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Curriculum Writing Guide –

Curriculum Writing Guide


Table of Contents

Curriculum Writing........................................................................................................................3Length of Courses.....................................................................................................................3Learning Management System (LMS) Course Template...................................................3Faculty Guide.............................................................................................................................3Contract Requirements............................................................................................................3Curriculum Development and Ownership.............................................................................3Course Process Guidelines.....................................................................................................4Course Writing Categories......................................................................................................4

Course Creations..................................................................................................................4Course Revisions..................................................................................................................4

Major Revision (51%-75% of course/lab)......................................................................5Minor Revision (21%-50% of course/lab)......................................................................5Curriculum Update Revision (11-20% of the course).................................................5Curriculum Update Revision (10% or less of the course)..........................................5

Writing Process.............................................................................................................................6Writer Selection and Course Production...............................................................................6

Writer Selection.....................................................................................................................6Selection of Course Resources..............................................................................................6Course Creations......................................................................................................................7

Prospectus Submission.......................................................................................................7Prospectus Approval............................................................................................................7

Writing Process (Creations and Revisions)..........................................................................7Writing Process.....................................................................................................................7Review and Editing...............................................................................................................8Completion.............................................................................................................................8Final Review..........................................................................................................................8Timeline..................................................................................................................................8Word Processing Guidelines...............................................................................................9Payment.................................................................................................................................9

Curriculum Design and Technology Department Contacts................................................9How to Write Objectives and Design Curriculum...................................................................11

Assessment Alignment in Curriculum Design....................................................................11Writing Quality Objectives.....................................................................................................13Objective/Assessment Match................................................................................................20

Appendices..................................................................................................................................23Appendix A...............................................................................................................................24

Copyright..............................................................................................................................24Appendix B...............................................................................................................................28

Respondus Formatting.......................................................................................................28Appendix C...............................................................................................................................30

Test Proctoring....................................................................................................................30Appendix D...............................................................................................................................31

Guidance For Video In Course Writing............................................................................31Appendix E...............................................................................................................................33


Curriculum Writing

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Length of CoursesCourses will vary in length based upon a number of factors, including but not limited to the academic program, the course content, and the student audience. The course length will be communicated to the course writer via the course creation or revision contract.

Learning Management System (LMS) Course TemplateAs the course writer, you are creating a faculty guide that will be converted into a master course template for the university LMS. This LMS master course template will be created by an instructional designer in the Curriculum Design and Technology (CDT) department. The course writer and Academic Dean or Program Chair will have final approval of the LMS master course template after the instructional designer has created the master course template.

In order to write a course that can be effectively delivered online in a learning management system, the course writer must be familiar with the learning management system that is being used. If you need any assistance or have questions about the capability of the LMS, please contact the CDT department. Refresher training can be scheduled.

Faculty GuideEach course will have a faculty guide. If you, the course writer, are writing a new course, you will create the faculty guide from a provided template. If you are revising a course, you will edit the old faculty guide.

This guide will follow a standardized template to ensure continuity between courses and LETU branding. A copy of the template will be provided by your instructional designer.

Contract RequirementsContract requirements will be outlined in the contract you receive. It is important to note contract date is NOT always dependent on the semester the course will be offered. Instead, the course deadline is assigned so workload can be managed accordingly. If a course writer does not meet course deadlines there will be a financial penalty or the contract may be cancelled since the impact on departments cost the university money and if the course cannot be offered, this will result in decreased tuition dollars.

Curriculum Development and OwnershipThe development of a course and supporting faculty guide will follow the Letourneau University approved curriculum design model. The course must be submitted in the designated style and format.


The course materials prepared for course are the sole property of LeTourneau University and may not be copied or used in any manner without the express written permission of LeTourneau University. Course Process Guidelines

The following items CANNOT be altered:o Courses will use the existing LeTourneau naming and numbering

conventions. o Course descriptions must match those published in the University Catalog.o The master template design

Course Writing CategoriesWhen new courses or revisions are needed, a contract will be issued to write under the following categories:

Course CreationsNew courses are created when:

A new program is developed, Changes in curriculum are made to existing programs necessitating the creation

of new courses, or Additional courses are needed to fulfill general education or general elective

requirements.

Course creations are considered to be those courses to be written with no pre-existing course sample supplied by LeTourneau. New course creations must meet the following additional criteria:

Have a course number and title which is different from any current course available in LeTourneau University’s program offerings; and

Have content that is not substantially similar to any current course available in the university’s program offerings.

Course creations must be communicated to the CDT department by program directors and/or deans when they are scheduled to ensure there is sufficient time for curriculum to be completed and approved. Curriculum development requires at least a 120 day cycle (2 months for writing process and 1 month for finalization and approval and then 1 month prep period for faculty teaching the course.

Course RevisionsThe following situations indicate that a course requires revision:

End-of-course surveys indicate a course revision is needed. The text has gone out of print or software has changed. The university has introduced new degree programs requiring the scope or focus

of the existing course be altered. The course was last revised three or more years ago, and material is outdated. Faculty members have indicated there are problems with the course


Program directors and/or deans must inform the CDT department of any course revisions that are required 120 days or more before the course is scheduled.

Course revisions fall within four categories as described below:

Major Revision (51%-75% of course/lab)Course content requires extensive rewriting in virtually every category:

Overall goals and objectives Introductory notes Overall assignments Activities

A major revision represents modification of over 50% of the curriculum materials.

Minor Revision (21%-50% of course/lab)Course content requires rewriting in more than 20% and less than 50% of the following categories:

Overall goals and objectives Introductory notes Overall assignments Activities

A minor revision is more than grammatical cleanup or change of text edition and would involve changing at least 21 -50% of the curriculum.

Curriculum Update Revision (11-20% of the course)Course has experienced a change in text edition and/or minor material has become obsolete and requires very minor revision in materials and assignments.

* If text edition change is required by the bookstore, all curriculum update revisions must be communicated to the CDT department as soon as the school is notified by the bookstore that older versions of a textbook can no longer be sourced

Curriculum Update Revision (10% or less of the course)These revisions will be done without compensation, usually by full time faculty.


Writing Process

Writer Selection and Course ProductionLeTourneau University desires to produce outstanding, quality curricula for students that are both accurate and up-to-date. Because the course writer will be writing a course that will be used by both experienced and new faculty members, it is critical that the following steps be followed. These steps will ensure the course can be easily understood and used by our entire faculty.

Writer Selection1. Course creation and/or revision need is identified.2. A course writer is selected by the Academic Dean or Program Chair from a list of

current faculty who are or can be credentialed to teach the course.3. The department notifies the Curriculum Design & Technology department to let

them know who will be writing the course.

Selection of Course ResourcesWhen selecting resources that students will be required to purchase for a course, the course writer should consider the following:

1. The latest version of the textbook must be used 2. In general, textbooks should be less than 5 years old unless they are a seminal

work 3. Digital resources should be considered when possible.4. Consider the cost of the textbook…is it prohibitive?5. Consider open educational resources. The LETU library has a listing of open

resources that can be used free of charge.6. Find out if the text you are considering is already being used in another course in

the program of study.7. Review the LETU copyright policy in Appendix A of this guide. When only a

small portion of a resource will be used, consider copying and posting the needed part instead of requiring students to purchase a book they will not really use

The course writer should first check with the administrative assistant for the school the course falls under to see if the school has selected the resources for you to use in this course. If the school has not selected resources for the course being written, the course writer must select the required resources and email the required resources to the school administrative assistant as soon as the resources are selected. These required resources will be adopted by the bookstore. Please include: Name of Text, Author, Copyright and ISBN Number.

Courses Units Comprise of Two or More WeeksUnits are used on the course grid to provide flexibility. The number of units may correspond to the number of weeks for a course or a unit may comprise two or more weeks if the writer chooses. The important thing to remember is that if a unit in an


online course is comprised of two or more weeks, there should be an engagement activity with peers (preferably) and/or instructor each week to keep students on track in the course.

Course Creations

Prospectus SubmissionA prospectus is only submitted for a new course creation. The prospectus must be approved by the Curriculum Design & Technology department as well as the department in the respective school. The course writer can proceed working on the course creation while the prospectus is under review but should proceed with caution since changes to the original course plan may be required by the department.The prospectus must include: Resources

o Required Resourceso Any supplementary material to be used that will incur a cost to students

(memberships, programs, etc.) Content

o Course objectives at the appropriate taxonomy levels (See How to Write Objectives and Design Curriculum section)

o A draft of course activities and readingso A list of assignments that is proposed for each unit of the course. Homework

assignments, quizzes and test items only need to be listed. If papers or case studies will be used, please give basic information about what you are proposing for these items.

Your instructional designer will provide you with a current copy of the prospectus form which must be completed.

Prospectus Approval1. After CDT department approval, the Academic Dean or Program Chair will review

the prospectus.2. If the prospectus is approved, the Academic Dean or Program Chair sends

approval to the CDT department to be kept on file with course documents. If the course is not approved, the CDT department will further assist the course writer and engage department personnel as required until the prospectus is approved.

Writing Process (Creations and Revisions)

Writing Process1. The course writer will be assigned to an instructional designer from the CDT

department who will assist the writer throughout the project.2. Course writer writes course. The final faculty guide is submitted in Microsoft

Word processing format using the standard LETU approved curriculum template. All courses must follow this template. Course author submits curriculum to the


Curriculum Design & Technology department by the dates specified on the contract. Submissions must include the faculty guide, the curriculum audit, and copies of all quizzes, tests with answer keys as well as supplementary material. If course is not received within one week of the due date, the course writer will forfeit 20% of the course writing fee unless this delay is caused by something outside of the writer’s control (such as short notice text edition change).

Review and Editing1. The instructional designer from the CDT department reviews the course

submission. If changes, course design problems, additions, or editing are required to meet requirements, the course writer and the instructional designer will meet to discuss the necessary changes.

2. If changes/additions/editing are required, the curriculum will be returned to the course writer.

Completion1. The course author returns the course with final changes made. 2. The faculty guide is sent to the school for review. 3. The course reviewer will contact the instructional designer from the Curriculum

Design & Technology department and let the instructional designer know the faculty guide is approved or if changes need to be made. If changes need to be made, the instructional designer contacts the course writer about making necessary changes, and the course will be sent back to the school for review until the course is approved.

4. The instructional designer finalizes the faculty guide and puts the course into the LMS.

5. After the course is completed in the LMS, the instructional designer notifies the course writer as well as the course reviewer that final course review must be completed.

6. Both the writer and the course reviewer must contact instructional designer and let the designer know the course is approved or if changes need to be made. If changes need to be made, the instructional designer will make the changes and notify the writer and reviewer that the course is now complete. The writer and the reviewer will notify the instructional designer of final approval.

7. The instructional designer does all final edits on the faculty guide and syllabus and adds it to the LMS.

8. The instructional designer completes the course quality review checklist.9. The instructional designer approves payment to the author.

Final ReviewCourse writers are encouraged to teach the first session of the course. If changes, additions, or editing need to be made after the first teaching of the course, the course will be returned to the course writer for revision.

TimelineIn this time line, the writer is allowed a four-week window to submit the prospectus for approval and a 4-6 -week window to complete the course. The course will be


scheduled to be completed and to the CDT department at least 60 days before the first course offering.

Word Processing GuidelinesThe faculty guide must be created in Microsoft Word using the shell provided by the University. The template in the faculty guide must be followed exactly. Unused items as well as the directions in red should be deleted.

PaymentCourse payment cannot be processed until the course is complete and approved by curriculum and the college. There may be delays from the time the course is received by the curriculum department until the course is built depending on the curriculum department workload. Workload is scheduled to prevent delays, but if several course writers submit late courses, other courses have to be put on hold to create the ones that will be offered first. The best way to prevent this is for ALL writers to complete their courses by the deadline.

After the course is approved the instructional designer forwards contract and curriculum action form to the school. After it is signed by the dean or program director, it is returned to the curriculum department and then forwarded to the business office. This process takes a minimum of one week. Course writers will then be paid the next pay period AFTER the business office receives payment paperwork.

Curriculum Design and Technology Department Contacts

Ms. Lauren TreviñoInstructional [email protected]

Mr. Ian JohnstonInstructional [email protected]

Ms. Emilee RummelInstructional [email protected]

Ms. Patty McConnellInstructional [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]





Important Curriculum Design Information

The information below is provided so the course writer understands how to properly create curriculum that meets best practices and accreditation standards. Each course will be evaluated for compliance with these concepts. If course writers familiarize themselves with this information prior to writing the course, it can save considerable revision time.

How to Write Objectives and Design Curriculum

Assessment Alignment in Curriculum DesignProgram outcomes, course objectives and assessments must all be aligned in proper curriculum design. Assessments must be written at the same taxonomic level as the instructional objective to prove this level was met. In addition, course objectives must support overall program outcomes to ensure there is not duplication within courses or important topics are missed throughout an entire program.

Course Objectives: What do I want students to know how to do when they leave this course?

Assessments: What kinds of tasks will reveal whether students have achieved the course objectives I have identified?

If these items are not aligned, you will not provide the best educational experience for your students. If you write an objective to the analysis level and you assess this with a simple multiple choice and true/false test, you are not assessing to the level of the objective—you are assessing two levels lower. You are only teaching to the knowledge or comprehension level. Consequently if the objective is written at the knowledge level and your assessment requires synthesis of new information, then you are assessing at too high a level for the objective. Both of these scenarios can be frustrating to students and can lead to confusion, students questioning expectations in a specific course and even grade appeals. In addition, your course may not prepare the students properly for upper level courses in the same subject area.

Backwards DesignAccording to Wiggins and McTighe (2006), curriculum development involves a backwards approach. In other words we must begin with the end objective in mind and


then work backwards to design the curriculum. This will help ensure that we develop the appropriate instructional methods and evaluations toward the objective.


There are three basic questions you should ask yourself as you design the curriculum:1. What are the overarching big ideas that students should understand upon

completing this course? There are obviously numerous details and facts that students must learn and accept to be well-versed in the subject matter. Most importantly though, students should have a good understanding of the overarching big ideas.

2. What evidence will I accept as proof of the students’ understanding of these ideas? Somehow you must evaluate whether the students understand these ideas. What sort of proof will you accept as evidence that they understand? Is it a paper, a test, a presentation? How will the students prove to the instructor that they understand these ideas?

3. What activities and instructional methods will I employ so that students understand the overarching big ideas of this course? The rubber meets the road here. You know the big ideas that the students should understand. You have determined what proof that you will accept as evidence of this understanding. Now, you must determine what will take place inside and outside the classroom that will bring students to this understanding.

Blooms TaxonomyIn 1956 Benjamin Bloom developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. Bloom discovered that approximately 95 % of test questions required students to think only at the lowest possible level; the recall of information.

Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple recall or recognition of facts, at the lowest level, through increasingly more complex and abstract mental levels, to the highest order which is classified as evaluation (Anderson, Krathwohl, and Bloom, 2001).

The following table indicates the six levels within the cognitive domain as identified by Bloom. Verb examples are indicated that represent intellectual activity on each level.

Writing Quality Objectives

Course objectives (often called performance objectives or competencies) are brief, clear, specific statements of what learners will be able to perform at the conclusion of instructional activities. Generally, course objectives are competency-based as they designate exactly what students need to do to demonstrate mastery of course material. With this in mind, course objectives are always stated in terms of student outcomes. The purpose of course objectives are to:

Facilitate overall course development by encouraging goal-directed planning Inform students of the standards and expectations of the course


Provide information for the development of assessments by identifying the types of evidence that students need to produce to demonstrate understanding

Clarify the intent of instruction and guide the formation of instructional activities (textbook selection, teaching resources, instructional methods, etc)

Provide a framework for evaluating student understanding and progress Serve as an implicit contract between instructor and students setting up a basis

for accountability Drive curriculum planning (such as the development or revision of courses) Create a framework for evaluating overall effectiveness of an educational

program Provide evidence of student learning to be utilized for accreditation

LETU requires 5-6 course objectives per course that are overarching. The writer can also opt to write unit objectives in addition (but not excluding) the overarching objectives.

Guidelines for Writing Effective Objectives:

Effective objectives highlight expected student behavior as well as the specific conditions and standards of performance.

Behavior - Write objectives in terms of an observable, behavioral outcome. Essentially, objectives should provide a description of what the student will be able to do. When writing the objective in performance terminology, the selection of an effective action verb is of utmost importance. The use of a clear, targeted verb provides directions about the expectations of student performance at the completion of instructional activities. Because the verb provides the desired direction of emphasis, it is important to choose a verb that is focused and targets a level of performance appropriate for the course.

Student-Centered - All objectives should focus on the student. An effective learning objective will explain expectations for student behavior, performance, or understanding. To ensure objectives are student-centered, a good objective should appropriately complete the statement "The student will..."

Conditions - Objectives should be specific and target one expectation or aspect of understanding and highlight the conditions under which the student is expected to perform the task. The conditions of the objective should communicate the situation, tools, references, or aids that will be provided for the student.

Standards - Each objective should be measurable and include the criteria for evaluating student performance. Generally, standards provide information to clarify to what extent a student must perform to be judged adequate; thus effective objectives indicate a degree of accuracy, a quantity of correct responses or some other type of measurable information. Standards serve the dual purpose of informing students of performance expectations and providing insight as to how achievement of these expectations will be measured. Since students will utilize the standards to guide their


performance, be sure to use specific terminology that has limited interpretations and ensure that all students understand the same interpretation.


Types of Objectives:

There are three types of objectives:

1) Cognitive: the student needs to know, analyze, evaluate, synthesize knowledge

2) Affective: the student has to demonstrate an attitude, relationship or behavior

3) Psychomotor: the student has to perform something

Depending on the course goals, objectives may target a range of skills or cognitive processes. Bloom's (1956) taxonomy of educational objectives differentiates between three domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

Domain Target FocusCognitive Knowledge, intellectual skills MindAffective Attitudes, interests, feelings, values, adjustments Spirit Psychomotor Motor and manipulations skills Body

Most courses in higher education focus on the cognitive domain, thus it is important to examine various levels of cognitive understanding. The cognitive domain is broken-down into six categories: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Generally, you will want to design objectives to target a range of levels of student understanding. The phrasing of l objectives will help guide both instructional activities and assessment, thus you should carefully select the emphasis of learning and the relevant verb.

Tips for Improving Objectives

An objective has three parts:o Condition (this may be inferred but is usually specified for psychomotor

objectives)o Taxonomy: action verb that demonstrates the level of understanding a

student must demonstrate according to Bloom’s taxonomy levelo Criteria: (is often inferred in cognitive objectives based on passing grade)

indication of what will result in successful completion of the objectiveo Examples:

Cognitive The student will analyze the causes, impacts and effects of

World War II on global politics and economies. (condition and criteria are inferred)

The student will analyze the causes, impacts and effects of World War II on global politics and economies with at least a 60% accuracy. (condition only inferred)


Given a description of a planet, the student will be able to identify that planet, as demonstrated verbally or in writing. (criteria only inferred)

Psychomotor Using a manual blood pressure cuff, the student will perform

blood pressure checks within a +/-10% limit of the standard value. (contains condition (using BP cuff), verb (perform) and criteria (+/-10% limit)

Affective Given the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team,

the student teacher will demonstrate a positive attitudes towards others as measured by a survey completed by other team members. (includes all three components)

Domain Emphasis Relevant VerbsCognitive Knowledge Recall, identify, recognize, acquire, distinguish, state, define, name, list,

label, reproduce, orderCognitive Comprehension Translate, extrapolate, convert, interpret, abstract, transform, select,

indicate, illustrate, represent, formulate, explain, classify, comprehend Cognitive Application Apply, sequence, carry out, solve, prepare, operate, generalize, plan,

repair, explain, predict, demonstrate, instruct, compute, use, perform, implement, employ, solve

Cognitive Analysis Analyze, estimate, compare, observe, detect, classify, discover, discriminate, distinguish, catalog, investigate, breakdown, order, determine, differentiate, dissect, contrast, examine, interpret

Cognitive Synthesis Write, plan, integrate, formulate, propose, specify, produce, organize, theorize, design, build, systematize, combine, summarize, restate, argue, discuss, derive, relate, generalize, conclude, produce

Cognitive Evaluation Evaluate, verify, assess, test, judge, rank, measure, appraise, select, check, judge, justify, evaluate, determine, support, defend, criticize, weigh, assess

Affective Agree, avoid, support, participate, cooperate, praise, help, offer, join Psychomotor Adjust, repair, taste, bend, measure, perform, operate, use, move

Verbs that should be avoided since they are ambiguous or not measurable include:

believe hear realize recognizecomprehend know see conceptualizelisten self-actualize memorize thinkexperience perceive understand feel

Phrases that should be avoided:

Appreciation for Acquainted with Awareness of


Capable of Comprehension of Cognizant ofEnjoyment of Conscious of Feeling forFamiliar with Interest (ed) in Knowledge ofKnowledge about Understanding of

Keep statements short and focused on a single outcome. This allows instructors to determine whether or not an objective has been met without having to distinguish between partial completion or success. Different taxonomy verb levels cannot be used in the same objective. Group items together in an objective that will measured at the same taxonomy level to minimize the total number of objectives. The recommended number of objectives for a course is between 5-10 objectives. If any more than that are used, it is difficult to prove that all objectives have been assessed effectively.

To ensure objectives are effective and measurable, avoid using verbs that are vague or cannot be objectively assessed. Use active verbs that describe what a student will be able to do once learning has occurred. Do not use verbs that can’t be measured such as realize, explore, contemplate, etc.

Objectives should be student-focused and target the expected student outcome. To assist in maintaining a student-centered emphasis, start objectives with the phrase "The learner/student will be able to. . ."

Objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable to the instructor, realistic to achieve, and time-bound with a deadline).

Include complex or higher-order objectives when they are appropriate. Most instructors expect students to go beyond memorization of facts and terminology; objectives should reflect instructors' expectations for student performance. In undergraduate 1000 and 2000 level courses at least one objective (in general) should be at the Bloom’s Level #3 (apply). In upper level undergraduate courses, several objectives should be at higher taxonomic levels unless it is an introductory course. In graduate level courses, a significant number of the objectives should be at Bloom’s Level #3 or above unless it is an introductory course. Avoid using verbs that are difficult to measure objectively. The following verbs are difficult to assess, thus should be used with caution:

know comprehend understand appreciate familiarize study be aware become acquainted with gain knowledge of cover learn realize


If you utilize verbs like "know" or "understand", make sure that you state how "knowledge" or "understanding" will be demonstrated. Remember, a good learning objective is one that can be assessed to determine students' mastery of course material.

Review Checklist:_____ Does the learning objective stem from a course goal or objective?_____ Is the learning objective measurable?_____ Does the learning objective target one specific aspect of expected performance?_____ Is the learning objective student-centered?_____ Does the learning objective utilize an effective, action verb that targets the

desired level of performance?_____ Do objectives measure a range of educational outcomes?_____ Does the learning objective match instructional activities and assessments?_____ Does the learning objective specify appropriate conditions for performance?_____ Is the learning objective written in terms of observable, behavioral outcomes?


Objective/Assessment Match

Objectives should match instructional strategies and assessment requirements. To ensure the connection between various course activities, it is useful to construct a table highlighting the relationship. For example:

Learning Objective Instructional Activities

Assessment

Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative assessment

LectureRead textGroup activity

Exam #1, Assessment Portfolio #1, Mastery Questions

Assessments

This list is not all inclusive but can be used as a guide to create your assessments.This material was adapted from Carnegie Mellon University at: http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/alignment.html

Type of learning objective

Examples of appropriate assessments

KNOWLEDGE

RecallRecognize

Identify

Objective test items such as fill-in-the-blank, matching, labeling, or multiple-choice questions that require students to:

recall or recognize terms, facts, and concepts

COMPREHENSION

InterpretExemplifyClassify

SummarizeInfer

CompareExplain

Activities such as papers, problem sets, class discussions, concept maps, simple case studies, videos and wikis that require students to:

summarize readings, films, or speeches compare and contrast two or more theories, events, or processes classify or categorize cases, elements, or events using established criteria paraphrase documents or speeches find or identify examples or illustrations of a concept or principle

APPLICATION

ApplyExecute

Implement

When developing tests, test questions can be short answer, 1-2 paragraph essay or multiple choice exams where questions are written to incorporate two or more pieces of knowledge to answer the question

Mathematical calculations should require the knowledge of two or more math concepts.

Psychomotor Objectives (performance)Activities such as problem sets, videos, performances, labs, prototyping, or simulations that require students to:

use procedures to solve or complete familiar or unfamiliar tasks determine which procedure(s) are most appropriate for a given task

http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/alignment.html


requires the student do something

An example would be perform a counseling session that is videotaped and then critiqued by the instructor

Cognitive Objectives (knowledge)

Application , implementation or execution requires that a student be able to gather knowledge that he/she has and end up with a specific results. An example of this might be a business assignment in project management where a student must take the knowledge learned and use it to implement a specific project. This can be measured by: papers, These can be measured by:

papers, project plans, project design, case studies, diagrams, wikis, and organizational charts

Tests should include such things as labeling or creating diagrams, essay questions where the execution of a process must be outlined by a student or, multiple choice exams where questions are written to incorporate two or more pieces of knowledge to answer the question

More difficult mathematical calculations

ANALYSIS

AnalyzeDifferentiate

OrganizeAttribute

Activities such as research papers, case studies, critiques, labs, papers, projects, debates, use of quality tools/methods, creation of charts or concept maps that require students to:

discriminate or select relevant and irrelevant parts determine how elements function together determine bias, values, or underlying intent in presented material

Test should include essay questions that ask students to compare or contrast, identify causes and effect, strengths and weaknesses, etc. Multiple choice questions can be used of the type that offer 4-5 different answers and then group the answers so the student has to know and apply information. However, at this level multiple choice should be used sparingly and matching or True/False should never be used. An example of a multiple choice question at this taxonomy level is below:

E coli is a bacteria that:

a. Is a gram negative entericb. Causes traveler’s shigellosisc. Grown on unenriched mediad. Is the most common type of bacteria isolated in humanse. Only a is correctf. a and b only is correctg. a and c is correcth. a,b, and c is correcti. a, b, c and d is correct

EVALUATION

EvaluateCheck

CritiqueAssess

Activities such as research papers, case studies journals, diaries, critiques, problem sets, product reviews, creating operating instructions or technical guidance or projects that require students to:

test, monitor, judge, or critique readings, performances, or products against


established criteria or standards

Tests at this level are very similar to the level above. It is not recommended that multiple choice questions be used at these higher levels.

SYNTHESIS

CreateGenerate

PlanProduceDesign

Psychomotor Objectives (performance)

Activities such as research projects, musical compositions, performances, essays, business plans, website designs, or set designs that require students to:

make, build, design or generate something new

Cognitive Objectives (Knowledge)

Activities such as business plans, consultations, research papers, projects that have multiple parts that have to be created, wikis, mindmaps, web pages, or presentations

Whenever possible, assessments for the course should be problem-based and should approximate real-life situations as much as possible. In general, students want activities that transcend the theoretical and have true meaning in the subject area they are pursing. Assignments which appear to be “busy-work” and do not appear to have a purpose in the learning process may detract from the learning experience.

Submission of Assessments

You must provide copies and answer keys for all objective assessments within a course. If an objective test (multiple choice, true/false, matching) is used within the course, an answer key must be submitted. In addition, all test questions must be properly formatted so they can be uploaded in Respondus. Please see Appendix B for directions on how to properly format questions for Respondus. Information about test proctoring can be found in Appendix C.

Course Writing Guide –

Appendices


Appendix A

Copyright

UPPS:Library – Copyright, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act for Print and Electronic ResourcesSponsor: Dean of Innovative Education/CIOCategory: General Administrative Services—Library

Effective Date: May 12, 2015 (New)Review: May, E2YNext Review: May 12, 2017

Policy Locations: Student Handbook, Faculty Handbook, LETU WebsiteContact: [email protected]

Objective of Policy The purpose of this policy is to establish guidance regarding the use and distribution of copyrighted materials under fair use standards and the TEACH Act. Copyrighted materials can be used for educational purposes under “fair use” principles and the TEACH Act. Section 107 of the United States Government Copyright Act provides guidelines on fair use principles for educators, scholars, and students who use and reproduce copyrighted material without the need to get written permission. This law governs print and electronic material. For full text of U.S. Copyright Law, see http://www.loc.gov/copyright/title17/. A no-cost Fair Use evaluation tool can be found at http://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/.

On November 2, 2002, the "Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act" (TEACH Act), part of the Justice Reauthorization legislation (H.R. 2215), was signed into law by President Bush. This Act revised Section 110(2) and 112 of the U.S. Copyright Law governing the conditions under which accredited, nonprofit educational institutions in the U.S. may use copyrighted materials without permission from the copyright owner and without payment of royalties.

Policy

Copyright and Fair UseWhen copyrighted material is used without written permission for educational purposes, the user must always ensure the material is properly cited before it is distributed to students.

There are four factors that govern “fair use.” Fair use:

Applies when the use of the material is for an educational purpose only (it cannot be for profit).

http://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/

http://www.loc.gov/copyright/title17/


Applies when the material was created for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

Will not have an effect on the potential fair market value of the copyrighted work. Applies if amount of the material used is insubstantial compared to the length of the

copyrighted work. Fair use is usually a short excerpt; in addition, the material must be properly cited.

An excerpt of no more than two pages or 10% of a work (whichever is less) is the rule for the use of special works (U.S. Copyright Office, 2009, p. 6). To qualify for fair use, the tests for brevity (how much you can copy) and spontaneity (how many times you can use it) must apply.Using something repeatedly over multiple semesters is not considered fair use. If an excerpted material is going to be used multiple semesters, the professor should obtain permission from the copyright holder as soon as feasible.

In general the following might be used under fair use for a limited time:

A chapter from a book (never the entire book) An article from a periodical or newspaper A short story, essay, or poem* (only one work each from an anthology or individual work) A chart, picture, or diagram from a book

*Poetry must consist of 250 words or less or a maximum of 250 words from a larger poem. Prose must be 2,500 words or less.

The following does not qualify as fair use:

Making multiple copies of different works that substitute for the purchase of books or periodicals

Copying and using the same work from semester to semester Copying and using the same material from several different courses Copying more than 9 times in a single semester (U.S. Copyright Office, 2009, p. 7)

TEACH Act Guidance for Copyrighted Materials on a Learning Management SystemIf instructors and/or institutions wish to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the TEACH Act for using copyrighted materials on a Learning Management System (LMS), they must reasonably:

Limit access to copyrighted works to students currently enrolled in the class; Limit access only for the time needed to complete the class session or course; Inform instructors, students, and staff of copyright laws and policies; Prevent further copying or redistribution of copyrighted works; and Not interfere with copy protection mechanisms.

Use of copyrighted materials must be under the supervision of an instructor. LMS courses provide a course context in which the role of the instructor and the instructor's control over the materials are clearly defined.

Only students enrolled in the course should have access to the copyrighted materials; the instructor must ensure that copyrighted materials are available only to students enrolled in the course.

The copyrighted materials must not be available to students after the class session or course is complete.


The copyrighted materials must not be copied and redistributed to others. Instructors must provide a warning in the description of the content that notifies students

that copying and redistributing these materials is a breach of copyright law.

If instructors use materials in their online courses and “fair use” or the “TEACH Act” does not apply, they are responsible for obtaining copyright permission and paying royalties.

Public Domain MaterialsPublic domain materials may be used freely by anyone for any purpose without obtaining copyright permission. Public domain materials are materials where the copyright is not owned. This can be because 1) the copyright period has expired or 2) the material was never copyrighted.

All works created by the U.S. Government and their employees are in the public domain from the moment they are created. In the U.S., public domain can only be assured if the work was published more than 95 years ago (if published before 1978) or 70 years from the author’s death (if published in or after 1978). In addition, it is possible for a work to be public domain in one country and copyrighted in another.

Although newer works also may be in the public domain, the user must ensure that it is not copyrighted. Use of public domain materials can still raise problems concerning trademarks, rights of publicity, and related rights in individuals portrayed in the material. For educational purposes, public domain material must still be properly cited.

Reserve Room and Learning Management SystemAll materials placed in the reserve room or on the LMS must follow copyright rules.

Policy Review and UpdatesAttendant procedures related to this policy include a formal review and recommendation from the Learning Resource Committee (LRC) to the sponsor and senior reviewer. The LRC’s recommendation must take place prior to the sponsor submitting the policy draft to the Cabinet agenda for policy review and approval.

Certification Statement This policy has been approved by the following and represents LeTourneau University policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

President and Cabinet The following individual is the policy’s Senior Reviewer and is responsible for being the most knowledgeable about the policy, as well as supporting the execution of the policy.

Director of Margaret Estes Library

Policy History


Approved as a New Policy, 12 May 2015


Appendix B

Respondus Formatting

Respondus is a tool we use at LeTourneau University to import questions from a Word document (or other text file) into our LMS. Rather than manually entering each question into the LMS, we use this tool. Respondus can be quite particular in how we format our questions before it will process them. Please review the following examples when submitting question pools.

It is imperative that you include the “Type: ” statements for questions other than single-answer multiple-choice or True/False. Without it, Respondus will assume it is a malformed multiple-choice. “Type:” should appear on the line before the question number and question text. Answers should appear immediately after the question line.

You must include an asterisk before the correct answer choice with no space after the asterisk.You must include a space after the number of the question.Please separate test pools by document.No more than one occurrence of a number should appear within a single document.(For example, if you have a 1. from Chapter 1 and a 1. From Chapter 2, you will either need to split the test pool into separate documents or renumber the questions.)

The formatting seems picky and unforgiving, but this is due to the way Respondus handles the automatic processing.MS Word users: you will also need to ensure automatic numbers and automatic letters are turned off, or ensure that Word does not perform this action for you. Word 2007 and 2010 users may follow this guide from Microsoft. Disabling this feature can vary from one version of Office to the next, so contact IT for assistance.

You may submit your files as .doc, .docx, .txt, or .rtf formats.

Single-answer, multiple choice.1. What color is grass?a. orange*b. greenc. purpled. pink

Multiple-answer, multiple-choiceYou must include the Type: MA line for the system to process as a multiple answer. Denote the correct answers with a *.Type: MA2. Which of the following are cities in East Texas?*a. Nacogdoches

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/turn-on-or-off-automatic-bullets-or-numbering-HA010065016.aspx


*b. Tylerc. Ft. Stockton*d. Longview

True FalseThe TRUE must always be the first option with FALSE as the second. Denote the correct answer with a *.3. The R. in R. G. LeTourneau stands for Rudolph.a. True*b. False

EssayYou must include the Type: E line for the system to process as an essay question. There is no automatic processing for essay questions. The answer field does not need to be fully completed, but Respondus will expect some answer field to process, so “a. This is the answer” would suffice.

Type: E4. Explain the water cycle.a. This is the answer.

Fill-in-the-blankYou must include the Type: F line for the system to process as a fill in the blank. Use the _ characters to denote the blank. All possible correct answers follow with a,b,c order.

Type: F5. ________ invented the radio and brought it to popularity.a. Guglielmo Marconib. Nikola Tesla

MatchingYou must include the Type: MT line for the system to process as a matching question. The left side is as presented to the student, the right side are the options with the correct matches, denoted with the = between them, no space.

Type: MT6. Match the chemical element with its atomic number.a. Ge=32b. O=8c. B=5d. Es=99e. Rn=86


Appendix C

Test Proctoring

In some cases, faculty may opt not to deliver an important test (such as a final exam) online utilizing the normal mechanisms that are used to ensure academic integrity such as time limits, varying questions and written responses. If this is the case, the students can be required to obtain a proctor. A proctor is a person who can provide direct oversight for a student taking a test. The proctor will sign an attestation form certifying the student has not cheated on the exam and that the exam was taken in his/her presence within the allotted time.

There are three methods of proctoring that can be used for a course: 1) a physical proctor, 2) a proctoring center or 3) virtual proctoring

Physical Proctor Students can find proctors at testing centers, universities and libraries. These options are preferred; however a proctor can also be a professional such as a teacher, supervisor or a pastor. Friends, family members and co-workers should not be used as proctors.

If this method is desired, the faculty member will notify the mechanism he/she wishes to use to gather proctor information at the beginning of the course. This can be a proctor information form, response to a discussion post or an email with a due date noted. Faculty who wish to use proctors should gather the following information: proctor’s name, position or professional capacity, mailing address, telephone number and email. When the professor sends the exam to the proctor, he/she must also include an attestation form is signed and dated by both the proctor and the student. The proctor must certify he/she directly observed the student taking the test. Both the student and the proctor certify only the allotted time was allowed for the exam. This proctor will return this attestation form with the student’s completed test to the professor.

Proctoring CenterThere is a proctoring center in the Margaret Estes library. Proctoring can be scheduled through library staff and is available Monday through Friday from 8-5.

Virtual ProctoringThe Panopto Video Capture system now has the capability to be used as a virtual proctor. Students can sign up for an account on Panopto and can then be recorded while they are taking a test. If you wish to use this option in your course, please contact the CDT department.


Appendix D

Guidance For Video In Course Writing

Video can and should be incorporated when courses are written. Multi-media assists in meeting the needs of auditory learners since online courses are primarily text-based. When creating video, the following guidance needs to be kept in mind:

1. The course writer is creating a master course that will be taught by multiple faculty. Video in master courses cannot be instructor-specific; it must be general to be used by every instructor

2. Video in online courses should never exceed 5-10 minutes per clip. Students tend to ignore or fast forward through long video clips.

3. Video should not be overused. Video is best used to reinforce major concepts or to provide specific guidance (such as in solving a math or science problem).

4. Video created by others can be included in online courses; however, the course writer must ensure copyright is not being violated.

5. The video should be enjoyable to watch. Students tend to enjoy video that has a voiceover where they are shown how to do something or shown pictorials rather than “talking head” videos. This is particularly important since the video will be used by multiple instructors.

6. Start out the video by stating the purpose; viewers want an overview of what they will be seeing and hearing.

7. Consider the audience. The audience for the video will be adult learners as well as traditional college students.

8. Videos should have a standard naming convention so students know what they are. For Example, MEDU5513_Video_1

9. Use clear and concise language in the video and stay focused on the topic at hand. Use a script if necessary.

10. Record the video in a quiet setting to minimize background noise and ensure there is proper lighting.

11. Do NOT use learning management-specific language (such as Blackboard or Canvas) because this causes obsolescence when systems change. This applies to other technologies such as conferencing programs (Adobe Connect, etc.)


12. Do NOT refer to yourself as the instructor in the video since you will not be the only one teaching the course. Refer to yourself (if absolutely necessary) as the course writer or creator.

13. Do NOT refer to specific elements of course design such as unit, week, etc. These can change. Use a generic term like (further on in this course we will discuss…etc.).


Appendix E

Test Pools

Many publisher test pools are very extensive and may be comprised of even hundreds of questions of different types. Some of these questions are very detailed because writers have to create so many questions for one individual chapter. If open test pools are used, this can result in some students being tested on minutiae rather than the critical concepts the instructor wants them to learn. Also, tests can be generated where one student gets all essay questions while another gets multiple choice questions only, yet both have the same test time limit. In addition, some questions on publisher test pools have errors which can cause problems in the testing process.

For this reason, a best practice when using test pools in course creation is for the course writer to evaluate the test pool questions to select the ones that are related to the course objectives. For example, if the course writer wants to give a 20-question chapter quiz, then the test pool for this test should be no larger 2-3 times the size of the quiz, which in this case would be 40 to 60 questions.

There may be cases where even 2-3 times the total number of questions will result in some students being tested on detailed facts that are not truly critical to the learning process depending on how the test pools have been created. If this is the case, the best solution is for the writer to create the test (which can include test pool questions as well as questions created by the instructor). The course writer should submit the test via a word document formatted for Respondus (as indicated in Appendix B). It may also be a good idea to create an alternate version for students who are unable to take tests or quizzes at the same time as the rest of the class due to illness, etc. This can be provided in the faculty guide that is submitted.

The Curriculum Department will not accept a blanket test pool from a course writer that has not been evaluated by the course writer. This is to ensure the assessment is of the highest quality and matched to the taxonomy of the course objectives.

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