With the end of the semester fast approaching, now might be the ideal time to begin planning your spring semester online course(s). Whether you are constructing a new course, copying an existing one, or converting to the Ultra Course View, there may be opportunities to improve the overall course structure. The question is: how should instructors start the online course design process? As many instructional designers can attest, the key to alignment and strong course design is a thorough planning document.
Although it can be tempting to delve straight into a Blackboard course, instructors can save valuable time and improve their course design by first completing a planning document. If you’re curious about the components of a design document, it may be helpful to think of it as an essential organizational tool.
Design documents encourage instructors to break their course into manageable pieces. Typically, the document will include sections for the course description, overall course learning objectives, and smaller unit-level (or weekly) module learning objectives. Within those spaces for modules, instructors can also articulate the required materials, learning activities, and graded assessments.
One advantage to using a planning document is that it provides a sequence of placeholders for faculty to develop specific and measurable learning objectives that focus on observable student behaviors. For instance, initially, a swim instructor might state that their objective is for “students to learn how to swim.” However, due to a lack of detail, students would be hard-pressed to explain the skills and competencies they’d be expected to demonstrate. By filling out the design document, that same instructor could revise their learning objective to state that “By the end of this course, students will swim unaided the length of an Olympic 
size pool (50 meters) in less than three minutes using the freestyle stroke.”
Although it may be unconventional to offer a swim class online, this example illustrates how a strong planning document can be adapted for any modality of instruction. The swim instructor could then begin to identify other skills students would need to master in order to build up to that larger goal of swimming the length of an Olympic size pool (e.g., floating, treading water, etc.).
In essence, a well-crafted planning document can provide a comprehensive overview of an entire course structure. With this fresh perspective, you may discover potential barriers and make strategic adjustments before the class begins. It’s not uncommon for instructors to discover they have two or more modules in a row that contain substantial formative assessments. Not only could this be overwhelming for learners, but it could also cause an imbalance in the grading workload. By utilizing a planning document, instructors are empowered to design their course to foster a balanced and effective learning experience tailored to meet the needs of their students.
Please feel free to contact CITL to discuss course design planning documents and other aspects of instructional design or to ask for help with any aspect of teaching or instructional technology!
