{"id":3437,"date":"2021-08-02T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ele.local\/?p=3437"},"modified":"2021-08-18T16:29:04","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T21:29:04","slug":"a-comprehensive-guide-for-student-centered-course-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everylearnereverywhere.org\/es\/blog\/a-comprehensive-guide-for-student-centered-course-design\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comprehensive Guide for Student-Centered Course Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nicole Weber, Assistant Vice President of Learning at the Online Learning Consortium, says she and colleagues, reflecting on the last three semesters, felt that \u201cwhile many educators have been exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion, this pandemic has really brought student challenges to the surface.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the spring of 2020, academic programs have been under stress and educators have had to quickly learn to be effective in unfamiliar online and hybrid modalities. The challenges many students have always faced accessing and progressing in high-quality learning programs became more urgent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weber and her colleagues highlight that while there are many factors educators may not feel in control of, approaching course design with student care in mind is one way they create environments where success is achievable even in times of duress. With that in mind, the Online Learning Consortium, Achieving the Dream, and other members of the Every Learner Everywhere\u00ae network developed a practical guide outlining proven and effective student-centered course design and teaching practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now available for download, The Caring for Students Playbook<\/a> focuses on \u201cSix Recommendations for Caring for Students\u201d and covers ways to operationalize equity-focused, inclusive teaching strategies that acknowledge student challenges while identifying student assets. A companion guide, Getting Started with Key Terms, Challenges, and Approaches<\/a>\u00a0published in late spring, provides in-depth discussion of the foundational concepts of a caring-centered approach.<\/p>\n

The <\/span>Caring for Students Playbook<\/span><\/i> is organized around six recommendations that can influence course design and teaching. Each section includes several suggested action steps, prompt questions for reflection, practical resources, and student perspectives. The six recommendations are:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reimagine Your Syllabus Content<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Review and Revise Your Course Content<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Assess Your Students with Care<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Develop and Enact a Communication Plan<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Integrate Institutional Supports\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Take Time for Self-Care<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Student<\/p>\n

    Below are some highlights from the Playbook.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Reimagine your syllabus content<\/b><\/h2>\n

    \u201cThe syllabus is often the first contact students have with the instructor,\u201d Weber points out, so the tone and format of the syllabus influence how comfortable students will feel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    One example of a way to create a syllabus that is more welcoming and inclusive is to make finalizing it a collaborative process by putting it in a Google Doc so students can annotate it with questions and comments.<\/span><\/p>\n

    This interactive syllabus format is one of several alternatives introduced and illustrated in the Playbook, along with tools for evaluating your syllabus.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Develop and enact a communication plan<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Weber says, \u201cDuring the pandemic and navigating emergency remote instruction, we\u2019ve really had to think about how to create instructor presence, how to create a connection between the instructor and the student, and how to create a connection between students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Remote learning requires special attention to developing and enacting a communication plan. For example, two tactics the Playbook outlines are an instructor video to greet students and a \u201cGetting to Know You\u201d survey.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In the survey, Weber recommends a question on \u201cWhat I wish my teacher knew.\u201d The goal of this question is to allow students to feel safe sharing personal or family issues they are balancing with their learning, and the Playbook teaches faculty how to honor these struggles and work with students to support them through difficult times.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Take time for self-care<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Weber says faculty must protect their own well-being, because you can\u2019t help others until you\u2019re in a place where you can give help. \u201cPeople have been going 100 miles an hour the last year,\u201d she says. \u201cEven though instructors have been trying to do the best they can, the possibility of burnout is very real.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    This recommendation includes ways to network with supportive peers and how to prioritize and respond effectively to requests. The recommended resources include the Mayo Clinic\u2019s guide to spotting burnout and other reading on self-care for educators.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Laying the groundwork<\/b><\/h2>\n

    The second part of the Playbook \u2014 Getting Started with Key Terms, Challenges, and Approaches \u2014 provides in-depth discussions of concepts necessary for caring-centered approaches to education, including:<\/span><\/p>\n