Course Design and Teaching Workshop: Outline
Date: Thursday May 10, Friday May 11, and Monday May 14 to Wednesday May 16, 2007
Time: 9:00-4:30 pm (everyday except the last day which ends at 1:30pm.)
Location: McLennan Library Building, Room MS-12
Workshop coordinator: Mariela Tovar, PhD, Educational Development Specialist, Teaching
and Learning Services (TLS)
Workshop team:
Instructors: Marcy Slapcoff (TLS); Mariela Tovar (TLS)
Co-instructors: Steven Shaw (Education); Edith Zorychta (Medicine)
Student assistants: Jae Hoon Han (Education); Joy Dagenais (Education)
Faculty development assistant: Yanfei Zhou (Education)
Workshop description
The Course Design and Teaching Workshop (CDTW) is an intensive, five-day workshop where
faculty members design or redesign a course and enhance their teaching skills. As each new
concept is introduced, you will learn about the principles of course design, hear from experienced
McGill professors who have used these principles, apply these ideas to your own work, teach
brief segments of your course and receive feedback from peers. By the end of the workshop, you
will have a draft outline of your course that includes a course description, learning outcomes, an
overview of the instructional strategies to be used and an assessment strategy.
Learning Outcomes
The overall goal of the CDTW is to provide a venue in which you will:
o (Re)design a course using learning-centered principles
o Practice learning-oriented approaches to teaching
o Develop a practice of using reflection and feedback to enhance learning and improve
teaching
The workshop is designed to help you develop competence (and increased confidence) in:
o Making instructional decisions that coherently support learning
o Using different methods to enhance students’ learning.
Workshop content
The course design process underpinning the workshop is represented in the concept map below.
Each of the major concepts will be explored in some detail, both conceptually and in practice,
during the workshop.
Conten t
Assessm ent
Lea r ning
Outcom e
Context
Str a teg y
©
2003 CUTL
Context
Workshop format
Each day of the workshop combines large and small group activities. The day generally begins
with a large group presentation where the instructors introduce learning-centered principles of
course design and teaching, and the co-instructors describe how they have applied these
principles to their courses. There is also time for discussion and hands-on exercises.
You will spend most of the day in small multidisciplinary groups of 5-7 faculty members where
you apply what you have learned to the design of your own course. You will also teach small
segments of your course (5-10 minutes) and receive feedback from your peers. Two of these
sessions, called “microteaching”, are recorded so that you can view them at home.
Each evening, you are expected to complete the suggested readings and prepare certain elements
of your course. We also recommend that you view the recording of your microteaching and
reflect on how it went.
There are a number of special activities during the week, including two poster sessions of
participants’ work and two lunches hosted by TLS. All of these events are unique opportunities to
further your understanding of the concepts covered in the workshop.
Schedule
Time
8:45
9:00
10:15
12:00
1:30
Day 1
(Thursday)
Content
Large group
presentation &
examples
Small group:
development of
concept map
Lunch hosted by
TLS; Teaching
Support team
Introductions
Small group:
Presentations of
concept maps;
work on course
outline
3:15
3:30
4:15
4:30
Wrap-up &
Preparation for
next day
End of day
Day 2
(Friday)
Outcomes
Day 3
Day 4
(Monday)
(Tuesday)
Strategies
Assessment
Morning Refreshments, MS-12
Large group
Large group
Large group
presentation &
presentation &
presentation &
examples
examples
examples
Small group:
Small group:
Small group:
development of
development of
development of
learning
instructional
assessment
outcomes
strategies
strategy
Lunch (on your
own)
Small group:
Discussion on
your learning
outcomes and
concept maps;
work on course
outline
Wrap-up &
Preparation for
next day
End of Day
Lunch (on your
own)
Lunch (on your
own)
Small group:
Microteaching 1
(teach 7 minutes
of your course
using a familiar
strategy); work
on course outline
Small group:
Microteaching 2
(teach 10 minutes
of your course
using an unfamiliar
strategy); work on
course outline
Wrap-up &
Preparation for
next day
Wine & Cheese:
Concept maps
Wrap-up &
Preparation for
next day
End of day
Day 5
(Wednesday)
Next steps
Individual work on
course outlines
Poster session:
course outlines
11:30 Small group
work
12:30 Closing
presentations &
lunch hosted by
TLS
End of day
Course materials
 Binder of CDTW materials, distributed on Day 1 of the workshop.
 1 blank CD-RW (can be purchased at TLS for $2.50) or your own memory key to record
your microteachings.
WebCT Vista
1. We have designed a WebCT Vista site that supports the Course Design and Teaching
Workshop (CDTW). This site includes resources related to the workshop. You have already
been added to the course and you will find it in your list of courses.
a. In order to access the CDTW site please follow this procedure:
b. Go to WebCT at http://www.mcgill.ca/webct/.
c. At the top right of the WebCT homepage, click on Sign in. (for more information
about signing in, go to Sign in help).
d. Once signed in, click on the WebCT Vista link found on the right hand side in the Go
To WebCT box.
e. Then click on Workshop - Course Design and Teaching to enter the site.
2. If you have any questions, please contact Mariela Tovar, Workshop Coordinator at
mariela.tovar@mcgill.ca or 514-398- 5996.