practices
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Identify relevant and transferable skills and concepts
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Integrate discipline-specific ways of thinking
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Create learning objectives
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Make course outcomes and learning objectives student centered, meaningful, and measurable
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Explicitly share course outcomes and learning objectives with students
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Provide opportunities for students to reflect on course outcomes and learning objectives