Designing an Accelerated EKU Course
EKU offers several accelerated terms for students, including EKU Winter, which takes place December to January each year.
Designing Engaging Accelerated Online Courses
Accelerated courses are designed to allow faculty and students to work intensively, over the duration of the term, together for a shorter period than a typical fall or spring semester. Whether the course involves collaborative projects, case studies, problem-based learning, or inquiry-based learning, the goal of an accelerated six-week course is to allow the students to work and learn closely together. This guide provides the most impactful strategies to employ when designing an accelerated course.
Resources for Faculty
Resources are available to support faculty in (re)designing accelerated courses:
Faculty Consultations - One-on-one meetings focused on accelerated course design.
One-Button Studio - The One-Button Studio is a simplified video recording studio used to create high quality videos for presentations, lectures, and podcasts. Contact the Faculty Center for Teaching & Learning, fctl@eku.edu.
Teach @ EKU - EKU’s comprehensive hub for teaching resources.
Intentional Course Planning
Learning Outcomes
Be focused and realistic about what learning can be achieved in your six-week. Consider the transferable learning outcomes or skills students will need to develop to apply their content knowledge in the course. Also, consider content that students will need in the following semester (spring, in this case). Consider reviewing your learning outcomes for the course as you plan and (re)design for the accelerated term.
Community (CoI Model)
Building a community in your courses and creating supportive environments are always important to supporting students and encouraging learning. Make community building and teamwork/collaboration skills a goal in your EKU Winter course, especially early on. Consider how you will build community from the very beginning. Also, consider pre-class surveys, online welcome videos, icebreakers, Q&A Discussion Forums to build community from the start. Instructors can also refer to the AAC&U Teamwork rubric for recommendations on designing and assessing teamwork within your accelerated EKU course. Design intentional opportunities to check in with your students throughout the six-week Winter course. Doing intentional check-ins early on is a valuable way to invite feedback on how the course is going and how students are doing as you prepare for progress reports. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework can also serve as a useful design resource.
Focused Content (While Maintaining Quality and Engagement)
Include content that is necessary for students to achieve course learning outcomes. Any extra content can be made optional, or students can choose from among a larger selection of readings, videos, and other resources to enhance learning or understanding. In course design, prioritize depth over breadth. Apply the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework to ensure clarity in the Purpose, Task, and Criteria in each assignment, module, or learning assessment.
Scaffolded Assignments
Carefully scaffolded assignments help students focus on learning outcomes and stay on task. Building on the TILT framework, expectations and assignments should be discussed and clarified in the first week of class to give students enough time to prepare adequately and complete them. The work on end-of-term projects, assignments, or writing and communication projects, scaffold smaller assignments and schedule due dates each week. Engage students in learning reflection (to encourage metacognition). answering questions about how to improve their own learning, self-assessment and grading using rubrics, and working with peer partners to get support and feedback.
Feedback and Learning Assessment
Feedback in week one and should consist of frequent, low-stakes quizzes, reflections or critical reading assignments, etc. so that students know what they need to do to succeed. Utilize rubrics and peer feedback to maintain progress in the course. Feedback on learning assessments should be delivered quickly, allowing students to build on prior learning.
In a six-week, accelerated course, feedback and assessments begin immediately. The major learning assessments, projects, and assignments of the course are introduced in week one. Students will need feedback almost immediately to ensure they can apply it in their next assignments.
Progress Reports
Accelerated courses will provide students with an early assessment through Progress Reports. Progress Reports should be based on at least one early-term meaningful assignment and include meaningful feedback.
Midterms
Midterm grades should be based on early learning assessments. Grades should be accompanied by feedback to students.
Academic Resources for Students
Academic resources for students will be available. Please refer to each site for current hours and availability: