Align the learning activities to the course outcomes

Map course activities and content to the course learning outcomes. Does the course allow ample opportunities for students to learn and practice what they need to know and do to be successful?

Plan learning experiences, instruction, and resources that will help students reach the learning outcomes. The course should challenge students to build higher-order skills and use active and engaged forms of learning.

Create structured activities that help students scaffold learning. Break down large tasks or concepts and build smaller steps so that students can gain competence. Small, simple assignments build skills that help students accomplish something more complex. Give students opportunities to practice and repeat learning tasks.

Communicate the learning outcomes to students. Tag assignments with the course learning outcomes and talk with students about what they are learning and how it fits into the bigger picture of the course, the AUCC, or their university education.

Plan ahead to assess learning

Determine acceptable evidence that students are achieving the learning outcomes. This includes formative assessments to check progress and summative assessments that measure achievement. Both kinds of assessments should build upon each other and are sequenced with learning activities.

Start with the end in mind. Decide how you will evaluate the assignment at the same time you create it. What are the priorities of the assignment? Are the priorities appropriately weighted in the grading plan?

Communicate expectations to students. Share rubrics, scales, or grading frameworks with students when you assign the work, or as they progress. Ensure there will be opportunities to get feedback or make revisions before students submit the final result of their work.

Provide early, frequent, and immediate feedback. Students need regular feedback on their performance, so they know how to focus their studies, when to work harder, and when to ask for help. To be effective, students need to know what they are doing well, what they need to work on, and how they can improve. Use specific and constructive language. CSU’s First Four Weeks Initiative offers a structured start.

Consider a pre-assessment. In what ways can you learn about a student’s preparation for the course? What are their strengths and where do students need additional support to meet course expectations?