Good teaching isn't just about what we do in the classroom, but it relies heavily on the effective design of the course—particularly the effective alignment of learning outcomes, assessments of student learning, and learning activities and assignments. Starting course design by thinking first of content—like putting together a reading list—often shortcuts the evidence-based principles of course design that are shown to improve student learning.
That is why our support of course design relies on the principles of Backward Course Design and the Decoding the Disciplines model. We offer multiple resources which play important roles in the design process, such as developing learning outcomes and syllabus construction.
The CITL also offers a variety of workshops and institutes on course design and development which utilize processes that instructors find particularly beneficial in helping them think through the goals and design of a course. Of particular note is our Course Development Institute (CDI), which provides a structure for building a course from learning outcomes up, following the backward design model. CDI is offered each spring, immediately following the completion of the spring semester.
Instructors examining course design might also investigate the asynchronous modules in the Teaching for Student Success (TSS) course designed by IU's Faculty Academy for Excellence in Teaching (FACET).