Adopting a master course philosophy means creating a single, comprehensive version of a course that is used consistently each time the course is offered. This master course is developed with institutional standards and program outcomes in mind, ensuring uniform quality and consistency across all sections. By standardizing the course content, facilitators do not have to make major edits to the course design and can instead concentrate on preparing the necessary elements of a shared course and on the facilitation, rather than on developing or gathering materials and assessments.
While this approach enhances the learning experience by providing a well-structured and coherent course, it does present certain challenges. This article will explore design considerations and strategies for effectively building and implementing a master course.
Don’t Include Instructor Information
Since a master course may be taught by different instructors over time, it’s important to avoid including instructor-specific information directly within the course materials. Although it might seem important for students to know how to contact their instructor, placing instructor details in the master course can lead to confusion if the instructor changes, potentially frustrating students with outdated or incorrect contact information.
Instead of including instructor information in the course content, it’s more effective to manage it elsewhere. For example, many learning management systems (LMS) offer user-specific profile pages where instructors can provide their office hours, contact details, and personal websites. By encouraging instructors to update their information on these profile pages, the master course can simply direct students to the relevant profiles for up-to-date instructor details. The syllabus can then direct students to those pages in the “Instructor Information” area of the syllabus.
This approach ensures that students have access to accurate contact information without cluttering the master course content, keeping it focused and consistent for all instructors.
Don’t Include Term Dates
When a master course is taught across multiple terms, it’s crucial to avoid including specific dates that could become outdated or irrelevant. Instead, it’s more effective to use relative references tied to the course structure. For instance, rather than stating, “Please submit by March 11, 2015,” you could say, “Please submit by Wednesday of Module 2.”
This approach not only helps maintain the relevance of the course content across different terms but also minimizes the risk of accidental inclusion of term-specific information. By referring to days within a module rather than fixed dates, you ensure that the course remains adaptable and consistently applicable, regardless of when it is offered.
Be Careful with Time-Specific Material
When designing a master course that will be taught across various terms, it’s important to carefully consider how you will include time-specific assignments and assessments. These are elements that refer to specific dates or are particularly relevant to a given term. While you don’t need to eliminate these elements entirely, it’s crucial to address them thoughtfully.
If you plan to include discussion forums based on current events, avoid labeling them as “current events” and use a broad description of what students will be reviewing. Mislabeling resources can also appear unprofessional and disorganized, potentially affecting students’ perception of the course.
Consider integrating tools that provide up-to-date content without a need for manual updates. An embedded X (formerly Twitter) Feed, for instance, can display current headlines related to your course topics and can be set up to reflect updates from specific accounts or hashtags. This method ensures your course remains current and engaging, with up-to-date content available for instructors to incorporate as needed.
Include Rubrics
Designing master courses involves considerations beyond the course content—particularly when multiple instructors will teach different sections. One of the key advantages of a master course philosophy is its scalability, which means that various instructors will handle different sections of the same course. To ensure consistency and fairness across all sections, it’s crucial to include detailed rubrics for all summative assessments. You may wish to review our Tips & Tricks for Creating Rubrics.
Rubrics offer numerous benefits in the online classroom. They allow instructors to provide consistent and detailed feedback, clearly communicate expectations to students, and encourage critical thinking. For master courses, rubrics are especially valuable as they ensure that all instructors, regardless of whether they designed the course, can grade assessments consistently and fairly. This means that students receive an equitable experience across different sections of the course, and instructors benefit from having a clear, standardized set of expectations for grading.
Develop a Course Map and Instructor Guide
Another resource you can create for instructors of a master course is an instructor guide. While the specifics of this might vary based on your course’s unique needs, compiling what facilitation information you can hand off can be a great tool for instructors who are new to teaching your online course. This guide can include specific talking points, suggestions on how to respond to typical discussion board questions, or even supplemental materials that an instructor can use. This isn’t a required resource, but it’s an excellent one that course developers can provide to give give instructors insight behind the design decisions.
Conclusion
Adopting a master course philosophy can offer numerous advantages to your institution, including scalability, consistency, and enhanced quality. However, shifting to this model can represent a significant change for course developers and instructors.
Implementing the design strategies discussed can ease this transition and set your team up for success. These considerations will not only improve the design and delivery of your online courses but also ensure a smoother adaptation process for everyone involved.
