Module 1: Planning the Course Modules

In developing a course, the planning tasks include: (1) analyzing learners and/or the learning context; (2) defining learning outcomes; and (3) structuring content.

In writing the course modules, there is a slight change in the tasks involved. Since the learning objectives for the course and the course content have been approved by the University Council, the course or module writer simply needs to review the course objectives and course coverage, and focus on structuring or chunking the approved content into specific modules. The planning tasks of the course writer are as follows: (1) reviewing the approved course objectives and course outline; (2) organizing the course content into specific modules; and (3) defining the learning objectives per module.

Objectives

After working on this module, you should be able to:

1. Review the approved course objectives and course outline;
2. Organize or structure the course content into specific modules; and
3. Formulate the learning objectives per module.

Reviewing the Course Objectives and Course Outline

In reviewing the approved course objectives and course outline for the course you have been tasked to write, your immediate concerns as course writer is how to ensure that the course objectives and the course coverage (i.e. topics and subtopics) are aligned, and that these are appropriate for the target learners of the program where the course is included.

At UPOU we strive to ensure that our courses are designed to be learner-centered. While our learners are expected to achieve the same learning outcomes, they are also assumed to have different learning motivations, priorities, and approaches to learning. UPOU students come from different academic backgrounds and work experiences, which translates to a wide range of subject-related knowledge and competence, motivations and expectations in learning, and preferred approaches to learning. UPOU students are also geographically dispersed and their access to and confidence in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) vary. Linguistic abilities, age and cultural background are also factors in how students learn.

Structuring the Course Content into Specific Modules

Now that you have reviewed the course objectives and thought about who your target learners are and the need to design the course for them to be able to meet the learning objectives, you need to translate the course outline into a list of module topics and sub-topics. In doing so, your concern should be not only that the modules cover all of the key topics of the course, but also that the modules are sequenced correctly/logically.

In determining what topics and sub-topics to include, be guided by Bates and Poole’s (2003) recommendation to avoid overloading students by classifying topics as follows:

1. Topics that are essential to know (relative to the target learning outcomes)
2. Topics that are useful to know (relative to the target learning outcomes)
3. Topics that are merely interesting to know and can therefore be skipped

Formulating the Learning Objectives Per Module

Learning objectives are written with learners in mind (what learners will be able to do), while course goals are written from the perspective of program developers (what the course hope to achieve). Some principles in formulating learning objectives are shown below (Carnegie Mellon (2014):

• Learning objectives should be student-centered.
• Learning objectives should break down the task and focus on specific cognitive processes.
• Learning objectives should use action verbs.
• Learning objectives should be measurable.

Learning objectives are stated using verbs that describe the learner’s expected behavior or action. Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive learning objectives includes the following hierarchical levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Read more about Bloom’s Taxonomy to guide you in choosing action verbs for each cognitive level. Ideally, the learning objectives for each module should be stated with reference to the higher-order thinking skills.

In addition, learning objectives should be stated as clearly and as precisely as possible. Read about the ABCD of Learning Objectives to help you formulate well-stated learning objectives:

Audience (Who will do the behavior?)

Behavior (What should the learner be able to do?)

Condition (Under what conditions do you want the learner to be able to do it?)

Degree (How well must it be done?)

An example of an objective written in the ABCD format is:

After going through this module [the condition], the learner [the audience] should be able to formulate a detailed plan for delivering a course online [the behavior] that integrates constructivist learning principles [the degree].