1B: What Does It Mean to Build an Effective and Inclusive Course?
"Good teaching is the purposeful structuring of experiences from which students cannot escape without learning." - Andrew Milne
While you have likely come to this course because you want to learn the nuts and bolts of course design (how do I actually DO this?), it is worth taking just a little time to consider the big picture as well. What does it mean to be an effective and inclusive teacher and how can you ensure that you are designing effective and inclusive courses?
Before diving into the material below, take a minute to think back to your own experience as a student. Which instructors stand out in your mind (for good or bad) and why? What courses or specific class meetings do you recall being particularly noteworthy in terms of sparking your interest and/or deepening your learning? What was it about them that made them effective?
What does it mean to be an effective teacher?
One model that may be useful for new teachers is to consider the types of attitudes, skills and knowledge that effective teachers need:
[Video on model of effective teaching]
Links to an external site.
What does it mean to build an effective course?
Another model that may be useful is to consider the components of an effective course, that is, one where all students are most likely to learn at deep levels:
[Video on characteristics of deep-learning classroom]
Links to an external site.
What does it mean to be inclusive?
Note that a key pillar of an effective course - one where ALL students can learn at deep levels - is inclusion:
[Video on principles of inclusive teaching]
Links to an external site.
[If you prefer text, see the powerpoint file for these three videos instead]