Intro to Functional Course Design
About the WMU Functional Course Design Guide
This guide has been created to support WMU instructors in the design and development of courses for all modalities, helping them to create learning experiences that meet instructional goals and outcomes, encourage interaction between the learner and instructor, and allow for learner-self directedness. The guide is also explicitly designed to help instructors leverage Elearning (WMU’s online learning management system) tools to create a navigable, accessible, and supportive learning experience.
This guide will provide resources and step-by-step guidance to support instructors in:
Conducting a learner analysis: Gather key information about learners to inform course design decisions and develop targeted learning objectives.
Aligning and outlining course components: Use a variety of templates to break down outcomes, develop key assessments, and outline objectives, activities, and assessments to scaffold learning.
Designing a syllabus and schedule: Consider best practices and templates for developing accessible documents that align with university standards.
Leveraging Elearning tools: Integrate course components into Elearning to create consistency and enhance navigation, accessibility, and interaction.
Applying a functional course review: Consider course function based on standards for navigation, alignment, interaction and accessibility.
Evaluating design effectiveness: Gather student feedback to identify strengths and areas for refinement that will enhance future course iterations.
How to Use This Guide
This guide is intended to support the full course development process and completion of the guide as a whole can be helpful to instructors at all levels for all modalities. However, depending on an instructor’s specific interest, need, and/or comfort with course development, the documents and steps outlined in this guide may also be helpful in isolation.
For support in the course development process as a whole or in part, please reach out to the Instructional Design and Development Team.
The Course Development Process
The WMUx Instructional Design and Development (IDD) team collaborates with instructors and staff to imagine, design, and realize ideas that transform and enhance the learning experience. The Course Development Process, which can be applied to new courses, new modalities, or new iterations of a course, is an important example of this collaboration.
The four-phase Course Development Process outlined below provides a framework for functional course design. By working through each stage independently, or in collaboration with an instructional designer, instructors and other subject-matter experts can create learning experiences with clearly aligned outcomes, activities, and assessments. Using Elearning to guide students through those experiences, regardless of modality, instructors can also create courses that meet learner needs and expectations for navigation, accessibility, and interaction. Broken down into ten steps, the documents described in each phase offer support for conceptualizing, implementing, and iterating on course design.
Visit the WMU Course Development Process page for more information on WMU’s Stipend Eligible Course Development Agreement, which is supported by the WMU Instructional Design and Development team in collaboration with university colleges and departments.
Phase 1: Ideation
Phase 1 Objectives
- Establish goals for learners and instructor
- Consider potential challenges for learner and instructor
- Identify desired learner transformation
- Determine overarching outcomes and summative assessments
Phase 1 Checkpoints
- Completion of Step 1: Pre-Design Considerations
- Completion of Step 2: Course Outcomes and Key Assessments
Phase 2: Design
Phase 2 Objectives
- Identify knowledge and skills needed to complete summative assessments
- Determine daily, weekly, or monthly objectives and formative assessments
- Outline materials and/or activities that support formative development
- Develop a course plan and map
- Establish grade scale, grade components, and calculation method
Phase 2 Checkpoints
- Completion of Step 3: Module Objectives and Activities
- Completion of Step 4: Course Design Storyboard
- Completion of Step 5: Assessment, Grading, and Course Workload
Preparation for Development
Once the ideation and design phases of the Course Development Process have been completed, course development can begin in earnest. This next phase begins with the drafting of the course syllabus and schedule.
Materials for Development Preparation
Phase 3: Development
Phase 3 Objectives
- Develop course syllabus and schedule
- Build out template course in Elearning
- Create/curate instructional content, materials, activities, and assessments
- Incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles
- Ensure syllabus, course schedule, and Elearning information is aligned
Phase 3 Checkpoints
- Completion of Step 6: Regular and Substantive Interactions
- Completion of Step 7: Syllabus Accessibility and Design Checklist
- Completion of Step 8: Activity Descriptions and Template Development
Phase 4: Review and Iteration
Phase 4 Objectives
- Review template or live course from learner perspective
- Address functional challenges highlighted in review
- Address accessibility issues highlighted in ALLY report
- Use learner data and feedback to support continuous improvement
Phase 4 Checkpoints
- Completion of Step 9: Functional Course Review Checklist
- Completion of Step 10: Learner Perspectives and Iteration on Design
Following a systematic instructional design process allows instructors to apply evidence-based, best practices in course design to promote learning, satisfaction, and success in all modalities. By incorporating Elearning in that design, instructors can also more aptly support learner self-directedness, communication, and interaction. Additionally, collaborating with an instructional designer can support instructors in thinking through a variety of strategies, approaches, and perspectives to make teaching and learning more manageable. For this reason, any instructor or staff member who is interested in collaborating on any aspect of the design and development process is encouraged to connect with the IDD team. If it is for learners at WMU, the IDD team is available to help.
Design Goals: The Functional Course Design Checklist
Functional design is an approach to course design that incorporates key elements which directly impact the learner’s experience and ability to successfully engage with course content. The Functional Course Design Checklist included in the Review and Iteration Phase of design aligns with WMU-AAUP Standards, HLC Criteria for Accreditation, and U.S. Department of Education Regulations for Postsecondary Education, as well as best practices as defined by Quality Matters and the Online Learning Consortium. It serves as both a starting and ending point for design in that it outlines the goals for functional design.
Functional Design Goals and Checklist Components
Navigation
Learner to Content
Consistent, logical navigation creates an intuitive path for learners, reducing their need to search for materials and information so they can focus on learning and application.
Alignment
Outcome to Assessment
From the introduction of a concept to reinforcement and mastery, the intentional alignment of course goals and outcomes with course content, activities, and assessments supports the scaffolding of learning.
Interaction
Instructor to Learner
Opportunities for substantive, content-specific interactions and feedback between students and instructors on a predictable and regular basis support students in engaging more authentically with the course and their own learning.
Accessibility
Learner to Content
Accessible course materials ensure that all students are offered the same opportunity to engage with learning content and activities in a way that is enjoyable and effective by removing barriers to access.
How to use the Checklist
Instructors are encouraged to approach the use of the Functional Course Design Checklist from a student perspective, using it as a:
- Guide for course design and development
- Self-check to identify areas for course iteration and improvement
Instructors are also encouraged to connect with the Instructional Design and Development team and/or peers in the continuous improvement of courses.
Definitions for Design
Terminology related to teaching and learning can vary across contexts and disciplines. Recognizing this, for the purposes of Functional Course Design the Course Development Process, the following, distinct, learner-centered definitions will be used.
Course-Level Outcomes (CLOs) - Course-level outcomes clarify the broad skills and knowledge learners will develop throughout the course and guide the overall design of the course. These outcomes may originate in departments, programs, or be dictated by accrediting bodies.
Key Assessments - Key assessments, often referred to as summative assessments, are used to evaluate achievement of course-level outcomes (CLOs). They measure the extent to which the learner is able to demonstrate an appropriate level of competency across stated program, department, and/or accreditation outcomes.
Module-Level Objectives (MLOs) - Module-level objectives clarify the specific knowledge, skills, behaviors, or attitudes that learners need to demonstrate their preparedness for successfully completing key assessments. These MLOs guide the information and activities that will need to be included in the course to effectively introduce, reinforce, and support the development of necessary competencies within daily, weekly, or unit-based Elearning modules.
Formative Assessments - Formative assessments explicitly align with module-level objectives and can be used to gauge learner progress toward key assessments and course outcomes, support instructors in identifying potential gaps in understanding in order to adjust instruction at a whole class or individual level and offer instructors an opportunity to offer developmental feedback and support.
Supplemental Resources and Support
Outcomes, Objectives, and Bloom's Taxonomy
WMUx Instructional Resources & Support
Teaching, learning, and instructional technology support at WMU is a collaborative effort between four teams. Each offering specific, but related, services to support instructors in imagining, designing, and realizing ideas that transform and enhance the learning experience.