Course Planning Guide

• Before the semester begins

• Developing & Planning Courses

• Designing Learning Assessments (and Alternatives to Multiple Choice Exams)

• Building Relationships & Developing Rapport

Before the semester begins 

• Make online courses available to students before classes are scheduled to begin.

• If scheduled for in-person delivery, visit the classroom before the first day to try out the technology, microphone, lights, etc. 

• Contact students via email in advance of the course start date. 

  • Invite questions about the course.

  • Provide the syllabus to students, including the course schedule.

  • Reference academic resources in course materials, including syllabi and assignments: Noel Studio for Academic Creativity, Student Success Center, and/or Math/Stats Center. 

  • Review campus resources for students. 

• Provide a brief video primer of course, including technology use focused on where to find resources and how to participate fully.

• Establish a communication plan for sharing information with students.

• Develop a structure for the course that is clear for both you and your students. Communicate that structure to your students.

Developing & Planning Courses

• First day of class (Engage students with more than “syllabus day”); the first day matters!

The first day of class provides an opportunity to make students feel welcome, inspiring them with interesting aspects of course content, and create a collaborative environment for learning. What you do on the first day of class makes a difference. No class period is more critical to forming students’ attitudes towards learning than the first day of the semester. 

Introduce and engage students: 

• Learn each other's names.

• Reduce anxiety.

• Create positive first impressions.

• Establish community among students.

• Begin to create commitment to the class.

• Identify and break down barriers to learning and success.

• Stimulate curiosity in the course and motivation.

What you can do:

• Arrive early and greet students as they arrive.

• Engage in an interactive activity that involves students right away in course content.

• Consider adding a surprising fact or a current event that demonstrates why the content in this course matters. Establishing relevance and promoting intrigue can help motivate student learning right from the start.

• Highlight campus resources. 

  • Connect students with academic and support resources from the first days of class. 

  • Design syllabi and assignments that incorporate academic resources. 

• Set up clear communication strategies for the students. 

• Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject and your love of teaching.

• Use the whole class period.

• Planning for 4th-week progress reports:

  • Provide substantial feedback to students early in the course (by week two)

  • Incorporate a meaningful assignment early (within the first three weeks) of the semester so that you can deliver significant feedback to students in advance of fourth-week progress reports. 

Designing Learning Assessments (and Alternatives to Multiple Choice Exams)

• Consider alternative to multiple-choice exams and quizzes (access the toolkit) 

  • Writing assignments

  • Presentation assignments

  • Poster 

  • A series of critical reading assignments

  • Critical reading journal

  • Video or multimodal project

  • Annotated portfolio of work throughout the semester

  • Student-proposed project

Building Relationships & Developing Rapport

First two weeks (Student check-ins, feedback, and relationships)

• Do regular check-ins with students

• Administer mini (one or two-question) surveys early on in the course

• Hold Student Hours online or in person

• Follow up with students who are absent or not responsive during the first week

• Schedule individual meetings with students if possible