Course design models

When planning your teaching and your course design, there are several ways to approach the process. Within the research of university pedagogy, some theoretical approaches have shown to be more efficient than others. We have collected the most widely used approaches and outlined their affordances, so you can begin modeling and designing your own course(s).

If you want to talk to a learning consultant about your course design, you can contact Teaching & Learning at tl@cbs.dk, or reach out to your local department consultant.

<strong>Constructive Alignment</strong>

Constructive alignment

Constructive alignment refers to the design of a course or learning process, where the intended outcomes that students should learn and how they should demonstrate their learning is clearly stated before the teaching begins. The course outline is then designed to engage students in teaching and learning activities that improve their chances of achieving those outcomes, and assessment and exam formats are designed to enable clear judgments as to how well those outcomes have been attained.

Model explaining course alignment

The key assumption of the constructive alignment model is to align the learning outcomes of the course, the teaching and learning activities that students are expected to engage in during the course, and the exam or assessment of the course. When designing for learning that is aligned, you increase the intended learning potentials of the course materials, and the alignment will support students when training the skills, knowledge, or competencies needed to complete the course.

Resources

Aligning teaching for constructing learning,John Biggs (link)

An Elaboration of Constructive Alignment, Charles Sturt University (link)

Biggs, J. (2014). Constructive alignment in university teaching. HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 1, 5-22.

Tyler, R.W. (1949). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

<strong>Backwards Design</strong>
<strong>Blended Learning Design</strong>
<strong>Universal Design for Learning</strong>