Instructors collaborating on post-it notes during a Course Design Institute

Apply by Friday, March 31, to join the 2023 Course Design Institute

Are you interested in designing or redesigning a course? Do you want to connect with experts on backward course design and with peers to discuss teaching ideas?

Apply to join the 2023 Course Design Institute, a multi-day, in-person event for instructors who wish to learn how to design, redesign, or revise a course.

“I am glad to have participated in the Course Design Institute,” says Philip Combiths, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “The dedicated time to learn and reflect on course design practices in the context of the courses I was developing was invaluable. I have found myself frequently recommending it to my colleagues.” 

You’ll receive hands-on guidance and learn how to:

  • Apply evidence-based frameworks and strategies to design an integrated and equitable course.
  • Develop and align course components, including learning goals and objectives, equitable assessments, and authentic learning activities.
  • Demonstrate course structures and teaching approaches through a syllabus, proposal, or other artifact.

“The Course Design Institute gave me the opportunity to think deeply and carefully about my class,” says June Tai, clinical professor in the UI College of Law. “I learned more about the theory behind course design and had a chance to immediately apply that theory to practice. It was also a good community building experience, and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet other instructors across campus and hear about their approaches to teaching.”

You’ll have opportunities to network with peers across disciplines, and educational developers from the OTLT Center for Teaching will be available to offer continued partnership. Faculty who are interested in developing general education course proposals or who wish to teach with particular pedagogies, such as experiential learning, will receive tailored guidance.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to reinvigorate and reshape your classes to help your students truly learn,” says Spencer Stumpf, supervisory excellence trainer in UI Learning and Development. “You’ll gain a deeper understanding of your own content as you come up with new, empirically-backed ways to design and teach your course. Designing discussions and activities with colleagues from other disciplines will spark your creativity, and you’ll remember why you started teaching in the first place.”

Apply by Friday, March 31, to join the 2023 Course Design Institute. The institute will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday, May 22, through Friday, May 26, in the Main Library. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided each day.