Session 2: Course Design & Assessment

In this session, we pay attention to particular aspects of designing a summer school or educational course that runs outside the regular course semesters (e.g., during the summer or winter break and vacation periods). It addresses questions such as to what extent are such courses different from regular courses, do they serve other target audiences, how can such courses support research, and what are their unique selling points? Depending on the answers to these question, there is a need to assess in what way the diverging aspects influence course design and whether distinct methods of delivery and assessment are required. The ultimate goal is to create an optimal learning environment and ensure the formulated intended course outcomes can be met.

Please have a look at the recorded PowerPoint presentation (in MP4 video format), the YouTube video on constructive alignment (made by TU Delft) and the literature source provided below that will give you some food for thought. Constructive alignment is a theoretical concept devised by Prof John Biggs (1999) reflecting the alignment of the learning objectives, the teaching and learning activities and the assessment with one another:

• Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does (4th ed.). Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Link; Open access link for 3rd edition (2007).
• Recorded PowerPoint presentation
• YouTube video on Constructive Alignment

Assignment

After watching the recorded PowerPoint presentation and video and familiarizing yourself with various concepts related to “teaching for quality learning at university” kindly discuss with your team members the following:

1. In what way may the foreseen summer school or educational course differ from a regular course in terms of duration, distribution and frequency of course sessions, diversity and potential motivation of participants, delivery methods and other factors you can think off?
2. How may such diverging factors influence course design?
3. To what extent does the foreseen course support research?
4. Define the intended learning outcomes for the foreseen course and describe the learning activities and the assessment methods that you plan to develop.