CAT@FSU
CDI - Day one

Course design institute: day one

Welcome to the first day of the course design institute! Today you'll meet many new colleagues from across disciplines, and you might be surprised how much we have in common in our teaching. During our time together, we'll discuss the FSU teaching context and how research on learning can shape the ways we teach. We'll also begin working on designing or refining our fall courses, by determining what will be most important for students to learn. We're glad to meet and work with you, and we look forward to getting started.

agenda

Morning Session: 10:00 a.m.– Lunch

Welcome, CAT introduction, purpose of the CDI
Small-group introductions and discussion with colleagues
Faculty panel
Learning-centered teaching
- How research on learning can shape our teaching
- Getting to know our students
Course design
- Backward design process
- Goal-driven plans help with flexibility
Drafting learning goals and priorities

Afternoon session: after lunch – 4:00 p.m.

Discussion of course structure & sequencing
- Sequencing units or modules in a course
Question: How do we collect evidence of students' progress toward the goals?
- Discussion of assessment and alignment
- Activity: Alignment case studies
Designing projects, exams, and more
- Inspiration and advice
- Work on design (if time allows)
Reflection and feedback (thank you!)

day one Materials

During the session, you will need the following materials. (You do not need to read them in advance; there will be time during our sessions.)

Morning Session

Three-column table (model for thinking about alignment among goals, assessments, practice, and feedback)
Fink's taxonomy: Learning Dimensions and how they overlap

Afternoon Session

Sequencing
- Fink's sequencing model
- Sequencing map (course design tool example Excel file; you may use any tool you wish to use)
- Course Sequencing Guide
Assessment Resources:
- Sample assessment timelines
- Resource on formative vs. summative assessments from Yale's Poorvu Center
- Alternative assessments from CEI @ University of Minnesota
Course alignment case studies
TILT Higher Ed project transparent assignment template
Reflection & Feedback: Please fill in the index cards and leave them on the table in a pile. We'll shuffle them and pick them up.

Supplemental Resources

Resources

- A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning by L. Dee Fink
- Brief guide to How Learning Works from CAT @ FSU
- Alignment resource from CMU's Eberly Center
- Bloom's taxonomy
- Blooms taxonomy-based guide to creating learning objectives and assessments
- Writing assignment checklist from CAT @ FSU
- A brief guide to creating exams from CMU's Eberly Center
- An in-depth guide to writing good multiple choice exams by Dawn Zimmaro
- Teaching tip on exam wrappers from CAT @ FSU
- Teaching tip, "Getting Better Final Projects" from CAT @ FSU

Books

- Learner-Centered Teaching - full e-book from FSU libraries
- How Learning Works - full e-book through FSU libraries
- Small Teaching Online - full e-book through FSU libraries
- Minds Online - full e-book through FSU libraries
- Make It Stick - full e-book through FSU's libraries