Course Introduction

Course Overview

In 1-2 paragraphs, introduce students to the main purpose of the course and include a statement about how their performance will be evaluated (e.g., quizzes, discussion boards, case studies). The following questions are intended to help you develop a concise, yet informative summary of your course:

  • What big ideas/topics will you cover in your course?
  • What are the essential understandings that students will take away with them after they have completed the course?
  • How will the course help them develop their skills and abilities?
  • In what ways will their skills and abilities be assessed?

Read the course overview on this page for ideas on how to write a descriptive summary of your course.

Course format

This section describes the format of your course, how topics are organized, how assessments are delivered etc.

Example:

This course consists of learning modules comprised of readings and videos, online discussions, quizzes, and written assignments.

Each module is composed of the following components:

At a Glance

Each module begins with At a Glance, which provides an overview of the module and introduces the topics to be discussed.

How to Proceed

After you have reviewed the At a Glance section, you will be directed to a checklist that includes your requirements for the module—including all reading and viewing materials, learning activities, and evaluated tests and assignments.

Lesson

The module lesson page is composed of an introduction to the module topic, questions that will guide your learning, and the learning goals used to measure your knowledge of the content. You will then read through a set of Lesson Notes developed by your course instructor.

These notes synthesize and enhance the ideas covered in your required readings, leading to the creation of new insights, perspectives, and understandings of the topic at hand. Supplementary videos and articles have been provided that have been selected to support your learning.

Lastly, a list is provided of the specific activities and assignments that will gauge your understanding of the course content.  

Activities and Assignments

You will complete a series of  activities and assignments (e.g. quizzes and written assignments) that are designed to evaluate your growing awareness of the principles, theories, and methods described in each module. The  activities and assignments include detailed information about your graded assignments for this course.