Center for Teaching & Learning

This is a self-paced online course. It is a new offering and you can begin this course at any time once it is open.

In this course, you will apply the foundational principles of the “backward design” framework to design courses that foster student success. Courses designed with this framework communicate clearly to students what they will learn, how they will learn it, and how they will know if they’ve mastered the material. You learn how to align your course objectives, activities, and feedback to create a clear, cohesive learning experience that supports student progress toward achieving their goals.

While backward design can be applied courses in any format, it is especially important in online courses. Clear alignment of learning objectives, content, activities and assessments creates relevant and structured learning environments, critical for online student success.

This course is designed to accommodate the busy lives of UVM instructors – it is entirely self-directed. This means that all assignments don’t have submission due dates, so you can progress at your own speed. And don’t worry – this does not mean you are entirely alone! CTL staff are just an email away, so please contact us if any questions arise. We will also provide feedback on all your discussion posts and assignments. We estimate that it will take you 3 -5 hours to complete.

Participants who complete the course will earn a badge in recognition of their commitment to quality online teaching.

You can self-enroll in Introduction to Course Design!

How to Self-Enroll

Follow these instructions on the UVM Knowledge Base to self-enroll.