Improve your Lesson Design: Strategies for University Educators

Discover how to design lessons that foster deep learning and improved student outcomes. This workshop introduces practical strategies for aligning your teaching objectives, activities, and assessments. Transform your teaching approach to ensure that your students achieve the learning outcomes through targeted, purposeful instruction.

This workshop begins with an introduction to the fundamental concepts of purposeful lesson design, emphasizing the importance of clear, aligned learning outcomes. Participants will learn how to craft precise, measurable outcomes that set the stage for effective teaching. We’ll then delve into the integration of these outcomes with teaching activities and assessment methods, ensuring that each element reinforces and supports the others. Through a combination of theoretical insights and practical examples, you’ll gain the skills needed to create an engaging, student-centered learning experience that promotes deeper understanding and long-term retention.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:

• explain the principles of Constructive Alignment and its significance in higher education.
• design teaching activities that effectively align with the defined learning objectives.
• develop assessment methods that accurately measure student achievement of learning outcomes
• assess the alignment between learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessment methods in their classes.
• identify areas for improvement in their class design and implement revisions based on alignment evaluation.

Competences developed in the course:

The course develops competences falling under Pillar 1, Pillar 2 and Pillar 4of the Framework for Effective Teaching at CU.

PILLAR 1 Teaching and learning planning and design.

• 1. 2. The teacher sets learning outcomes for their course and individual classes and chooses suitable methods of measuring their attainment.
• 1. 3. The teacher selects teaching strategies that contribute to achieving the expected learning outcomes and adapts them to the students’ needs.
• 1. 4. The teacher utilizes techniques for effective class preparation.

PILLAR 2 Managing the teaching and learning process.

• 2. 3. The teacher utilizes a variety of strategies that promote student active learning.

PILLAR 4 Reflective teaching and teacher professional development.

• 4. 1. The teacher evaluates the extent to which expected learning outcomes have been achieved for a given course or individual class.

Lecturer:

Manuela Milani is an academic developer with more than 20 years of experience in different Universities in Europe. In the last years she has designed and delivered many training and professional development activities for faculty members. Her publications include several papers on the use of cultural differences in teaching and learning, on teaching observations practices and faculty training design and quality of teaching perception.