Design
Before you jump into D2L Brightspace, consider taking some time to reflect on your course and how face-to-face strategies might be translated to an online format. A little planning upfront will provide a blueprint for building. The resources below are brainstorming tools that you can use to get your thoughts down. They follow the sequence of 1) Learning Objectives, 2) Assessments and Assignments, 3) Content, and 4) Organization. These 4 steps culminate in the creation of your syllabus. There is a planning guide for each step, provided in Word format. Download the Word document and fill in the blanks. We chose the planning guides and tools we felt were most concise and useful. However, we had a hard time choosing! To get more ideas for each step, click the Additional Resources links.
1-Learning Objectives
State learning goals and objectives for your course, which will provide the foundation for everything that comes next.
Some instructors also specify learning objectives for units or modules in their course. If you choose to do this, circle back after you complete Step 4, Organization, and complete the second learning objectives planing guide.
2-Assessments and Assignments
Plan assessments and assignments for each objective.
3-Content
Plan the content students will need for each assignment. Consider exploring some of the Open Educational Resource (OER) materials available at no cost. SCSU Library staff are available to assist. Jennifer Quinlan will be assisting faculty this fall with OER/OA. For the rest of the summer, please consult with Robin Ewing or Rhonda Huisman.
4-Organization
Break the course up into units by topic or amount of time.
5-Syllabus
Using the information from steps 1-4, populate your syllabus with information students will need.
