Additional Resources

Backward Design Additional Resources

L. Dee Fink - Backward Design Model

• Free Self Directed Guide Links to an external site. by Fink
• Designing Significant Learning Website Links to an external site.
• Fink - Idea Paper: Integrated Course Design Links to an external site.
• Quality Course Framework Download Quality Course Framework (QCF): conceptual framework for course design
  

Integrating library instruction into courses Prezi: https://prezi.com/yx4nesjllng3/integrating-library-learning-outcomes-into-your-courses Links to an external site.

Writing Outcomes

• Read about Bloom's Taxonomy Link (seminal literature about the different levels of learning - including recent changes to the taxonomy) 
• Look at examples: SMART objectives, ABCD method
• U of Minnesota page about writing objectives/outcom
• U of Texas at Austin about Designing for Specific Learning

Need Objectives? You will find here some resources to help you articulate learning objectives for your course syllabus
Step 1: Reflect on the overarching goal(s) of your instructional session/course. What is the big goal(s) - the big thing you want students to be able to do or know at the end of your instruction?

• You can use this optional worksheet (PDF version Download PDF version
  ) to help you reflect on and write down your big goal(s) for your course. Just write down your big goal in some way for your course so you can refer back to it as you think about your objectives.
• Here is an example of the overarching goals I have for a course I have taught on teaching instructors how to teach online.

Step 2: Review your program/teaching session goals. Once you think about what you want your students to know, and be able to do, reflect on how that fits in with your program goals.  Accrediting bodies want to see that you are teaching courses that align with your program goals, and also that your program goals align to the university mission/vision. Here are some files to help you think about that:

• Here is a grid you can use to align your course objectives to program goals Download grid you can use to align your course objectives to program goals
  . You do not need to align to all program goals, just select the one relevant to your course
  

Step 3: Write learning objectives/outcomes that you can add to your course syllabus.

• This is a worksheet Download worksheet
  about the L. Dee Fink Learning Taxonomy that may give you ideas for different types of objectives you can incorporate into your course (see page 2 and 3 for ideas for types of learning).

• Objectives must be measurable - this is how you will know the students have learned what they should have learned. 
• Objectives usually start with an "action verb"; that explicitly describes what students will do. Do not use vague words like understand and know.
• Use this document to find appropriate action verbs for your objectives (another resource for action verbs)
• Objectives are a single sentence statement. Start off with: At the end of this course, students will be able to: .....
• Objectives should focus on what the STUDENT WILL DO, not what the instructor does. 
• Objectives should focus on different levels of learning, not just on acquiring content knowledge. For example, one of the objectives for my course is that by the end of this course you will have: "Defined a personal philosophy about online teaching". The objective does not state that I will: "Teach you how to write an online teaching statement". You (the student) will "define" your philosophy by reviewing examples of philosophies, reflecting on your own values and actually writing an online teaching statement about what you believe about learning and teaching online. The statement will be graded so that I know you understand what a teaching statement is and that you can articulate what you believe about teaching online.
  
•  I would be glad to provide feedback for you - donna.ziegenfuss@utah.edu