Course design

Quality teaching practices includes comprehensive planning and designing of an inclusive and engaging learning journey.  Do you know the answer to the following?

Designing for learning

• Are designing for a learner-centred experience?

Principles of program design

• Does your course design support the overall program design?

Principles of course design

• Do your learning activities align with the course intended learning outcomes and assessment tasks?

Standards and frameworks

• Does your learning activities, assessment and course learning activities meet the approved AQF standard?

Internationalisation of curriculum

• Do you have a global approach to learning and teaching in your course design?
• How do you accommodate the needs of international students in your course design?

Quality design practices

• Do the ‘levels of learning’ in your course intended learning outcomes match the ‘level of learning’ you intend on teaching and assessing?

Transformation, not duplication

• Are your online learning activities transformed to suit the delivery environment?

Designing for interaction with content

• How do you embed cognitive presence throughout the learning journey?

Designing for interaction with peers

• How do you embed social presence throughout the learning journey?

Designing for interaction with teachers

• How do embed teacher presence throughout the learning journey?

Technologies for enhancing learning

• Are you using the right technology to support student success in learning?

The BOLD Learning and Teaching Practices provide clear guidelines to support teaching practices for different delivery/study modes, opportunities for self-assessment and reflection on current teaching practices, and opportunities for collaborative discussion with peers and learning designers to enhance online teaching practices. The minimum course expectations for designing a quality learning journey to support student success are outlined in Focus Area 03. View the BOLD Learning and Teaching Practices.

Focus Area 03 | Learning activities

3.1 Learning activities clearly align with the course learning outcomes/standards.

3.2 The distinction between learning activities taking place in-class and online is clearly stated.

3.3 The distinction between required and optional online learning activities is clearly stated.

3.4 Learning activities promote learner collaboration and interactivity

(ie: peer-peer, learner-teacher, teacher-learner, learner-content)

3.5 Instructions for learner collaboration and interaction to complete learning activities is clearly stated.

3.6 Leaners are provided with opportunities to learn collaboratively and/or independently.

3.7 The time required to complete each section/topic/module is clearly stated.

3.8 Leaners are provided with opportunities to consolidate (digest, reflect, review) their learning at the end of

each topic/module and the course.

Federation University offers the following ongoing professional development opportunities to support teaching staff with designing an inclusive and engaging learning journey:

• L&T Webinars – Virtual | Quarterly. Check out the virtual webinars offered throughout the year to support course design practices.
• L&T Workshops – Virtual or face-to-face | On request. Workshops can be organised for your Institute or Discipline to address your specific program and/or course design needs. Contact your Director, Learning and Teaching / Institute Learning Designer to see what is, or can be, organised for delivery in your area.
• Learning Technology Hub - Online | Just-in-time. Information on how to use a range of functions within supported learning technologies to enhance your course design practices
• Professional Learning Modules – Online | self-paced | certificate issued on completion.
• Graduate Certificate in Education (Tertiary Education) – This postgraduate award course is designed to support tertiary teachers deliver quality, contemporary teaching practices in the higher education setting. Modules on design include: Constructive alignment framework, Curriculum design, Students as partners, Teachers as partners, and Communities as partners.