Course Design and Teaching Resources

On this page you can find a variety of detailed resources to help you navigate the process of designing and teaching a course. Consider reaching out to your school-specific Instructional Designer if you have questions:

College of Arts and Sciences

Instructional Designer: Chris Whetstine (whetstine@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment
Instructional Designer: Dominique Swann (dswann@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

Kogod School of Business

Instructional Designer: Mike Rodriguez (mrodriguez@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

School of Communication

Instructional Designer: Zhiping Zhang (zhipingz@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

School of Education

Instructional Designer: Rachel Hudish (rhudish@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

School of International Service

Instructional Designer: Nick DeMayo (demayo@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

School of Public Affairs

Instructional Designer: Chris Whetstine (whetstine@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

Office of Graduate and Professional Studies

Instructional Designer: Nick DeMayo (demayo@american.edu) | Schedule an appointment

Designing a Course

• Backward Course Design: Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment, and Activities
• Developing Student Learning Outcomes with Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Selecting Course Materials
• Open Education Resources
• Syllabus Guide

Structuring Class

• The First Day of Class
• The Last Day of Class
• Structuring an Effective an Effective Class Session or Presentation
• Supporting Effective Group Projects and Teamwork

Creating Accessible and Inclusive Courses

• Accessibility Guide
• Accessible Course Design: Universal Design for Learning
• Diversifying Course Materials
• Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
• The Hidden Curriculum: Helping Students Learn the “Secret” Key to Success

Designing Impactful Assessments

• Using Rubrics to Assess Learning
• Designing Meaningful Assessments
• Alternative Grading Methods (Coming soon)