Course Design
Course Design
Embedded Files
Technology continues to evolve, but the principles of good course design remain the same. Throughout my career, I have designed and supported courses in both Blackboard and Canvas, focusing on creating organized, accessible, and engaging learning experiences regardless of the platform.
Theory of Course Design
Theory of Course Design
Course design begins with people.
Every course is different because every instructor is different. Faculty bring their own expertise, teaching style, and goals for their students, while learners come with different backgrounds, experiences, and levels of preparation. My role as an instructional designer is to understand those perspectives and create learning experiences that are organized, accessible, engaging, and effective.
I approach course design as a collaborative process. It begins with listening: What are the instructor's goals? What is already working well? Where are students struggling? Those conversations guide every design decision that follows.
Frameworks such as ADDIE, Backward Design, Bloom's Taxonomy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Quality Matters (QM) provide valuable guidance throughout the design process. Rather than treating them as rigid formulas, I view them as tools that help inform thoughtful design decisions based on the unique needs of each course, instructor, and group of learners.
My goal is not to make every course look the same. It is to create learning experiences that support both instructors and students while preserving the instructor's voice, expertise, and teaching style.
Most instructional design projects do not begin with a blank course shell. They begin with an existing course, an established curriculum, and an instructor looking for ways to improve the learning experience. The examples below reflect the types of collaborative course design and redesign projects I have completed throughout my career.
Faculty Training Course on Accessible Course Design
Faculty Training Course on Accessible Course Design
A self-paced Canvas training course developed for faculty and staff to learn practical accessibility skills. This collaborative redesign transformed an existing Blackboard course into a modern Canvas experience featuring updated content, improved navigation, and a consistent visual design.
3-credit, online; Faculty and Designer
An online general education course that demonstrates my approach to course redesign, consistent course organization, authentic assessment, and creative instructional design solutions for diverse learning environments.
A hybrid course redesign focused on improving navigation, aligning online learning with weekly classroom instruction, and creating a more intuitive student experience through thoughtful course organization.
A collaborative course design project focused on building a flexible Canvas framework that empowers faculty to create engaging course content while maintaining a consistent learning experience for students.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse