Course Modules

Here is a breakdown of what you will do within each of the seven course modules:

  • Analyze: Within Modules 1 and 2, you will analyze key aspects of the design need. In Module 1, you will consider the learners and the learning context. In Module 2, you will dive into the requirements of the project, including a close examination of the College and Career Readiness Standards. You will also explore and analyze available free and openly licensed open educational resources (OER) that you can adapt to meet the requirements of this project.
  • Synthesize: Within Modules 2 and 3, you will make your first attempts at generating possible solutions to meet the instructional design need. You will contemplate established instructional principles to design instructional strategies to support learning.
  • Simulate: Within Modules 4 and 5, you will take the ideas swirling in your head and develop draft representations of your design conception. In Module 4, you will offer a representation of your ideas within a written design proposal. This will be followed in Module 5 with your development of a second design iteration, a prototype of your educational resources based on your written design proposal.
  • Evaluate: Within Module 6, you will assess whether your draft design representation (i.e. prototype) is meeting the needs and constraints of this project through self, peer, and expert evaluation activities. Evaluation forces a designer to critically examine the efficacy and efficiency of the instruction in light of the design need.
  • Decide: Within Module 7, you will make your final design decisions as you prepare your final deliverable based on the feedback you have received through self, peer, and expert evaluation of your design prototype. As your final assignment in this course, you will submit the educational resources you have designed and developed. Those who submit final deliverables that meet the design criteria will be invited to include their educational resources on the Designers for Learning Adult Learning Zone group in OER Commons.