A Message from the Director

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for taking the time to be here! I know how busy everyone is, particularly at this strange moment in history, so I take your presence here as a reflection of your deep commitment to your teaching and to our students, and I sincerely thank you for that. 

The success of a course is often determined long before the students walk into the classroom. Whether you have taught a course a hundred times before or are prepping a new course from scratch, taking the time upfront to think carefully about your goals and overall course design can not only increase student learning but can make the actual implementation easier, can save you time in the long run, and better allow you to pivot and adapt if circumstances require it (a huge bonus given the uncertainties of the next several months!). Although faculty were not able to engage in this sort of intentional planning for the transition to remote teaching this spring, we do have an opportunity to ensure we go into the fall better prepared. 

Before we begin, I want to be clear that this course is focused almost entirely on the foundational "what" questions of effective course design:

  1. What knowledge, skills and attitudes do you want students to learn? (goals and outcomes)
  2. What evidence will students produce to show they have learned? (assessments)
  3. What will students do in order to acquire the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes, i.e., what will they do to actually learn? (activities)

There is also some discussion of the "how" of course delivery, i.e., specific tools or best practices for implementation, as course design and course delivery are inextricably linked. However, in order to remain as flexible as possible going into the fall, I would encourage you to first ensure that your "WHAT" is fully articulated and be prepared for the potential changes in your "HOW". Please see this post, Designing effective courses means thinking through the WHAT and the HOW (in that order), Links to an external site. for a more detailed explanation of the difference, and connection between design and delivery. 

Some of this will seem academic, in the 'not practically relevant' sense that word is sometimes used (no offensive intended!) but I hope you will find that by investing the time to think intentionally about these foundational questions, you will be better prepared to face an uncertain future with flexibility and agility, and without sacrificing student learning (or anyone's mental health!). 

This course is designed to be asynchronous and self-paced, which provides ultimate flexibility for those who do not feel able to commit to anything time-bound. The downside to this format is that the only one holding you accountable for the work is YOU, as there are no deadline and there is little opportunity for interaction or feedback from others. However, if you have any questions, concerns or just want to check in at any point along the way, please do not hesitate to contact me at jimazeki@sdsu.edu, or click on the QCC.png icon at the bottom of each page to access an open discussion board.

Jennifer Imazeki
Director, Center for Inclusive Excellence

P.S. When you get to the end of the course, you will be asked to complete a course evaluation Links to an external site.. Your feedback will help us improve the course so please don't skip that last page!

To continue to information on how to navigate through the course, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page...