Curriculum Redesign

Project Overview

The Problem

A university was experiencing poor retention rates of transfer students, and poor completion rates of a core course. Transfer students were also completing the course and not engaging in campus life the way the university wanted them to.

The Solution

The course (curriculum, learning activities, organization, and design in Canvas) needed to be completely redesigned. I used the ADDIE model to collaboratively rebuild this course with input from subject matter experts (SMEs). I used backward design, and strong learning objectives established via Bloom's Taxonomy. 

Mayer's Multimedia Principles guided my design, as did Gagné's Nine Events (used in specific learning activities).

I followed Quality Matters standards for best practices in online course design.

This course is accessible following QM, web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) standards.

Audience: Transfer college students

Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Research, SME Interviews

Tools Used: Google Docs, MindMeister, Canva, Canvas, HTML

Analysis

I first familiarized myself with the original course to understand its content and organization. 

I met with SMEs to discuss content and expectations: what they wanted to keep, what they wanted to emphasize, and the learning goals and objectives of this course. I used action mapping to guide our meeting: what was the problem this course needed to solve? What activities could we design to encourage learners to practice desired behaviors?

Using MindMeister, my team targeted our goal and brainstormed what learners needed to do and know to accomplish that goal.

Design

I created the collaborative course storyboard using Google Docs. The SMEs provided feedback which I implemented into the iterative course design. 

Backward design ensured this course would teach learners what we wanted them to learn. I started with the end result (what learners would do or know by the end of the course), then worked backward from there, designing learning activities and assessments to allow students to practice.

I updated course-level learning objectives (COs) to be clear and measurable according to Bloom's Taxonomy. I linked these COs to Institutional Outcomes (IOs), which I was not allowed to change. Next, I tied COs directly to module-level learning objectives (MOs). Finally, I designed learning activities that supported each MO. This process ensured cohesive alignment.

Several learning theories informed my design. Gagné's Nine Events ensured I developed module-level activities that led to measurable and meaningful learning. Mayer's Multimedia Principles reminded me to cut any extraneous images (Coherence Principle). The Personalization Principle reminded me to write in a conversational style.

Additionally, constructivism suggests that learners learn best when they can actively construct new knowledge and link it to past learning. I designed the final project in the course—a website-building project—based on constructivism theory. The project requires learners to reflect on what they've learned, link it to past learning, and solidify that learning by constructing a model that explains their learning to others.  

Finally, I designed learner surveys to collect data on the first two levels of Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation (how learners feel about their learning experience, and what they have learned). 

Check out my complete design document, embedded below.

Development 

I developed the course in Canvas.

I segmented modules and information according to Mayer's Segmenting Principle, and ensured all videos feature narration and graphics rather than narration, graphics, and text (Redundancy Principle).

As I developed the course, I checked it against the Quality Matters Rubric for Higher Education. This rubric includes 42 Specific Review Standards (SRS) such as:

•  including clear instructions about how to get started in the course (SRS 1.1)

• an introduction to the instructor (SRS 1.8)

• a space for learners to introduce each other (SRS 1.9)

• course learning objectives that are clear and measurable (SRS 2.1)

• assessments that are aligned with course learning objectives (SRS 3.1)

• a variety of instructional materials (SRS 4.5).

As a Certified Peer Course Reviewer for QM, I always ensure each course I design meets QM standards.

I also followed best practices for andragogy: learning activities are relevant and meaningful to adult learners; learning is applicable to their majors and lives; and they have the ability to choose which learning activities they would like to complete. 

On the course homepage, I included clear instructions for how to get started, as well as helpful action links. I designed my own buttons linked to the main areas of the course (such as the Syllabus and Announcements) using HTML and hex codes for specific brand colors.

Implementation

We implemented the course in fall 2022, and learners began working their way through the materials. The course was completed ahead of schedule.

Evaluation

Based on initial learner feedback, I made small changes to the course after the first iteration, such as re-writing quiz questions for clarity and updating broken links. 

After six months, learner data collected through the LMS show that course completion numbers are up by 30%, and learner satisfaction with the course has increased by 50%.