Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide » (3rd Edition)

Robert M. Diamond was president of the National Academy for Academic Leadership and professor emeritus at Syracuse University.

Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula

Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula reflects the most current knowledge and practice in course and curriculum design and connects this knowledge with the critical task of assessing learning outcomes at both course and curricular levels. This thoroughly revised and expanded third edition of the best-selling book positions course design as a tool for educational change and contains a wealth of new material including new chapters, case examples, and resources. This edition covers timely topics such as

• The growing role of faculty in accreditation
• Scholarship and faculty rewards
• Teaching and learning research
• Meeting the needs of adult learners
• Addressing the challenges of distance learning

Praise for Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula

"From pioneer to seasoned scholar of instructional development, Diamond began with the practical and moved to the transformative. What makes this latest edition especially compelling is its consideration of the designer as change agent within the current turbulent environment of higher education. Recognizing that the best-laid instructional plans are doomed to failure if they aren't aligned with organizational conditions, Diamond wisely situates his cogent treatment of design issues within the context of change, adding a critical dimension that is often neglected."

—Nancy Van Note Chism, professor of educational leadership and policy studies, Indiana University School of Education, IUPUI

"This book dives into the most important challenge we face in the academy: helping today's underprepared students reap the full benefits of their time in college. Diamond knows that what matters in college is not the information imparted, but rather the higher order capabilities that students do—or do not—attain through their studies. Designed for everyone who wants to know 'what works?', this magnificently useful handbook draws together a generation of research and campus experimentation on what it will take to create a more intentional, inclusive, and educationally effective college curriculum. Published shortly after Robert Diamond's untimely death, Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula is his lasting gift to the entire higher education community."

—Carol Geary Schneider, president, the Association of American Colleges and Universities

Pt. 1 A Frame of Reference 1

Ch. 1 A Learning-Centered Approach to Course and Curriculum Design 3

Ch. 2 The Expanding Role of Faculty in Accreditation and Accountability 15

Ch. 3 Staying Informed 21

Ch. 4 Scholarship and Faculty Rewards 27

Ch. 5 An Introduction to the Model and Its Benefits 37

Ch. 6 Diagramming 51

Pt. 2 The Process 59

Ch. 7 Making the Decision to Go Ahead 61

Ch. 8 Getting Started 75

Ch. 9 Linking Goals, Courses, and Curricula 83

Ch. 10 Gathering and Analyzing Essential Data 95

Ch. 11 Thinking in the Ideal 111

Ch. 12 Adjusting from the Ideal to the Possible 127

Ch. 13 Clarifying Instructional Goals and Learning Outcomes 147

Ch. 14 Designing and Implementing Your Assessment Plan: Overview and Assessing a Curriculum 161

Ch. 15 Designing and Implementing Your Assessment Plan: Assessing a Course 175

Pt. 3 Designing, Implementing, and Assessing the Learning Experience 185

Ch. 16 Designing the Learning Experience: The Research on Teaching and Learning 187

Ch. 17 Designing the Learning Experience: Your Instructional Options 199

Ch. 18 Using Technology to Support Learning Wallace Hannum Hannum, Wallace 219

Ch. 19 Distance Learning Wallace Hannum Hannum, Wallace 237

Ch. 20 Meeting the Needs of Adult Learners G. Roger Sell Sell, G. Roger 257

Ch. 21 Addressing Diversity G. Roger Sell Sell, G. Roger 271

Ch. 22 Developing a Learning-Centered Syllabus 285

Pt. 4 Your Next Steps 295

Ch. 23 Using Your Data: Curriculum and Course Revision 297

Ch. 24 Learning from Experience 307

Resources 319

Case Studies 387

References 461

Index 467