Recommendations and Guidelines
Resilient Course Design
The key recommendations are:
- Provide a clear structure
- Incorporate flexibility where feasible
- make strategic choices in teaching & learning activities
- Plan for key interactions
The goal of resilient course design is to only go through the design process once. It still may be necessary to improvise as the course gets underway, but the initial planning limits the potential for confusion and enables fast decision-making. These guidelines highlight key elements of resilient course design that differ from traditional course design or are vitally important to making a successful pivot.
Provide a clear structure
Consider how you will provide structure for the following critical elements should you need to pivot to a fully online format:
- How/where will students ask questions about course content and personal situations?
- What instructions/guides about how to complete and submit asynchronous work will be available for students?
- What expectations (if any) will you outline in terms of accountability and ensuring students complete asynchronous work?
- How will synchronous meetings run in your course, if at all?
Incorporate flexibility where feasible
Building in flexibility results in a more equitable teaching and learning experience for you and your students. Consider how you will provide flexibility for the following elements:
- What are the alternative ways in which students can access the course material should they need to self-isolate or study off-campus due to changing circumstances?
- How might you provide flexibility for yourself as an instructor?
- What happens if you are unable to attend/facilitate in-person activities due to personal circumstances?
| In-person activities/assessments | Online alternative | How to communicate to students? |
| Example: Think-pair-share activity to discuss thoughts and questions from weekly reading | Contribute thoughts to discussion board in a predetermined group with prompt questions | Post announcement on course site with instructions on how to navigate discussion boards with predetermined groups |
Create opportunities for synchronous small group discussions with designated note-takers so students who miss the discussions still have access to the notes. Alternatively, set up discussion boards consisting of the same questions used for in-class discussions so it is easy to pivot if in-person courses are cancelled or if students cannot attend class due to illness or self-isolation requirements.
Make strategic choices in teaching and learning activities
|
IN PERSON ACTIVITY |
ONLINE ACTIVITY |
|
Student Q&A during lectures |
Student Q&A via chat, videoconferencing, etc. |
|
In-person lectures |
Pre-recorded lectures by instructor |
|
Announcements in class |
Announcements via e-mail, text or video in moodle.unbc.ca |
|
In-person small group discussions |
Breakout rooms in Collaborate, MS Teams, Zoom, etc. |
|
Student presentations in class |
Student vi