Our approach to designing impactful learning experiences for students is grounded in research, anchored in human connection, and committed to accessibility and inclusion. Our tool for guiding and measuring success in learning design is our Course Quality Rubric.
The Digital Campus Course Quality Rubric is built around five research-validated pillars: Learning Objectives; Practice & Assessment; Feedback; Structure, Delivery, & Learning Events; and Community Building. Use the links below to jump to specific tactics you can use in designing your course.
Have clear and explicit learning objectives that align with course outcomes
Describe the skills and competencies learners will be able to demonstrate by the end of the course
Integrate reasons for learning that can align with learners beliefs and values
Communicate applicability of learning objectives to practical applications outside of the academic course
Assessments should demonstrate criteria that are aligned with the overarching learning objectives
Provide a grading rubric that promotes consistency and sets clear expectations
Avoid long lectures and video presentations to avoid cognitive overload
Use verbs that illustrate the specific actions and behaviors learners should be able to demonstrate to prove that learning has occurred
Test each objective/outcome by detailing out exactly how you are measuring it
Use Bloom's Taxonomy and associate resources to draft appropriate objectives that measure learner success
To take skills into consideration when writing outcomes, it’s helpful to ask, “What should learners be able to do?” and choose an action verb that illustrates that behavior
Introduce the learning objectives at the beginning of each week and discuss how they relate to the course goals
Review learning objectives at the end of each week and discuss the new knowledge that learners should have obtained
Revisit learning objectives at the beginning of live sessions to bridge asynchronous work to the coming activities
Reinforce learning objectives by having learners measure their own progress towards the objectives
Remind learners of the relevance of assignments or activities to the learning objectives for the course
Review the assessments in your course and consider the kinds of tasks that will reveal whether learners have achieved the course objectives
Review async and live session activities to ensure that they reinforce the learning objectives and prepare learners for assessments
Present and explain learning objectives for each task
Ask learners to demonstrate or perform their use of a particular knowledge
Ask learners to participate in a simulation or role play
Ask learners to submit portfolios of their work where learners must strategically select items for evaluation
Go back to the intended learning outcome that is being measured when designing assessment criteria
Consider all the elements of an assignment that a learner would need to address to satisfy the learning objectives
Write a description of what a learner would need to do to meet the criterion sufficiently to demonstrate achievement of the learning goal
Provide examples of learner work from previous courses
Create rubrics for each assessment that you provide to students
Create various types of automatically graded question types
Have learners give peer feedback on assignments
Use technology supported feedback through discussion boards, comments, or videoconferences
Use Online Polls to determine learner engagement and comprehension
Utilize Breakout Rooms during live sessions and divide participants into smaller groups to address complex content
Build in opportunities for peer feedback on projects
Build in opportunities for project check-ins with the instructor before final project submission
Provide a grading rubric that promotes consistency and sets clear expectations
Plan short and frequent review sessions in the course
Have learners review material over an extended period of time
Incorporate previous course material with new information
Create automatically graded asynchronous questions
Utilize peer feedback on assignments
Stagger assignments to ensure manageable daily portions of learner work to review
Have easily accessible deadlines/calendar
Provide feedback on assignments within one week of the assignment due date
Use diagnostic assessments at the beginning of a unit
Use knowledge checks at the end of a unit
Have learners reflect on their preparation after taking an assessment
Impart opportunities for learners to attempt solving problems before solutions are given
Use reflective journals to gauge learner progress
Create checkpoints in projects and assignments where learners receive feedback from peers
Use discussion boards as a tool for peer feedback
Organize weekly learner groups to discuss readings or assignments
Utilize live sessions and breakout groups for live, real-time peer feedback
Determine the various kinds of feedback in the course and communicate to learners how that feedback will be delivered (e.g., auto-feedback, peer feedback, instructor feedback)
Provide guidance to learners on the kinds of feedback that they should expect from the instructor for each kind of learning activity
Communicate to learners your role in discussion forums and how you will provide feedback
Organize your course to communicate the flow of work you would like learners to follow
Follow a similar course sequence each week
Use consistent structure and naming conventions for the types of assignments that recur from week to week
Make frequently used resources easy to find
Provide a Key Takeaway document learners can utilize to take notes and highlight course priorities
Consider synchronous, asynchronous, and homework time when meeting institutional policies regarding course time
Use time estimates when building course elements
Encourage engagement by providing targeted support when learners are facing difficulty
Divide the course content into smaller units
Divide units into smaller lessons
Take a large assignment and break it into smaller assignments that build on each other
Divide a long lecture into several smaller lectures
Model an open, inquisitive attitude in lecture videos
Focus on asking questions throughout the course
Relate uninteresting or difficult topics to your learners' interests and daily life
Design assessments, quizzes or practices around real-world scenarios
Incorporate course’s relevance for one’s future professional development
Interleave questions to check for understanding with readings, videos, and other course material
Supplement lectures with a structure for note taking, highlighting and pulling out key concepts, or video/document annotating
Provide instructions on how learners should interact in discussion forums
Provide detailed instructions on how learners to should interact in group assignments
Provide instruction on how learners should comment and provide feedback on asynchronous activities
Use a variety of instructional material types including video, text, interviews, and case studies
Include a variety of perspectives and voices in the instructional materials
Consider non-visual options like an audio file or podcast to lessen screen time
Include resources from diverse sources when selecting course materials
Encourage learners to share resources from diverse sources in their assignments
Use visuals in the course that are representative of diverse backgrounds and cultures
Include stories and examples from a variety of cultures
Encourage learners to share their own personal experiences
Consider learner backgrounds and experiences when designing course materials
Offer additional challenge assignments for advanced learners
Create or link to supplemental materials (text-based, lecture videos, etc.) for learners who need extra guidance on a complex topic
Allow learners to personalize assignments to their own interests and challenge levels
Explain the purpose of assignments and exercises to learners
Explain the purpose of self-assessments and what learners should do with the information they obtain
Build upon prior foundational knowledge by asking learners to relate personal experiences to course content
Ask learners to reflect on their progress towards course learning objectives
Ask learners to reflect on their preparedness, progress and grade of assessments
Check in with learners to review progress and brainstorm plans to meet goals
Breakup larger assignments into smaller ones so that learners can track their progress incrementally
Provide opportunities for learners to personalize their assignments
Give learners the option to choose the modality they use when presenting their assignments
Provide resources and opportunities for learners to extend their knowledge on a topic
Provide resources for learners when they may need more support in learning a topic or skill
Describe how topics in the asynchronous session connect to topics in the live session
Provide templates, guidance, and instructions on live session topics
Avoid non-meaningful duplication of information from asynchronous work in live sessions
Solicit feedback from learners about asynchronous work prior to live session to guide conversations where possible
Create activities or practice opportunities to build on the knowledge gained from the asynchronous work
Provide information on the instructor's office hours
Establish class norms and expectations that promote safe and respectful communication
Dedicate weekly class time to culture building activities
Incorporate group projects and activities into the course
Provide learners with opportunities to interact with each other during synchronous live sessions
Develop an introduction video that learners can watch at the start of the course
Include a bio of the instructors background
Provide ways for learners to self-introduce to their peers
Utilize discussion forums for learners to share their ideas asynchronously
Discuss ideas within large and small groups during synchronous live sessions
Encourage learners to comment and provide feedback on each other's ideas asynchronously
Provide time during the beginning or end of each live session for learners to address any questions, comments or concerns
Create checkpoints throughout the course where the instructor asks for learner feedback
Ask learners to reflect on resources, tools, or experiences that would have helped them better master a learning objective
Ask learners to reflect on what aspects of the course helped them to be successful in the course
Design discussion board prompts that ask learners analyze, critically think or reflect on how diverse and marginalized individuals and communities could be affected by a particular policy, practice, or research
Discuss the constraints and limitations of applying research to marginalized individuals and communities
Discuss how diverse perspectives might examine a problem
Critique how a topic may or may not be applicable in an international context
Have learners reflect on how the topic relates to their own experience or prior learning
That's it! You've finished the section on Designing Your Course .