Teaching and Learning
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Functional Course Design Endorsement Program

Coming SPRING 2026 - Functional Course Design Endorsement

Whether you are designing or redesigning a course, consider collaborating with the Instructional Design team and other WMU faculty and instructors to:

  • Examine ways to identify and address the needs of learners by employing an empathetic approach to design.
  • Design an intentionally flexible, adaptable, concept-centered course that meets university, Department of Education, and research-based best practice standards.
  • Create/curate accessible materials and activities that incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.

Registration for Spring 2026 is closed.

What is Functional Course Design?

What is Functional Course Design?

Functional Course Design is a human-centered and systematic approach to course design that is focused on the creation of aligned, navigable, accessible, and interactive experiences for learners. Functionally designed courses are intentionally concept-focused rather than content-focused and, regardless of modality, use Elearning to support instructional flexibility, adaptability, learner engagement, and self-directedness.

Professor teaching a class of students.

Who can participate in the Endorsement Course?

instructor teaching a HyFlex class with both in-person and online students

This endorsement is open to any WMU board-appointed faculty member or instructor of record who is teaching, or plans to teach, a 7-week or 14-week course within the next year and is interested in enhancing course design for any instructional modality.

What can I expect?

Participants can expect to:

  • Meet in person seven times throughout the semester to collaborate with instructional designers and peers to complete the course design and development process.
  • Design and develop a course that addresses best practice standards for functional design.
  • Use peer and learner feedback to develop an iteration plan.

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a WMU Endorsement Certificate in Functional Course Design.

 

When are the in-person sessions?

All in-person sessions for Spring 2026 Endorsement Course are from 9 am-12 pm

  1. Friday, Jan 23
  2. Friday, Jan 30
  3. Friday, Feb 6
  4. Friday, Feb 13
  5. Friday, Feb 27
  6. Friday, March 20
  7. Friday, April 24
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