Course Design
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 2
2. Background Theory…………………………………………………………………………3
2.1 Student Learning .............................................................................................................. 3
2.2 Fundamental Concepts in Course Design ........................................................................ 4
2.2.1 Constructive alignment of teaching........................................................................... 6
2.2.2 Teaching-research links............................................................................................. 7
2.3 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 8
2.4 Further Reading ................................................................................................................ 8
3. Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes………………………………………………..10
3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Getting started ................................................................................................................ 10
3.2.1 Steps in defining objectives..................................................................................... 12
3.3 Guidelines for Writing Learning Outcomes or Course Objectives ................................ 13
3.4 Learning Outcomes for a Selection of Courses .............................................................. 16
3.5 Further Reading .............................................................................................................. 18
4. Developing the Assessment Framework .............................................................................. 19
4.1 Principles of Assessment ................................................................................................ 19
4.2 Method for Developing the Assessment Framework ..................................................... 22
4.3 Some Guidelines for Assessing Student Performance ................................................... 24
4.3.1 Preparing individual assessment tasks .................................................................... 24
4.4. Some Examples of Assessment ..................................................................................... 26
4.5 Different Assessment Strategies..................................................................................... 30
4.6 Further Reading .............................................................................................................. 31
5. Content and Sequence .......................................................................................................... 32
6. Teaching and Learning Process............................................................................................ 35
6.1 Use of Course Evaluations ............................................................................................. 35
6.2 Your Role in Student Learning ...................................................................................... 35
6.3 Teaching and Learning Activities .................................................................................. 35
6.4 Resourcing the Course ................................................................................................... 36
6.5 Workload ........................................................................................................................ 36
6.6 Course Timetable ........................................................................................................... 36
6.7 Course Evaluation .......................................................................................................... 38
6.8 Further Reading .............................................................................................................. 38
Appendix A: Course Outline Template .................................................................................... 41
Appendix B: Checklist of Resources ....................................................................................... 46
Appendix C: Chapter 9 “Assessing for learning quality II: practice” ...................................... 47
1
1. Introduction
For this workshop you are expected to have in mind a particular course, or part of a course, on
which you are working. Key ideas will be introduced and you will be given the opportunity
to apply them to your own context. The workshop will cover aspects of course design such as
learning outcomes and course objectives, developing the assessment framework, content and
sequence of the course and finally the teaching and learning process.
The aims of this workshop are to:
-
understand the principles underlying course design
apply the principles in developing a course.
More specifically, after the workshop you should be able to:
o appreciate contemporary theory on student learning and course design
o construct appropriate learning objectives and outcomes for your course
o understand the principles of designing assessment
o consider different types of assessment
o appreciate the different ways of structuring your course
o consider appropriate teaching and learning activities for your course
o appreciate the other factors that impact on how you teach your course.
The intention of this workshop is not to comprehensively cover all these aspects. Rather it is
to give you an overview of how to design a course and equip you with the necessary resources
to explore aspects in more detail.
The teaching and learning activities for the workshop include:
- informing (drawing on resource book and other research)
- sharing ideas – in groups, plenary
- reflecting – on own practice.
This resource book provides more detail on the topics discussed as well as some suggestions
for future reading. The book has five sections that are related to the workshop objectives.
Section 2 discusses background theory for student learning and the main concepts underlying
course design. Section 3 concerns course objectives and learning outcomes. Developing an
assessment framework is the focus of Section 4 and Section 5 considers the content and
sequence of a course. Section 6 discusses aspects of the teaching and learning process.
This workshop draws strongly on earlier course design workshops given by Cedric Hall at
Victoria University, and Margaret Harrison at the University of Canterbury.
2
2. Background Theory
This module will introduce key ideas pertaining to student learning and fundamental concepts
in course design.
2.1 Student Learning
Biggs (2003) suggests that learning is a way of interacting with the world.
“As we learn, our conceptions of phenomena change, and we see the world differently. The
acquisition of information itself does not bring about such a change, but the way we structure
that information and think with it does. Thus education is about conceptual change, not just
the acquisition of information” (Biggs, 2003:13).
Several researchers have tried to tease out how students learn. A Swedish researcher Saljo
(1979, reported in Ramsden, 2003), interviewed adults to find out about their conceptions of
learning. He identified five categories:
1. Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is acquiring information
or ‘knowing a lot.’
2. Learning as memorising. Learning is storing information that can be reproduced.
3. Learning as acquiring facts, skills, and methods that can be retained and used as
necessary.
4. Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves relating parts of
the subject matter to each other and to the real world.
5. Learning as interpreting and understanding reality in a different way. Learning
involves comprehending the world by reinterpreting knowledge.
(Saljo, 1979 cited in Ramsden, 2003:27-28)
The categories are hierarchical so that a student who sees learning as understanding reality,
should also be able to see it as increasing their knowledge. Further, the higher order
conceptions should be gained by university students. Conceptions 4 and 5 imply a more
relativisitic, complex and systematic view of knowledge and how it is achieved and used
(Ramsden, 2003). They imply a ‘deep approach’ to learning in which the intention is to
understand. Characteristics of a deep approach are for students to focus on underlying
meaning; the main ideas, principles or successful applications. Teachers can encourage
students to take a deep approach to learning by:
-
Teaching in such a way as to bring out the structure of the topic or subject explicitly
Teaching to elicit a positive response from students, e.g. by questioning or giving
problems rather than teaching to expound information
Teaching by building on what students already know
Confronting and eradicating students’ misconceptions
Assessing for structure rather than for independent facts
Teaching and assessing in a way that encourages a positive working atmosphere, so
students can make mistakes and learn from them
Emphasising depth of learning, rather than breadth of coverage
Using teaching and assessment methods that support the explicit aims and objectives
of the course (Biggs, 2003: 17).
3
Conversely and less desirably, students may take a surface approach to learning. This is when
they want to get a task out of the way with minimum trouble, while appearing to meet
requirements. Such an approach might involve memorising information for assessment,
focusing on unrelated parts of the task, associating facts and concepts unreflectively, quoting
secondary references as if they were primary ones, listing points instead of addressing an
argument, and failing to distinguish principles from examples. Teaching that encourages this
surface approach includes:
-
Teaching in a piecemeal fashion: providing ‘lists’, not bringing out the intrinsic
structure of the topic or subject
Assessing for independent facts e.g. often done in short answer and multiple choice
tests
Teaching and assessing, in a way that encourages cynicism: for example, ‘I hate
teaching this section, and you’re going to hate learning it, but we’ve got to cover it’
Providing insufficient time to engage the tasks, emphasising coverage at the expense
of depth
Creating undue anxiety or low expectations of success e.g. ‘Anyone who can’t
understand this isn’t fit to be at university’ (Biggs, 2003:15).
Good university teaching therefore, should aim to help students change their understanding of
reality so that students understand phenomena in the way subject experts do. As teachers we
should be pushing students beyond surface learning to take a deep approach. Keep this in
mind as you design your course. Your learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities,
and assessment tasks should all endeavour to encourage students to take a deep approach to
learning.
2.2 Fundamental Concepts in Course Design
Hopefully we have common agreement that we should be striving to encourage our students
to take a deep approach to learning. There are four main questions that need to be addressed
in designing a course for learning:
1) What is most important for these students to know and how can I express my goals to
them? This is the problem of goals and structure.
2) What might be the best ways for them to learn it? This is the problem of the teachinglearning process.
3) How can I find out whether they have learned it? This is the problem of assessment.
4) How can I estimate the effectiveness of my teaching and use the information I gather
to improve it? This is the problem of evaluation.
These questions should be kept in mind throughout the design process and will be addressed
in sections 3-6 of this resource folder. There are of course many more questions that must be
addressed in the course design process (Figure 1). This section continues by exploring three
fundamental issues in course design. These are the the notion of constructive alignment as a
model for obtaining coherence, and how to establish strong links to research in teaching.
4
Questions to consider in the design of individual courses
TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
What are the goals of a university
education? That is, what are your
university's obligations to scholarship,
students, and the wider community?
What is your role in student learning?
What are the objectives of the degree to
which your course/module belongs?
How does your course/module relate to others
in the same programme?
What approaches do students take to their
study? What strategies can you use to foster
a deep approach to their study?
What activities will promote student
involvement and interest in the subject?
How can you best use lectures, tutorials,
labs, etc. to foster student involvement in
the subject?
Who are your students? What are their
educational, social & cultural backgrounds?
Why are they taking your course? What are
their needs?
What resources do you need to support the
teaching-learning environment?
What are the pre-requisite and co-requisite
skills, knowledge and values?
How will you monitor/evaluate teaching and
learning so as to enhance the quality of the
learning experience?
How does all of this translate into learning
outcomes appropriate to your content?
KNOWLEDGE BASE
OF THE SUBJECT
Knowledge,
concepts,
theories, skill,
values
theories, skill, values
ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
CONTENT AND SEQUENCE
What tasks will be set? (Essays? Tests?
Projects? Oral presentation? etc.)
What material will you cover? Why this
material? To what level/depth should you go?
What student qualities/objectives are to be
assessed in each task?
Are these qualities/objectives derivable
from the learning outcomes?
What grade and marking criteria will be
used?
What provisions have been made for
self-assessment?
Have students been clearly informed of all
assessment requirements, including the
objectives and grade and marking criteria?
What are the resource implications of the
assessment requirements, including the
student and staff workloads?
How will you organise this material into
units or blocks? (By topics? Themes?
Competencies? Problems? Case studies?)
For each unit or block, what are the specific
objectives? Are these objectives derivable
from the major learning outcomes?
How will you sequence the course
units?
What freedom will you provide students to
select material for themselves to study?
(After Cedric Hall, UTDC)
Figure 1: Central questions in the course design process
5
2.2.1 Constructive alignment of teaching
Tyler (1949:63 cited in Biggs, 2003) suggested that:
Learning takes place through the active behaviour of the student: it is what he does that he
learns, not what the teacher does.
Drawing upon Tyler’s ideas, Shuell (1986: 429) stated that:
“If students are to learn desired outcomes in a reasonably effective manner, then the
teacher’s fundamental task is to get students to engage in learning activities that are likely to
result in their achieving those outcomes.”
Biggs (2003) extended Shuell’s ideas to include assessment in an aligned system of teaching
(Figure 2). This alignment of objectives, teaching methods and assessment is central to
facilitating successful outcomes for students. However, Biggs (1999, 2003) also suggested
teaching should be based on a constructivist theory of learning. Most of the current ideas
about student learning, including experiential learning and the use of reflection, are based in
constructivism (Fry et al., 2003). This theory has the premise that meaning is not imposed or
transmitted by direct instruction, but that meaning is created by the students’ learning
activities. Constructivism suggests that we learn by fitting new understanding and knowledge
into, with, extending and supplanting, old understanding and knowledge. What students will
construct from a learning encounter depends on ‘student factors’ such as prior knowledge,
ability and motivation, the ‘teaching context’ such as objectives, assessment, ethos, teaching,
institutional procedures, and the teaching/learning activities. Additions to knowledge, in the
sense of accumulated ‘facts’, may sometimes be possible without any substantial
transformation, but higher order learning involving understanding, can usually only happen
when there is conceptual change to incorporate new understanding (Fry et al., 2003). Thus
Biggs (1999) embraced the notion of ‘constructive alignment’ in course design, which he
conceived as a “marriage between a constructivist understanding of the nature of learning,
and an aligned design for teaching (Biggs, 1999:26).”
In an aligned system of teaching there are:
-
clear objectives which state the level of understanding required (rather than a list of
topics)
teaching and learning activities that are chosen to realise those objectives
assessment tasks to address the objectives.
In a constructively aligned course, the students themselves do the real work while the teacher
simply arranges things so that it is more likely they will.
Not only should a course be internally coherent and aligned, but the objectives and content of
a course should be consistent with the purpose and objectives of the programme to which it
belongs.
6
Teaching/learning
activities
designed to
generate/ elicit
desired verbs
May be:
teacher-controlled
peer-controlled
self-controlled
as best suits
context
Curriculum objectives
expressed as verbs students
have to enact
---------------------------------------------A
The very best understanding
that could reasonably be expected:
might contain verbs such as
hypothesize, apply to ‘far’
domains etc
---------------------------------------------B
Highly satisfactory understanding:
might contain verbs such as explain,
solve, analyse, compare etc.
---------------------------------------------C
Quite satisfactory learning, with
understanding at a declarative level:
verbs such as elaborate, classify,
cover topics a to n.
---------------------------------------------D
Understanding at a level that would
warrant a pass: low level verbs, also
inadequate but salvageable higher
level attempts.
Assessment tasks
Evaluate how well the
target verbs are deployed
in context
The highest level to be
clearly manifested
becomes the final
grade (A, B, C etc.)
Figure 2: An aligned system of teaching whereby teaching and learning activities and
assessment tasks are directly aligned with curriculum objectives (Biggs, 2003:28).
2.2.2 Teaching-research links
In the University of Otago Charter (2003:1) there is reference to the special character of this
institution with its “excellence in research and research-led teaching together with a tradition
of innovation.”
TASK 1: How is teaching and research related in your teaching? Jot down a few examples
of the teaching-research links you make.
Research reported by Jenkins et al. (2003) shows that for many academics there is a strong
belief that quality teaching is functionally dependent on the lecturer being directly involved in
research. Elton (2001: 43) suggests that “a positive research and teaching link primarily
depends on the nature of the students’ learning experiences, resulting from appropriate
teaching and learning processes, rather than on particular inputs or outcomes.” Thus as
Jenkins et al. (2003) suggest, we need to design courses that explicitly link teaching and
research. They go on to suggest four strategies for course design:
7
Strategy 1. Develop students’ understanding of research
- Develop the curriculum to bring out current and/or previous research developments in
the discipline.
- Develop student awareness of learning from staff involvement in research (and
perhaps research-based consultancy and professional practice).
- Develop student understanding of how research is organised and funded in the
discipline, institution and profession.
Strategy 2. Develop students’ abilities to carry out research
- Students learn in ways that ‘mirror’ research processes.
- Assess students in ways that mirror research processes.
- Provide training in relevant research skills and knowledge.
- Ensure students experience courses that require them to do research projects, and that
there is a progressive move to projects of greater complexity.
- Develop student involvement in staff research.
Strategy 3. Progressively develop students’ understanding
- Ensure that introductory courses induct students into the role of research in their
discipline and present knowledge as created, uncertain and contested.
- Ensure that advanced courses develop students’ understanding of research, and
progressively develop their capacities to do research.
- Ensure that graduating year courses require students to carry out a major research
study and help them to integrate their understanding of (the role of) research in their
discipline or interdisciplines.
Strategy 4. Manage student experience of research
- Limit the negative consequences for students of staff involvement in research and
consultancy.
- Evaluate and research student experience of research and consultancy and feed that
back into the curriculum.
- Support students in making clear to them the employability elements of research and
consultancy.
(Jenkins et al., 2003:63-64)
2.3 Summary
As we design courses we must have clear ideas about what is most important for our students
to know and what might be the best ways for them to learn it. What we think is important
will be strongly influenced by the nature of the discipline and how knowledge is constructed
in that discipline. We should be designing courses that encourage a deep approach to learning
as well as courses that strengthen teaching-research links.
2.4 Further Reading
Biggs, J (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University: Second Edition, Buckingham, The
Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- a key text for academics – it is very readable and contains a wealth of information on all
aspects of university teaching. Full of useful practical advice.
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2331 B526 2003
8
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2003) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education, Second Edition. London, Kogan Page.
- an excellent text that discusses theories of student learning and teaching, and considers all
aspects of curriculum design. Part 3 takes a more in-depth at teaching in various disciplines.
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2331 H6863 2003
Jenkins, A., Breen, R. and Lindsay, R. (2003) Reshaping Teaching in Higher Education: Linking
Teaching with Research. London, Staff and Educational Development Series.
- another excellent text that tackles how to strengthen teaching–research links at all levels from
the individual, to course and institutional levels.
- It draws on contemporary research and offers practical advice and strategies for linking
research and teaching.
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2326.3 JH2
Ramsden, P (1992) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London, Routledge.
- another key text for academics
- Part 2 concerns course design for learning
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2331.R519
Toohey, S (1999) Designing Courses for Higher Education, Buckingham, The Society for Research
into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- a classic and highly recommended text for course designers
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2361.TN27
NB: Other cited references are given in a reference section at the end of this book.
9
3. Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
3.1 Introduction
Much contemporary research on course design (e.g. Biggs, 2003; Fry et al., 2003; Ramsden,
2003) advocates an outcomes-based approach whereby the first step of the course design
process is to consider what the students will be able to do at the end of the course. This
stance stems from a learner-centred pedagogy whereby the focus is on students, rather than a
teacher-centred stance, which is more concerned with what the teacher wants to teach. Those
who are teacher-centred will probably prescribe more to defining learning objectives, which
requires teachers to make conscious choices about a wide range of teaching and learning
activities. Ramsden (2003: 130) suggests that aims are general statements of educational
intent, seen from the student’s point of view, while objectives are more specific and concrete
statements of what students are expected to learn. Learning outcomes are what the students
should be able to do at the end of your course. However, the use of outcomes has been rather
fraught in higher education as some proponents believe that outcomes should be observable
and measurable. While this may be the case for some courses (particularly clinical courses),
there may be a range of outcomes that cannot be predicted or measured. So you should be
aware of the subtle difference between objectives and outcomes. What is even more
confusing is that often the terms are used interchangeably (Fry et al., 2003). In practice, the
important thing is to start by considering and elucidating, what it is you want students to be
able to do at the end of your course. We continue this section by going through the process of
developing course aims and learning outcomes.
Note that course outlines should be written with the student in mind and give explicit details
about learning outcomes as well as how the course is taught and assessed (see course outline
template in Appendix A).
3.2 Getting started
One starting point which has worked successfully with academic staff, is to consider the
broader goals of a university education and then use these to guide the course design process
within a particular paper.
You should first address the questions:
1. What are the goals of university education?
2. Why should students study this course?
3. What should they be able to do at the end of your course?
as a lead in to your course aims and learning outcomes. We consider each question briefly
here but it is for you to answer these questions in a way that provides direction and purpose to
the course(s) that you teach.
1. What are the goals of a university education?
One reason for asking this question is that you need to know how your course fits into the
overall scheme of things: how it relates to the traditions of university education and how it
meets the needs of students and society. You also need to think about your obligations under
the University’s charter. Are there requirements that you haven’t thought about? Are there
10
goals which you have lost sight of? All too often the broader goals of university education
become lost in the day-to-day grind of lectures, tutorials, assignments etc. Courses may
become bogged down in the transmission of information from teacher to student, omitting the
opportunities that students need if they are to develop intellectual independence.
Some extracts from the University’s Charter and Teaching and Learning Plan follow. See
how they relate to your own context. Note that it will not be possible for you to embody all
the statements in the wording of the learning outcomes that you specify for your course; some
may relate to the way you organise and manage your course, to the way you run classes and
encourage participation. Content and process both need to be considered.
The University of Otago’s mission aims to:
“advance, preserve and promote knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual independence
to enhance the understanding, development and well-being of individuals and society.”
(University of Otago Charter, 2003:1)
Further, the University of Otago Teaching and Learning Plan (2005-2010) lists the attributes
of a graduate:
-
Communication – the ability to communicate information, arguments and analyses
effectively
Critical thinking – the ability to analyse issues logically, consider different options
and viewpoints, and make informed decisions
Cultural understanding – an understanding of cultural diversity within the framework
of the Treaty of Waitangi, and biculturalism and multiculturalism in New Zealand
Ethics – a knowledge of ethics, ethical standards and social responsibility
Global perspective – an appreciation of the global perspective in their chosen
discipline(s), and an informed sense of the impact of the international environment on
New Zealand and New Zealand’s contribution to the international environment
In-depth knowledge – a deep, coherent and extensive knowledge of at least one
discipline coupled with an understanding of the fundamental contribution of research
Information literacy – a basic understanding of information literacy and specific skills
in acquiring, organising and presenting information, in particular through computerbased activity
Interdisciplinary perspective – intellectual openness and curiosity, and the awareness
of the limits of current knowledge and of the links between disciplines
Lifelong learning – a commitment to lifelong learning, with the ability to apply
knowledge, develop existing skills, adapt to a changing environment, and acquire new
skills
Research – the ability to conduct research by recognising when information is needed,
and locating, retrieving, evaluating and using it effectively
Scholarship – a commitment to the fundamental importance of the acquisition and
development of knowledge and understanding
Self-motivation – the capacity for self-directed activity and the ability to work
independently
Teamwork – the ability to work effectively as both a team leader and a team member
Workplace-related skills – enterprise, self-confidence and a sense of personal
responsibility within the workplace and community.
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2. Why should students study your course?
Again, there are several reasons for asking this question. As above, it may provoke you into
thinking more closely about the learning outcomes or objectives of your course and how they
relate to the goals of university education. You may also think about the way your course fits
with the objectives or outcomes of other courses in your department or, more generally, the
place of your course in the broader discipline of your department. More importantly, you
may focus on the needs of your students: where they come from; the expectations they have;
the skills they bring with them; the content you should therefore cover; and the learning
experiences you should provide.
3. What should students be able to do at the end of your course?
This is another critical question. Try to determine the key outcomes for students. There are
five domains of intended learning outcomes:
- knowledge and understanding
- keys skills: communication, numeracy, IT, learning to learn
- cognitive skills (e.g. ability in critical analysis)
- subject-specific skills (e.g. laboratory skills)
- values and attitudes.
(Fry et al., 2003)
Biggs (2003) describes four type of knowledge:




Declarative: or propositional knowledge, which refers to knowing about things or
knowing what. For example, knowing what the terms of an equation refer to, knowing
what kinds of cloud formations can be distinguished, knowing what were the important
events in Shakespeare’s life.
Procedural: skill-based, which is a matter of getting the sequences and actions right,
knowing what to do when a given situation arises, having the right competencies.
Conditional: subsumes both declarative and procedural so that one knows when and why
and under what conditions, one should do this, as opposed to that.
Functioning knowledge: subsumes the three above knowledges, and involves a solid
foundation of academic knowledge (declarative knowledge), as well as knowing how to
do things such as carrying out procedures (procedural knowledge), knowing when to do
these things, and why (conditional knowledge). It is putting declarative knowledge to
work. Graduates should be educated so that they attain functioning knowledge. The
reality is often that they only attain declarative knowledge and some procedural
knowledge.
3.2.1 Steps in defining objectives
1. Decide what kind of knowledge is to be involved
2. Select the topics to teach – remember the greatest enemy of understanding is
coverage.
3. Determine the purpose of teaching the topic, and hence the level of knowledge
desirable for students to acquire.
4. Put the package of objectives together and relate them to assessment tasks so that the
results can be reported as a final grade.
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TASK 2: Take some time to answer questions (2) and (3).
3.3 Guidelines for Writing Learning Outcomes or Course Objectives
Remember that learning outcomes focus on what students should be able to do after
completing their study. But also recall that in the literature these are often also called
objectives. The guidelines given here are drawn from Biggs (2003), chapter 3.
Goals and aims are more general, such as ‘to teach for understanding’, while objectives or
outcomes are much more specific. An objective or outcome not only refers to content but
should also contain a criterion for the level of learning required, and that the assessment tasks
can address (i.e. criterion-referenced assessment). With constructive alignment, the focus is
not just on what the students know, but also on how well they know it. The curriculum
outcomes are central to the course or unit. They express what we want the students to
understand after we have taught the unit, in a range of acceptability that is reflected in the
grading system. The aim is to specify levels of understanding in advance and embody them in
the outcomes. To illustrate the difference in language between aims and outcomes consider
the following:
Aims
Know
Understand
Determine
Appreciate
Grasp
Become familiar
Outcomes
Distinguish between
Choose
Assemble
Adjust
Identify
Solve, apply, list
Biggs and Collis (1982) developed the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO)
taxonomy to describe how a learner’s performance grows in complexity when mastering
many academic tasks. It can be used to define course objectives, which describe where
students should be operating, and for evaluating learning outcomes so that we know at what
level individual students actually are operating. At the lower end of the SOLO taxonomy are
uni- and multi-structural levels, which see understanding as a quantitative increase in what is
grasped. At the higher levels student learning changes qualitatively as they deepen their
knowledge and increase understanding. Thus the relational level involves explaining and
demonstrates understanding, while the extended abstract goes beyond what was asked to
apply to new and broader domains. Two major course aims are often to increase knowledge
(quantitative: uni-structural becoming increasingly multi-structural); and to deepen
understanding (qualitative: relational, then extended abstract).
Once you have decided on what level of learning outcome is required (e.g. uni-structural,
relational etc.), then you must clearly state the objectives using the appropriate verbs (Table
1) and giving the context. The verb describes the kind of action students should take (e.g.
describe, list, explain, reflect), while the context states what the action is to be. Verbs are
concrete, easy for you to handle and for students to understand, and they can be related to all
stages of teaching objectives, teaching/learning activities and assessment tasks.
13
Table 1: A hierarchy of verbs to use when forming course objectives or outcomes (from Biggs
2003).
Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) Levels
Prestructural
Unistructural
Multistructural
Relational
Misses point
Identify
Do simple
procedure
Enumerate
Describe
Extended
abstract
Compare/contrast Theorise
Explain causes
Generalise
List
Combine
Do algorithms
Analyse
Relate
Apply
Hypothesise
Reflect
Examples:
Verb
Context
1.
Describe
methods of random sampling
2.
Adopt safe practices in the laboratory
3.
List days of the week in Maori
4.
Compare and contrast braided and meandering rivers
5.
Evaluate
different solutions to a problem
6.
Hypothesise
why urban areas are generally warmer than rural
surrounds
Most tertiary courses have between 3 and 6 general objectives or outcomes. Some courses
may have knowledge-related objectives as well as skill-related objectives. These objectives
give students a broad view of what they have to achieve. Examples of general outcomes
include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Apply correlational techniques to medical and social data.
Prepare a valid and reliable assessment programme.
Explain basic concepts and theories in… (your subject or discipline).
Write a coherent argument.
All of the above outcomes need elaboration for students to have a more precise idea of what is
wanted. Greater precision is also needed if the teacher is to assess (observe or measure) a
student’s achievement of a general objective. Depending on how the course is designed and
presented, the refinement of a general objective can be done with the presentation of each
topic or with the specification of each assessment task.
Hints about writing objectives or outcomes:
1. Write objectives which state what the students should be able to do, not what you are going
to do.
Good Construct different kinds of graphs
Bad Show students how to construct different kinds of graphs
14
2. Begin each objective with a verb.
Good Analyse two erosional landforms
Bad An analysis of two erosional landforms
3. Write objectives that are an outcome of learning, not a step on the way.
Good Explain the technical terms used in Chapter 3
Bad Read chapter 3
A common mistake in writing objectives is to use phrases such as “gain experience in…” or
“acquire skills in…”. Compare the following versions of the same objective:
Good Apply theory to real life situations
Bad Gain experience in applying theory to real life situations
Gaining experience is a step on the way to being able to apply theory to real situations.
Remember your objectives should state clearly what students should be able to do when they
have finished their study.
4. Do not confuse subject matter with objectives.
Good 1. Explain the mechanisms of information processing:
1.1 Explain:
Perception
Sensory perceptions
Sensory store
Encoding
1.2 Distinguish between short-term and long-term memory
Bad
During the course students will be introduced to theory and research
1. Information processing
1.1 What is memory?
1.2 Perception and encoding
1.3 Short-term memory
1.4 Long-term memory
on:
The second example gives a topic breakdown only. No indication is given of what students
should be able to do as a result of their study.
5. Preferably, have only one outcome in an objective.
Good Explain random sampling
Bad Explain random sampling and apply it to the design of an experiment
Try to present each outcome as a separate statement because students may be able to do one
much better than the other. With separate statements, you are better able to analyse how well
students meet each objective and adjust your teaching accordingly.
6. Keep your objectives concise. If a special condition or requirement is needed, state it
separately.
15
Good Construct a histogram
Bad Construct a histogram, applying common sense rules for identifying interval
size and choosing an appropriate scaled factor to represent frequencies; the
histogram should be properly titled and labeled.
It is not clear whether the second example specifies one or more outcomes. Students are
likely to be confused because too much information is given, masking exactly what has to be
done. If conditions are needed, write them below the objective as an explanatory note.
7. When a specific objective includes several items, give each item a new line.
Good Describe the gross structure of wood in terms of:
a. growth increments
b. growth related defects
c. heartwood and sapwood
d. wood rays
Bad Describe the growth structure of wood in terms of growth increments, growth
related defects, heartwood and sapwood, and wood rays.
When items are listed separately, students are less likely to overlook them.
8. Don’t omit complex objectives just because they are hard to write.
As a guide, first write brief topic notes of what you want the students to cover. Then see how
the general objectives for the course relate to the notes you have written. For each general
objective that relates to the topics, work out the important specific outcomes. Write specific
objectives on these. If necessary, refine further your specific objectives.
9. Set objectives that your students really can achieve.
10. Have a colleague check your objectives.
3.4 Learning Outcomes for a Selection of Courses
The following learning outcomes have been taken from course outlines. Note that most of the
outcomes relate to the broad goals of a course rather than the specific objectives that one
might associate with a particular topic or assignment. This is not a strict behaviourist
approach to the writing of objectives; for example, in a university context there is nothing
wrong with ‘understanding’ as a learning outcome even though many behaviourists would
argue that ‘understanding’ is not directly observable or measurable. The critical point is that
the broad outcomes for a course give the general direction that learning should take while the
particular assignments undertaken by students identify the specific qualities (skills,
knowledge, values etc.) that students are expected to demonstrate. The qualities being
assessed in an assignment should therefore derive from the broad outcomes of the course
(remember Bigg’s notion of alignment) and should be capable of being measured or judged in
some way.
16
Learning Outcomes of the First Year Health Science Programme
On completion of your study of the HSFY Programme you are expected to have:
 developed an understanding of how the normal healthy body functions at various
levels from the physical, chemical, biochemical, molecular, cellular, through to
functional organ systems, along with factors affecting health and disease in human
populations.
 developed a sense of the interconnectedness between different fields of knowledge in
the health sciences.
 developed a sound understanding of broader principles and concepts underpinning all
of the biomedical and life sciences.
 developed a strengthened understanding, commitment, excitement, and enthusiasm for
science and the scientific method.
 developed an awareness of why this knowledge is relevant to the study of ill-health.
 integrated and synthesised perspectives from the HSFY suite of papers.
 acquired a love of learning, and good learning practices leading to the development of
lifelong learning skills, including the ability to search for information, communicate
effectively orally and in writing, and adopt a critical stance to knowledge.
 developed an understanding of the importance of intellectual independence and its role
in effective learning.
 developed some understanding of what is involved in undertaking professional
courses in the health sciences, where these qualifications can lead to, and the sort of
career opportunities available.
 developed the basic learning skills to enable you to advance to your second year of
study.
Learning Outcomes of a 300 Level Social Policy Course
By the end of the course students should be able to:
1. understand the system of income acquisition and income distribution in NZ and the
part played by government in influencing this system;
2. understand the patterns of participation in paid and unpaid work and how these relate
to social and economic trends, and to social policy;
In addition students will be expected to:
3a. apply their understanding of 1 and 2 in the preparation of an individual research paper;
3b. demonstrate the findings of their research paper in a short presentation to the
rest
of the class.
17
Learning Outcomes for a 300 Level Mathematics Course
By the end of the course students should be able to:
-
demonstrate understanding of the mathematical concepts and theories involved in the
course
relate appropriate mathematical techniques to applications
use MAPLE symbolic algebra package to solve mathematical problems
write a mathematical report
constructively read mathematical articles and papers
appreciate uses of mathematics in understanding the environment, with particular
reference to NZ values.
Learning Outcomes for a 300 Level Social Science Research Methods Course
By the end of the course students should be able to:
-
explain the relative strengths and limitations of different research paradigms
critically evaluate the quality of a given research study
construct questionnaires, scales and other survey instruments
conduct an interview for a survey
analyse data using both quantitative and qualitative methods
design a research study on a topic of their own choice.
TASK 3: Try to generate some learning outcomes for your course. Think about knowledgerelated outcomes as well as skill-oriented outcomes.
3.5 Further Reading
Biggs, J (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University: Second Edition, Buckingham, The
Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- chapter 3 addresses curriculum objectives.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2003) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education, Second Edition. London, Kogan Page.
- chapter 3 discusses outcomes-based planning.
Toohey, S (1999) Designing Courses for Higher Education, Buckingham, The Society for Research
into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- chapters 4 and 7 address developing goals and outcomes.
18
4. Developing the Assessment Framework
4.1 Principles of Assessment
What and how students learn will depend on how they think they will be assessed. For
students, assessment always defines the actual curriculum. Consider Figure 3 from Biggs
(2003).
Teacher perspective: objectives  teaching activities  assessment

Student perspective: assessment  learning activities  outcomes
Figure 3: Teacher’s and student’s perspectives on assessment (Biggs, 2003)
Thus students will learn what they think they will be tested on. In a poorly aligned system,
where the assessment does not reflect the objectives, students will adopt a surface approach
to learning.
There are two main reasons for assessment:
1. To give feedback so that teachers and students know how learning is proceeding. This is
the basis of formative assessment. It can improve both teaching and learning.
2. To grade students at the end of a unit or to accredit at the end of a programme. This is
summative assessment.
“When the chef tastes the sauce it is formative assessment; when the customer tastes, it is
summative” (anon).
Within summative assessment there are two main types:
1. Norm-referenced assessment focuses on the relative standing of students, that is, how well
each person compares with others in the course.
2. Criterion-referenced assessment focuses on how well each person has mastered or
developed the knowledge and skills of the course, not on how she or he compares with other
students. As Biggs (1999:147) comments: “CRA is stunningly obvious: say what you want
the students to be able to do, teach them to do it and then see if they can in fact do it; if they
cannot, try again until they can.”
The differences between these two types are given in Table 2 over the page.
19
Table 2: Differences between norm-referenced assessment and criterion-referenced
assessment (from Biggs, 2003: 146).
Norm-referenced assessment
Criterion-referenced assessment
Mark, percentage, decile, rank order,
summative assessment
Exam, multiple-choice test, short-answer
Assess, authentic/performance
assessment, contextualised standards,
formative assessment, summative
assessment, criteria
Portfolio, concept map, reflective journal,
individualisation, optimal performance,
student-centred
Qualitative, grading categories,
curriculum objectives, alignment,
judgment, distribution-free, nonparametric statistics
Effort, skill, learning, competency,
expertise, mastery
Decontextualised assessment,
standardisation, ‘fairness’
Quantitative, average, grade-point
average, normal/bell curve, normal
distribution
Grading on a curve, a good spread of
scores
Parametric statistics, test-retest reliability,
internal consistency, discrimination
Selection, competition, high-flier, ability
Remember that the key to good course design is to have alignment between the objectives,
teaching methods and assessment. The Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO)
taxonomy described on page 15 gives a framework for developing objectives that can be
evaluated. The choice of objectives is closely related to the type of understanding required
which in turn leads to different assessment tasks. Table 3 suggests some of the levels of
understanding that we might want from our students, and what kinds of assessment tasks
might be used.
Table 3: Required levels and kinds of understanding, and suitable assessment tasks (Biggs,
1999:196). To find out more detail about the assessment tasks see Appendix C.
Objectives
1. Basic facts, terminology
2. Topic knowledge
3. Discipline knowledge
4. Functioning knowledge
5. Laboratory skills
Kinds and levels of
understanding
Recall, recognition
Individual topics,
relational, some multistructural relations
between topics
Conception of unit as a
whole
Topic or discipline
knowledge put to work
Procedural knowledge
6. Monitoring and
Metacognitive knowledge,
evaluation skills
self-directed learning
There are three core principles of effective assessment:
Suitable assessment tasks
MC or short answer
Gobbets, critical incidents
Letter to a friend, concept
map
Problem-solving, research
project
Laboratory behaviour, lab
reports
Self- and peer-assessment
20
1. Assessment that guides and encourages effective approaches to learning;
2. Assessment that validly and reliably measures expected learning outcomes, in particular
the higher-order learning that characterises higher education; and
3. Assessment and grading that define and protect academic standards (James et al.
2002:7).
You will note that these core principles point towards criterion-referenced assessment.
Well-designed assessment includes clear expectations, reasonable workloads and provides
opportunities for students to self-monitor, rehearse, practise and receive feedback. From a
student’s perspective the key ingredients of assessment are:
-
Unambiguous expectations – students want transparency in the way their knowledge
and skills are assessed;
Authentic tasks – students value assessment tasks they perceive to be ‘real’;
Choice and flexibility – students prefer ‘negotiated’ assessment and encouraging
students to engage with the curriculum expectations should assist them to become
more autonomous and independent learners (James et al., 2002).
Ramsden (2003) suggests 14 rules for better assessment in higher education:
1. Link assessment to learning.
2. Never assess without giving comments to students about how they might improve.
3. Learn from your students’ mistakes.
Use assessment to discover their
misunderstandings and then modify your teaching to address them.
4. Deploy a wide range of assessment methods.
5. Try to get students participating in the assessment process through:
a. discussions of appropriate methods and how these relate to course objectives
b. joint staff-student design of assessment questions and negotiation of criteria
for success and failure
c. self and peer assessment activities
d. offering students responsible choice among different methods,
6. Give lucid and frequent messages, both in the assessment questions you set and in
your course goals, that memorisation and reproduction will be penalised and that
success in your course will only be achieved through decisive demonstrations of
understanding.
7. Think about the relation between formative and summative assessment.
8. Use multiple-choice and other ‘objective’ tests very cautiously, preferably in
combination with other methods.
9. In subjects involving quantitative manipulations, always include questions requiring
explanations in prose.
10. Focus on validity (is what you are measuring important?) before reliability (is your
test consistent?).
11. Do everything in your power to lessen the anxiety raised by assessments.
12. Never set an assignment or examination question you are not ready to answer
yourself. Practise writing model answers and use them to help students appreciate
what you want.
13. Reduce the between-student competitive aspects of assessment while simultaneously
providing inducements to succeed against a standard (through using assessments of
group products and deriving standards from several cohorts of students, for example).
14. Be suspicious of objectivity and accuracy of all measures of student ability and
21
conscious that human judgement is the most important element in every indicator of
achievement.
Now that we have considered the basic principles of good assessment, we will now discuss
how to go about achieving these ideals!
4.2 Method for Developing the Assessment Framework
Before you devise an assessment framework for your course, you should ask yourself some
basic questions:
Questions
Why do I need to assess?
What am I going to assess?
When and how often am I going to assess?
How am I going to assess?
What resources am I going to need?
How do I ensure fairness?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Focus of assessment
Purpose of assessment
Content and objectives
Timing of assessments
Assessment tasks
Resources and constraints
Validity and reliability
Let's take these questions in turn: a few brief thoughts on each is provided.
1.
Why assess?





to give grades and award qualifications
to give feedback, motivate students
to diagnose learning difficulties
to improve the course
for your own accountability
The reason(s) that you assess will affect the kind of assessment task you select and whether
the judgments you make will be used formally (for entry into departmental records) or
informally. Thus you need to consider whether you use formative or summative assessment
and the mix of assessment tasks.
2.
What am I going to assess?
The assessments that you make of students should be directed towards the learning outcomes
that you have specified. A useful question to ask yourself is: What qualities am I looking for
in the work of students, and are these qualities derivable from the learning outcomes of the
course?
An essay, for example, might test qualities such as:
relevance to the question
coherence of arguments
understanding of concepts (or theories or terms)
structure of the answer
use of resource material
written expression
These qualities are derivable from learning outcomes such as:
"write a coherent argument"
22
"explain/apply basic concepts in the subject"
"integrate different theories on ..."
Similarly, a design project might test qualities such as:
functionality
presentation
cost effectiveness
originality
research
These qualities are derivable from learning outcomes such as:
"research the feasibility of a design proposal"
"create a design for... "
"apply design concepts to the marketing of a product "
You need to think carefully about the kinds of tasks you select; you need to ensure that they
are well-suited to measuring the qualities you are looking for (see 4 below).
3.
When and how often am I going to assess?
The first part of this question, when to assess, depends on the sequence of your course. Study
the course sequence and identify points at which students should have the knowledge or have
developed the necessary skills to undertake a particular task. The task itself may also be a
useful learning exercise.
The second part of the question, how often to assess, relates very much to the question of
workload - both yours and the students. In a 12 week course, you will find it hard to assess
more than three or four times, although laboratory work might be assessed more often. From
the viewpoint of validity (covering the course content and objectives fairly) you will want to
assess at least twice in a course, and probably more often. From the viewpoint of reliability
(the accuracy of the assessments that you make of student work), you will find that three
"major" assessments are enough although a fourth assessment may improve your results
slightly. Check your Division’s and Department’s guide on workloads.
4.
How am I going to assess?
Make sure you understand the strengths and weaknesses of the different kinds of assessment
tasks that you might want to use. For further information there are several books in HEDC's
library that may be helpful (see further reading on page 27). A fundamental question you will
also need to ask is whether your assessments of students are to be norm-referenced or
criterion-referenced. In general you will want to focus more on the latter where each student
is judged on her or his own merits. However, to some extent you will set standards based on
your experience of what students are typically able to do; in other words, comparisons
between students in a general way may be hard to eliminate entirely from your assessments.
23
5.
What resources do I need?
When planning an assessment programme, you have to know what facilities and resources are
available to you for assessing student performance. This includes rooms, equipment,
materials, library resources, markers, and so on. You should systematically consider the
resources that you will need. You may decide that a particular assessment task will present
more problems than it is worth.
6.
How do I ensure fairness?
To ensure fairness, you need to provide assessment tasks that are valid and reliable.
A valid task is one which properly samples the content and objectives (learning outcomes)
that it is intended to assess. There should be no surprises to students!
A reliable task is one which accurately measures student performance. However, you need to
recognise that all measurements of student achievement contain an element of doubt.
Experienced teachers and examiners often use a rule-of-thumb guide about the margin of
doubt in assessing student performance; the figure ±5% is not a bad guide.
To improve validity you need to set the right mix of assessment tasks. You must also write
questions of high quality: questions must be relevant, free of ambiguous content, and clearly
delimit the task for students to do.
To improve reliability, you must employ marking procedures which ensure that students are
marked consistently.
4.3 Some Guidelines for Assessing Student Performance
1. Devise a programme which:
 is relevant to the course objectives/outcomes and balanced
 is manageable by yourself, colleagues and students
 conforms to University regulations and requirements
 can be resourced.
2. Give clear information about assessment procedures and requirements in the Course
Outline. See that your outline conforms to Division and Departmental requirements.
3. Choose assessment tasks (assignments, projects, tests) to match the objectives you are
assessing.
4.3.1 Preparing individual assessment tasks
1. Write good questions which are clear and well laid out:
 Separate information from instructions.
 Give each instruction a new line.
 Highlight key words.
2. Always have a colleague read your questions to identify possible ambiguities and other
flaws.
24
3. Specify, in writing, the ground rules to students (word limits, penalties, etc.).
4. Prepare a model answer in outline form (the amount of detail will depend on the kind of
task you have set). This will help you to refine the question and identify potential problems.
5. Give students clear statements of the qualities or level of performance needed to achieve
each grade (A, B+, B, etc.). Be as specific as you can.
6. Prepare a marking scheme which:
 is appropriate to the task
 gives proper weighting to the different qualities/objectives being assessed
 allows for the unexpected.
7. Try out the scheme on a few answers before finalising the details.
8. Work out procedures which eliminate or discourage plagiarism and other forms of
cheating.
9. If you are sharing the marking, iron out interpretation differences on a sample of answers.
10. If you are sharing the marking, arrange for a sample of answers to be cross-marked.
11. Give constructive feedback to students (i.e. try to be positive and encouraging). Point out
deficiencies in a pleasant way.
12. Be willing to reconsider a student's answer. If appropriate, have a colleague re-mark an
answer.
13. Recognise that no assessment is perfectly reliable.
25
4.4. Some Examples of Assessment
1. Example of an assignment marking guide
NAME:_______________________________
GRADE:________________
MARKER:____________________________
PERCENTAGE:__________
Outstanding
Very good
Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Coverage of topic
Depth of
understanding/analysis
of issues
Use and evidence of
reading
Logical coherence of
arguments
Structure and
expression
Referencing
Spelling, grammar and
punctuation
Originality: Please note that bonus marks will be awarded for original work (i.e. thoughts,
ideas etc. not normally expected of a 100 level student).
General Comments:
26
2. Example of an Assessment form for oral presentations
Presenter’s Name: _____________________________________________
Please mark each criteria out of 5 using the following scale:
Poor
1
Satisfact Good
2
Very
good
3
Excellent
4
5
The introduction was effective and informative.
1
2
3
4
5
The presentation was well organised and easy to follow.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
The key points were clearly stated.
The visual aids, e.g., slides, overheads, etc., were clear, effective and well used.
1
2
3
4
5
The speaker’s demeanor, volume, and manner of speaking were effective and clear.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
The ending drew things together well.
The technical content was good, including clear and justifiable assumptions, methodology,
relevant conclusions, etc.
1
2
3
4
5
2
3
4
5
The questions were handled well
1
Some things I found particularly effective were:
Some things that could use improvement were:
OVERALL GRADE: ___________ AND PERCENT __________
A+ (>=90%); A (85-89%); A- (80-84%); B+ (75-79%); B (70-74%); B-(65-69%);
C+(60-64%); C (55-59%); C- (50-54%); D (40-49%); E (<40%).
27
3. Example of an assessment form for poster presentations
Presenter’s Name: _____________________________________________
Presentation Title: _____________________________________________
Please mark each criteria out of 5 using the following scale:
Poor
Satisfact Good
1
2
Very
good
3
Excellent
4
5
1) Attention getting, coherence: good first impression? (title, layout, colours). Easy to
navigate around? Transparent structure?
1
2
3
4
5
3
4
5
2) Content: accurate, analytical, thoughtful, original?
1
2
3) Brevity/direction: are points made quickly and clearly? Is it simple, focused?
1
2
3
4
5
4
5
4) Techniques/evidence: Good use graphics? Proper referencing?
1
2
3
Sum to give TOTAL
/20
General comments:
A+ = 18 and above; A = 17; A- = 16; B+ = 15; B=14;B- = 13;C+=12; C=11; C- = 10;
D=9; E=8 or less.
28
4. Example of rating criteria for assessing seminar or poster performance
Rating
Description (example statements)
5. Excellent
The quality has been demonstrated to an exceptional level; a
professional performance; a performance well above the expected level
for a student in this course.
4. Very good
The quality has been demonstrated to a high standard; the student has
reached a level which clearly exceeds ‘competency’.
3. Good
The quality is clearly demonstrated without being exceptional in any
way; students can be thought of as being competent in respect of this
quality.
2. Satisfactory
The quality has been demonstrated to a minimally acceptable level;
there may be flaws but these are not serious enough to fail the student
on this quality.
1. Poor
The quality is absent or performed to a very low level, or the
perfomance is seriously flawed in this respect.
5. Example of Grade Criteria
A+, A Outstanding Overall a thoroughly professional performance, which has
demonstrated all of the following:
Now insert a statement or list derived from your major
objectives. For example:
 The student has shown originality, taking a different approach
from the usual
 The student has shown a high level of sensitivity in dealing with
the cultural aspects of the subject
 The student has shown both the ability to integrate different
theoretical perspectives and to relate theory to practice in
different contexts
 The student has demonstrated the ability to deliver an
enthusiastic and well-structured oral presentation
A-. B+ Very good
The student’s work is of a high standard, clearly exceeding
competence in achieving the objectives of the course. For an
A-, some of the work will have shown outstanding qualities.
B, B- Good
A competent performance which overall exceeds the minimum
requirements for achieving a pass in the course; that is, the
knowledge, skills and values being assessed have been clearly
demonstrated
C+, C Satisfactory
The student’s work is of an acceptable standard although deficiencies
may be apparent. On balance, the positive aspects outweigh the
negative
29
D Unsatisfactory
The student’s work is deficient in important respects. The
objectives have not been adequately demonstrated
E Poor
The student’s work is seriously deficient in most respects. The
objectives have not been achieved, and may not even have been
attempted.
4.5 Different Assessment Strategies
Hopefully you will be convinced that criterion-referenced assessment is preferable to normreferenced! Thus we will consider a few different formats of assessment and the most likely
kind of learning assessed (Table 4). Details of these types are in Appendix A, which is a
chapter from Biggs (2003).
Table 4: Different assessment tasks and the kinds of learning assessed (adapted from Biggs,
2003: 210).
Assessment format
Extended prose, essay type
essay exam
open book
assignment, take-home
Most likely kind of learning assessed
rote, question spotting, speed structuring
as for exam but less memory, coverage
read widely, interrelate, organise, apply, copy
Objective test
multiple choice
ordered outcome
recognition, strategy, comprehension, coverage
hierarchies of understanding
Performance assessment
practicum
seminar, presentation
posters
interviewing
critical incidents
project
reflective journal
case study, problems
portfolio
skills needed in real life
communication skills
concentrating on relevance, application
responding interactively
reflection, application, sense of relevance
application, research skills
reflection, application, sense of relevance
application, professional skills
reflection, creativity, unintended outcomes
Rapid assessment (large class)
concept maps
Venn diagrams
three-minute essay
gobbets
short-answer
letter to a friend
cloze
coverage, relationships
relationships
level of understanding, sense of relevance
realising the importance of significant detail
recall units of information, coverage
holistic understanding, application, reflection
comprehension of main ideas
TASK 4: Think about your learning outcomes and how these might best be assessed. What
mix of tasks will be used?
30
4.6 Further Reading
Angelo, T.A. and Cross, K.P. (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques – A Handbook for College
Teachers, Second Edition.San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Publishers.
- A very comprehensive text that covers the theory of assessment and then discusses a huge
range of techniques.
- Available in the HEDC resource library LB 2822. 75 AK36 1993
Biggs, J (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University: Second Edition, Buckingham, The
Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- Chapters 8 and 9 deal with assessment (part of chapter 9 is in Appendix A)
- Available in the HEDC resource library LB 2331 B526 2003
Brown, S. and Glasner, A. (1999) Assessment Matters in Higher Education, Buckingham, The Society
for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- A useful collation of work that explores different approaches to assessment.
- Available in the HEDC resource library (cataloguing in process).
James, R, McInnis, C and Devlin, M (2002) Assessing Learning in Australian Universities.
Accessible at http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.html
- This website has some excellent material about assessment including addressing tricky aspects
such as:
o assessing large classes
o assessing group work
o minimising plagiarism
o on-line assessment
- Report is available in the HEDC resource library (cataloguing in process).
Knight, P. (Ed.) (1995) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. London, Kogan Page in
association with the Staff and Educational Development Association.
- Another useful text that is a collation of essays pertaining to the practicalities and ethics of
assessment.
- Available in the Central Library LB 2367 G76 AU44
Ramsden, P (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London, Routledge
- See chapter 10
- Available in the Central Library LB 2331.R519 2003
Schwartz, P. and Webb, G. (Eds) (2002) Assessment – Case Studies, Experience and Practice from
Higher Education. London, Kogan Page.
- A useful text which shares good practice with examples from the use of IT to assess large
classes, reflective assessment, assessment methods for special purposes, addressing the needs
of individual students in assessment and everyday problems in assessment practice.
- Available in Central Library LB 3051 AU4327
Toohey, S (1999) Designing Courses for Higher Education, Buckingham, The Society for Research
into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- Chapter 9 addresses assessment
- Available in HEDC and Central libraries LB 2361.TN27
31
5. Content and Sequence
So far you have hopefully identified the major learning outcomes for the course you are
developing and the mix of tasks you intend to use for assessing students. You will need to
work further on the assessment particularly to determine the qualities you are testing in each
of the tasks and the match between these qualities and the major learning outcomes.
The next step is to develop in more detail the content of your course. There are four main
steps.
1. Organise your course into several units. Give each unit a title.
2. For each unit, write brief notes to indicate what you intend to cover under this title.
3. Identify the student objectives (learning outcomes) for each unit.
4. Sequence the units into a coherent order.
Each of these is discussed in turn.
1. Organise your course into several units
There are several ways a course can be divided into smaller units. You can break-up the
material by topics, themes, issues, problems, or a combination of these. To assist you with
this, consult textbooks, previous course plans or other sources. Of course you will want to
tailor the structure to suit your own approach to the subject. While there is no point in reinventing the wheel, you are bound to want a course that has your own flavour to it.
If you want to develop a problem-based approach to your course in which you want to have
students develop their knowledge and skills through interaction with actual or simulated life
events, you should first make sure that you have identified the key concepts, theories and
skills (tools) that are essential to an understanding of your subject. Many educationists use
case studies to embody these tools, and set students tasks which encourage them to take on
the responsibility for their own learning. Case studies must therefore be developed with great
care so that they embody the content and processes that you want students to experience. If
you are using this approach, you may want to discuss your course design with colleagues
and/or HEDC.
2. Write brief notes on each unit
The purpose of this is to identify the concepts, terms, theories, examples etc. that will help
you decide what to cover and where to draw the limits. Inevitably, you will end up with more
content than you have time to cover. You should ask yourself this question: why should
students study this unit? This will help you focus more directly on the most important
aspects of the unit.
The notes that you write are personal; you do not need to show them to others or have them
presented in a well laid-out fashion. However, you will find that the notes will act as a useful
prompt when you develop your lectures at a later point. At this stage you may want to
organise your notes into a more orderly summary to give to students as a handout.
32
3. Identify the learning outcomes for the unit
It is at this point that you should make more specific the learning outcomes for a course. The
way to do this is take each major learning outcome in turn and ask yourself the following
questions:
(i)
(ii)
Does this learning outcome relate to this unit?
If so, what specifically must students do to achieve this outcome?
Refer back to the section on "Guidelines for writing learning outcomes or course objectives"
(page 14). This will give you more advice on how to write student objectives.
If you find that none of the major learning outcomes of the course relate to this unit, you
should examine whether the unit should be included in the course or whether the major
outcomes should be revised.
4. Sequence the course units
Most courses have an inherent order where some units should be covered before others.
However, not every unit will fall into a simple order. Choices will be available to you about
what to cover first and whether a particular unit should precede or follow another. We will
try using topic order diagrams as a means of mapping out the course.
Homework task:
The first step is to divide your course into natural units or segments - we will call them topics.
Number each one or label it with a brief title. Note down with each topic any essential detail
which will help you place that topic in order. We suggest that you try to divide the
prescription into no more than 15 - 16 topics; in some cases, 4 or 5 topics may be enough.
The second step is to arrange these topics into a sequence that gives a natural progression
through the course. One way is to enter each topic on a separate card, draw cards at random,
then see which should go first in the sequence. For example, if you draw out topics A and E,
you would ask whether A should be taught before E, or E before A or whether it matters at all
which order they are taught in. The argument for using a random procedure is that it makes
you think for yourself about the order of topics instead of just using an existing sequence.
Keep going until all cards are drawn and in this way you will build up a topic order diagram
showing the possible paths through your course. If there is more than one possible path,
make your choice (this may be influenced by resource constraints).
The third step is to decide on timing of assessments. Points of convergence and end- points
are good locations for summarising preceding content. They are therefore sensible points
after which performance may be assessed. Remember to allow students enough preparation
time between the completion of a topic (or block of topics) and a test based on the material
covered.
Points of divergence are also important for assessment of skills needed for the next topics.
This is especially important in a course in which earlier topics are essential for the
understanding of later ones.
33
We do not want to make too much of topic order diagrams, but we do recommend their use to
help both your teaching and your assessments. You may have to change the sequence of a
course during the year because of staff changes, lack of equipment or a specialist room not
being available. With the overall view of the structure of the course that a topic order
diagram gives you, you can easily adjust your planning and timing of assessments. Topic
order diagrams can also be useful for explaining or ‘mapping’ the course for students.
34
6. Teaching and Learning Process
Consideration of the teaching and learning process involves a series of steps. Each of these
are given in the following sections.
6.1 Use of Course Evaluations
If you are revamping an existing course, check out recent evaluations of the course. This will
help you to identify the strong points of the course and any areas in need of improvement.
Accept the negative aspects of an evaluation from a developmental standpoint – decide what
can be done to meet the criticisms – rather than from a defensive standpoint, which is likely to
impede progress. If you feel that a particular criticism is unfair – that what you have been
doing is appropriate in respect of the goals of the course – then make sure you explain to
students the reasons for your approach; the problem may be one of further communication.
6.2 Your Role in Student Learning
Knowing your role (or roles) as a teacher is fundamental to providing the right climate for a
successful course. For many teachers this involves the development of a philosophy about
teaching and learning, including a view on the goals of a university education.
You may feel that you would like to spend more time on developing your own skills as a
teacher. If so, HEDC is very willing to advise, act as a sounding board for your ideas, or
observe your classes. You are also encouraged to attend workshops that focus on improving
your teaching.
6.3 Teaching and Learning Activities
Think about what the best method is to achieve the desired course outcomes. Of course you
may be hampered by logistical considerations such as class size. Often, courses to be taught
the next year have already identified the balance between lecturing, tutoring, laboratory work
etc. These are usually confirmed well in advance for academic approval and publication in
the Calendar. However, you still have considerable freedom to work out strategies to
facilitate student learning.
As a start, select one unit in your course and work out whether the objectives and content of
this unit require your input in the form of a lecture presentation, or student input in the form
of a group discussion, or some other strategy which encourages students to undertake their
own learning. Most often, you are likely to choose a combination of all three. Table 5 gives
the ten common teaching methods which are matched to the learning objectives. It is clear
from this table that different teaching methods are appropriate to different objectives. As
Bourner (1997) suggests, when there are disagreements about different teaching and learning
methods, the source of the disagreements is likely to be found in differences in the learning
objectives that are being assumed.
If you set students work to do out of class, do not simply assign them reading. Give them a
challenge by setting them a task (e.g. posing them some questions to answer). The task can
be done in class (laboratory or tutorial) or in the students’ own time. It should embody the
important concepts, ideas or values that you want the students to take on, but if it contains
material which is difficult you should introduce it through explanations in lectures. You
35
will also need to decide whether the tasks you set are sufficiently major that they should be
part of the formal assessment framework, or whether they are primarily exercises for learning.
Remember the role of the lecturer is not simply to transmit information from you to the
student. A textbook can do that!
TASK 5: Think about the types of teaching and learning activities you might use.
6.4 Resourcing the Course
Appendix B provides a checklist to help you identify the resources (human, equipment and
materials) you may need. The checklist, while comprehensive, does not cover everything.
Once you have worked through the checklist, give thought to the constraints under which you
must operate. For example, if you intend to set an essay assignment for a class of 300
students, think about the availability of library resources. You may need to assign books to
close reserve or give students a wide range of topics to choose from so as to ease the pressure
on particular books.
6.5 Workload
Most Divisions now provide workload guidance. Try giving approximate estimates to the
time students should allocate to your course overall. The easiest way is to indicate how many
hours each week students should spend on your course. Remember this time should include
contact hours, reading and assignment work.
It is important not to exceed the Division guideline otherwise students will end up working
too many hours and possibly becoming despondent with the course.
By the same token, give some thought to your own workload. If your load is too heavy, it is
probably time for you to reflect on how your time is being spent and possible ways for
making more efficient use of resources. HEDC may be able to advise or act as a soundingboard.
6.6 Course Timetable
You must establish a course timetable. Use the course sequence to assign dates to lectures,
tutorials, laboratories and fieldtrips (if appropriate). When drafting the timetable, consult all
colleagues who are teaching in the course; also contact any guest speakers to ensure that they
can attend on the dates that you have assigned. At the same time set assessment dates that fit
in with the course sequence. Check with other courses at the same level, to avoid congestion
of due work and high stress levels! Allow sufficient time between assignments so that work
can be returned in time for students to act on your feedback.
36
Table 5: Teaching and learning methods for different learning objectives (after Bourner, 1997).
Learning objectives
Disseminate up-todate information
Develop the
capability to use
ideas and information
Develop the student’s
ability to test ideas
and evidence
Develop the student’s
ability to generate
ideas and evidence
Facilitate the
personal development
of students
Lectures
Up-to-date
textboooks
Reading lists
Hand-outs
“Guest” lectures
Use of exercises that
require students to
find up-to-date
knowledge
Develop skills in
using library and
other learning
resources
Directed private study
Open learning
materials
Use of the internet
Case studies
Practicals
Work experience
Projects
Demonstrations
Group working
Simulations (e.g.
computer-based)
Problem-solving
Discussion and
debate
Essay-writing
Seminar and tutorials
Supervision
Presentations
Essays
Feedback on written
work
Literature reviewing
Exam papers
Critical assessment
Peer assessment
Self-assessment
Research projects
Workshops on
techniques of creative
problem solving
Group working
Action learning
Lateral thinking
Brainstorming
Mind-mapping
Creative visualization
Use of relaxation
techniques
Problem solving
Feedback
Action learning
Learning contracts
Role play
Experiential learning
Learning logs/
reflective diaries
Structured
experiences in groups
Reflective documents
Self-assessment
Profiling
Develop the capacity
of students to plan
and manage own
learning
Learning contracts
Projects
Action learning
Workshops
Mentors
Reflective logs and
diaries
Independent study
Dissertations
Work-placement
Portfolio
development
37
Once you have finalised your timetable, provide students with a copy – usually as part of the
course outline handout and/or on Blackboard. If using a handout, students often prefer the
timetable to be on a separate (usually last) page so they can pin this up to consult throughout
the course.
Once the course is underway, keep to the timetable except in special circumstances (e.g. a
guest speaker has had to call off). If you find that you are falling behind on each unit, rethink
the content of your lectures; you are probably trying to cover too much. Students will not
react positively to this, and evaluations of your course and teaching are likely to suffer.
6.7 Course Evaluation
Develop an evaluation plan for your course. In the first year, include brief checks on key
features (a new teaching strategy, readability of handouts, availability of library resources
etc.) as you progress. These do not have to involve HEDC. For example, after a few class
meetings (be they tutorials or lectures) you can distribute paper and get students to jot down
the three best things about your strategy (or whatever) and three things that could be
improved. Give them about five minutes to fill this in and collect back responses. Collate
and analyse these, and then close the loop by telling students what the nature of the feedback
was and how you will act (or not) on it and why.
Also inspect student work to see how they are progressing (e.g. give a five minute test during
class and sample a selection of answers). Also solicit and monitor feedback from tutors.
Another useful way to get feedback on your course and your teaching, is to involve your peers
- invite a colleague in for a peer observation session. The most important evaluation you can
do is to continually reflect on how the course is going and to gain evidence in as many forms
as possible.
In addition, identify the scope of any assistance HEDC can provide in terms of other types of
evaluation. For example, HEDC can come into the course to conduct a small group
instructional diagnostic which involves getting more in-depth feedback from the class.
Decide on the features or aspects that you want monitored (e.g. teaching, value of tutorials,
workload, organisation and assessment).
6.8 Further Reading
Ramsden, P. (1999) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London, Routledge.
- chapter 9 – teaching strategies for effective learning – first discusses problems with the most
common forms of teaching and then offers some case studies of effective teaching from a range of
disciplines.
38
7. References
Biggs, J (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University: Second Edition. Buckingham,
The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- a key text for academics – it is very readable and contains a wealth of information on
all aspects of university teaching. Full of useful practical advice.
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2331 B526 2003
Biggs, J (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham, The Society for
Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- earlier edition of the above.
Biggs, J. and Collis, K.F. (1982) Evaluating the Quality of Learning: The SOLO Taxonomy.
New York, Academic Press.
Bourner, T (1997) Teaching methods for learning outcomes. Education and Training, 39:
344-348.
Elton, L. (2001) Research and teaching: conditions for a positive link. Teaching in Higher
Education, 6, pp. 43-56.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2003) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education, Second Edition. London, Kogan Page.
- an excellent text that discusses theories of student learning and teaching, and considers
all aspects of curriculum design. Part 3 takes a more in-depth at teaching in various
disciplines.
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2331 H6863 2003
James, R, McInnis, C and Devlin, M (2002) Assessing Learning in Australian Universities.
Accessible at http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.html
- this website has some excellent material about assessment including addressing tricky
aspects such as:
o assessing large classes
o assessing group work
o minimising plagiarism
o on-line assessment
- report is available in the HEDC resource library
Jenkins, A., Breen, R. and Lindsay, R. (2003) Reshaping Teaching in Higher Education:
Linking Teaching with Research. London, Staff and Educational Development Series.
- another excellent text that tackles how to strengthen teaching–research links at all
levels from the individual, to course and institutional levels.
- It draws on contemporary research and offers practical advice and strategies for
linking research and teaching.
- available in HEDC resource library LB 2326.3 JH2
Neumann, R., Parry, S., & Becher, T. (2002). Teaching and learning in their disciplinary
contexts: A conceptual analysis. Studies in Higher Education, 27:4, 405-416.
39
Race, P. (2001) The Lecturer’s Toolkit – a Practical Guide to Learning, Second Edition.
London, Kogan Page.
Ramsden, P (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London, Routledge.
- another key text for academics
- Part 2 concerns course design for learning
- available in HEDC resource library and central Library, LB 2331.R519 2003
Schuell, T.J. (1986) Cognitive conceptions of learning. Review of Educational Research 56:
411-36.
Toohey, S (1999) Designing Courses for Higher Education, Buckingham, The Society for
Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
- a classic and highly recommended text for course designers
- available in both HEDC resource and Central libraries LB 2361.TN27
40
Appendix A: Course Outline Template
This template has been designed so that information can be inserted in the various sections.
Guidelines are provided in italics. The order of the sections is in no way fixed and all the
material can be adapted to match the course requirements.
Code and title of paper
1.
a)
General information
Administrative information (including code, paper name and staff contacts plus who's
who)
Contact person (this is your first point of contact for matters related to this paper)
Name:
Phone:
Email:
b)
Teaching team (include members of the teaching team)
The teaching team include:
(or)
The names of the teaching team are available on Blackboard.
c)
Use of Blackboard learning platform (Be explicit and say what Blackboard is and how
students access it. For example:)
Blackboard is a web-based learning platform that we use to help manage teaching and
learning in the course. On Blackboard you will find resource material, a list of lectures
and tutorials, a discussion site, on-line quizzes, and your own personal grade sheet.
We will use some of these tools later in the course, but for now we just want to make
sure you can access these pages. First, go to the Blackboard home page by following
these steps:
1. Click on to your browser, for example Internet Explorer or Mozilla.
2. Go to the University Homepage: http://www.otago.ac.nz/ and click on Blackboard
(in ‘Quickfind’ at top of third column on yellow band at the bottom of the
Homepage).
Alternatively, go to: http://blackboard.otago.ac.nz
3. You will be asked to Login by typing in your username and password (use your
university-wide Student ID and password). Once you have logged in you will
find yourself on your personal Blackboard page.
41
4. On the right hand side of the site you will see the heading ‘My Courses’. All the
papers in which you are enrolled should be listed. Click on this button.
5. Once you are in the website bookmark it or add it to your ‘favourites’.
If you have any problems with Blackboard please contact …
2.
Introduction to xxxx111
Include a brief statement of what the paper is about and where it leads – its relations to other
papers in the degree. If possible include a diagram that shows how this paper relates to other
papers in the programme – prerequisites, co-requisites, and progression.
3.
Intended learning outcomes for the paper
Include the intended learning outcomes of this paper. Intended learning outcomes indicate to
the students what you expect them to have learned, i.e., go away with, by the end of the
semester or year, and the reasons why these outcomes are important.
The learning outcomes can be broken down into knowledge-oriented learning outcomes, skilloriented learning outcomes, values etc.
Learning outcomes are stated as things students should be able to do by the end of the course
and they are written from the learner’s perspective. For example:
On completion of your study of xxxx111 you are expected to:
4.
Content and structure
Provide an indication of the content of the paper and its structure. The description of the
structure should show the logic of the organization of the paper. It can be demonstrated
diagrammatically or as text. A sense of the overall structure helps the student orient the parts
and relate the parts to the whole. Also include the number of teaching sessions.
5.
Lecture programme
Include lecture topics, and if possible, individual lecture topics and dates.
6.
Teaching/learning approaches
Briefly explain the main ways that students are expected to learn in this course. This may
include lectures, laboratories, tutorials etc. Explain the function of each teaching/learning
mode and what use you expect students to make of the approach. If you use terms like selfdirected learning and active engagement – what do you expect the student to do and what
support is available for them? Do you expect students to prepare for each teaching session?
If so, in what way?
42
Example
You will find learning easier in this course if you read the relevant materials before each
lecture. Laboratory sessions include pre-and post lab check-ins, which are designed to
provide you with feedback about your learning: how much you knew about the topic before
the teaching session and how much you learned during the session.
Also available are self-directed learning modules that are designed to help you develop your
understanding of the content. The self-directed learning modules include supplementary
material, learning resources provided on Blackboard, your lecture notes, and identified
textbook sections.
We recommend that you form study groups of two or three where you can discuss the ideas
and concepts you are learning with others. Discussion helps understanding and application of
the course material in different situations. Your study group will be helpful for peer-marking
of your essays, and to providing constructive feedback.
7.
Teaching/learning resources
Explain how these are used to support the course.
Example
a)
Materials: lecture outlines and objectives will be provided for you to bring to every
lecture. They will list the learning outcomes of the lecture, and provide copies of
complex diagrams and space for you to write notes.
b)
8.
Web resources: material to support your learning such as audiovisual aids and
computer-assisted learning packages will be provided on Blackboard. There is also a
discussion board for you to ask questions of tutors and other students. All your
computer assessments will also be accessible on Blackboard.
Readings
Readings are often separated into required and recommended. If some readings are
necessary for the completion of the paper then they are required and they should be then
distinguished from recommended readings.
a)
b)
Required readings
Recommended readings
9.
Expected workload
Give points for the paper and the hours you expect students to spend on study. Indicate how
this should be spent.
Example
Most weeks you will be expected to spend 4 hours in lectures, 3 hours in laboratories, and 3-5
hours in self-directed activities such as reading, making summary notes etc.
43
10. Assessment
Learning is encouraged if students are aware of the full assessment details at the beginning of
their course. Students are able to manage their time more effectively and efficiently and they
also respond well to assessment if they know what is expected of them and how their work is
to be judged and marked.
Provide a breakdown of internal assessment and final exam (if there is one). Indicate the
main components, what they will test, their weighting or percentage worth, and when they are
due. Indicate the criteria by which each piece is to be graded and the grading scheme.
Note that the grading scheme used at Otago is:
A+
90-100
A
85-89
A80-84
B+
75-79
B
70-72
B65-69
C+
60-64
C
55-59
C50-54
D
40-49
E
<40
What do I do if I need more time?
Indicate the course policy for accepting and grading late work.
11. Referencing style used in xxxx111
Indicate the referencing style required in the course and how the student can access more
information.
Example
The course uses the APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style. You are
recommended to obtain the tutorial booklet Using the APA Referencing Style from the
Student Learning Centre in the ISB Building. You will also find information about different
referencing styles at:
http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/research/citation.html
12. Plagiarism/dishonest practice
Include a statement relating to plagiarism and the University’s dishonest practice
regulations.
44
Example
You should make sure that all submitted work is your own. Care should be taken to correctly
cite the work of others and the teaching team are happy to provide guidance on this, or you
can consult materials provided by the Student Learning Centre (see
http://slc.otago.ac.nz/studyskills). Plagiarism is defined as copying or paraphrasing another's
work, whether intentionally or otherwise, and presenting it as one's own (approved University
Council, December 2004). Any student found responsible for plagiarism in any piece of work
submitted for assessment shall be subject to the University's dishonest practice regulations
(http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/ click on academic policies, and then scroll to Dishonest
Practice) which may result in various penalties, including forfeiture of marks for the piece of
work submitted, a zero grade for the paper, or in extreme cases exclusion from the University.
13. Paper requirements
Indicate what is required to pass the course and also any requirements for progression.
Indicate requirements for terms if relevant to the course and also say how students will be
notified if they have terms.
14.
Impairment
Create an environment in which it is possible for students who are suffering from an
impairment to communicate their problem with the teaching team.
Example
If you are suffering from anything that is likely to impair your study in this course, please let
the Course Co-ordinator know as soon as possible. If you let us know of any problems we
can make arrangements for appropriate support.
(Insert name and contact details of Course Co-ordinator)
15.
Key dates and events
On a separate page give a table with key dates and events.
16. What do you do if you have concerns about the course?
Rationale: see University grievance policy.
Example
We hope you will feel comfortable coming to talk to us if you have a concern about the
course. The Course Co-ordinator (insert name) will be happy to discuss any concerns.
Alternatively, report your concerns to the student representative who will follow up with
Departmental staff. If, after making approaches via these channels, you do not feel that your
concerns have been addressed, there are university channels that may aid resolution. For
further advice and more information on these channels, contact the departmental
administrator or Head of Department.
45
Appendix B: Checklist of Resources
A. Yourself
1.
2.
Have you viewed yourself as a resource?
Have you identified your own professional development needs?
postgraduate supervision), research and management.
Include teaching (including
B. Other people
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Have you established the availability of other lecturers including guests?
Have you organised tutorial and/or laboratory assistance?
Have you organised tutor training for your tutors?
Have you established good communication networks and a support system for your tutors?
Will you need help in supervising tests and examinations?
What secretarial help will you need?
Do you have IT support for use of web resources?
What help will you need in conducting field trips?
C. Rooms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Have you booked all the rooms you need for lectures, tutorials and laboratories?
Are rooms appropriate for the task? (Size, lighting, layout, seating, etc.)
Will you need extra rooms for special occasions, such as oral tests or in-class examinations?
For in-class examinations, will desks be sufficiently spaced out to prevent students reading other
students’ answers?
Have you arranged accommodation for students on fieldtrips?
D. Equipment and materials
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What teaching aids will you need? (Data projector? OHP? Video playback? Tapes and slides?
Microphone?)
What equipment will you need for any in-class tests?
What equipment will students need to bring for any in-class tests? (Tools? Calculators? See University
of Otago policy on calculators)
What materials will you need to supply for laboratories and tutorials?
What vehicles and related equipment will you need for fieldtrips?
E. Teaching resources
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Have you prepared a course outline that conforms to your Division’s requirements?
Have you specified a textbook?
Have you ordered enough copies of the textbook through UBS?
What handouts will you need? (Course outline, Readings? Laboratory manuals? Course notes?)
What web resources do you need to post?
What tapes, films, articles and computer software will you need?
Have you sent materials to the printing office by the due date?
F. Library resources
1.
2.
3.
Have you informed the library of your reading list?
Are there sufficient copies of key texts in the library?
Should library copies of books be put on restricted loan?
46
Appendix C: Chapter 9 “Assessing for learning quality II: practice”
from Biggs, J. (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University – What the Student Does,
Second Edition. Buckingham, The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open
University Press.
47