Backward Design Step 3: Define Course Structure
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| Home | Design | Develop | Deliver | Evaluate | What | Why |
Define a thematic structure for your course
“To create a thematic course structure, you need to look at the whole subject of the course and identify the most important concepts, issues, topics, or theme...These topics then need to be arranged in some kind of sequence. The topics might be arranged chronologically, from simple to complex, from fundamental topics to ones that emerge from [those] fundamentals, or possibly in some other pattern. The goal is to sequence the topics so that they build on one another in a way that allows students to integrate each new idea, topic, or theme with the preceding ones as the course proceeds” (Fink 142). When laying out course units, determine how long the unit will last in the semester and what topics will be covered in that unit.
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| TOPICS COVERED: LENGTH: |
| UNIT 2 |
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| UNIT 3 |
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| UNIT 4 |
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| UNIT 5 |
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See Also:
- Backward Design Step 1: Identify Situational Factors
- Backward Design Step 2: Identify Course Outcomes
- Backward Design Step 3: Define Course Structure
- Backward Design Step 4: Identify Unit Objectives
- Backward Design Step 5: Identify Evidence of Understanding
- Backward Design Step 6: Select Learning Activities For Your Course
- Backward Design Step 7: Integrate Course Elements
- Backward Design Step 8: Debug Your Course
- Backward Design Step 9: Evaluate Your Course