Each summer, the Educational Media Center (EMC) hosts the Pacific Region Learning Summit (PRLS) at Leeward CC, a week-long professional development opportunity for instructors. During this past PRLS (May 15-19, 2017), we offered a new workshop track, Course By Design. We were fortunate to have eight dedicated instructors who registered for our track:

• Christina Mende (Math & Sciences Division)
• Faustino Dagdag (Business Division)
• Darci Miyashiro (Math & Sciences Division)
• Eric Matsuoka (Math & Sciences Division)
• I-Chia Shih (Math & Sciences Division)
• Nolan Miyahara (Professional Arts & Technology Division)
• Reina Ojiri (Math & Sciences Division)
• Ross Higa (Business Division)

In this track, we guided the instructors through using our four-step course design process for in-person classes. This process helped them to systematically organize and structure their courses to align their course outcomes with appropriate learning activities. And then put together their lesson modules on a website. Doing so helps students to navigate through the course, identify the expectations, and identify activities they need to complete to be successful in the course.

During the week we led participants through our four-step process using a mix of methods and activities to:

1. Identify student learning outcomes.
2. Create specific learning objectives.
3. Create activities to meet the learning objectives.
4. Build your lessons on a website.

Participants used a planning document (Google Doc) and learning modules website template (Google Sites) which we designed and developed for the four-step course design process. Some started creating lesson modules for their courses, while others chose to create supplemental lessons and activities for their courses. By the end of the week, participants were able to go through one cycle of the process to create at least one lesson module on their website. Now they have the knowledge, skills, and tools to continue creating the rest of their lesson modules.

All participants earned the “Course Designer Creator” badge of achievement for planning out their course and creating at least one lesson module during PRLS. These badges are helpful to use as evidence in tenure/promotion dossiers.

Participants Have Said

“I learned how to design a google site and how to create pages with activities that focus on helping students meet the learning outcomes. After taking this workshop, I have a starting template that is ready to be used for my future courses. And that is a wonderful feeling! I would recommend this program to other instructors who wants to develop their course sites for face-to-face or online courses.”

“I learned about best practices for my lesson and activity planning; how to clearly connect them with our SLOs and Learning Objectives; and how to present them in a professional looking page!”

“As for advice, I would say the best thing a participant to do is to keep an open mind.”

Register for Course By Design (Fall 2017)

If you’re interested in re-designing your course, consider joining us in the six-week “Course By Design” workshop series which we adapted for the fall semester. It will be on six consecutive Tuesdays from Oct.10 to Nov.14. For more information and to register, visit: https://course-by-design-fall-2017.eventbrite.com

Rachael Inake and Brent Hirata
Educational Technologists
Educational Media Center