Exemplar Courses

There are many choices to make in course design that can sometimes feel overwhelming. It can be very helpful to view how other instructors planned and organized their courses. Reviewing several course examples can lead to more efficient and effective decision making. Further, whether a course is face-to-face or online, you can borrow ideas across delivery modes.

Blackboard, the developer of the UB Learns platform, is a great resource for reviewing courses with a similar interface. These courses were evaluated based on the Blackboard Exemplar Rubric. You too can use this tool to evaluate your course.

Step one: Consider watching the exemplar videos for the following areas:

• How the course is organized and structured
• The syllabus and how it aligns to the course
• The instructor’s presence
• The use of formative and summative assessments
• Grading and feedback
• Technology tools and integrations
• Ways to develop a learning community
• Peer-peer interactions, group work or collaborative assignments
• Accessibility and inclusivity
• Resources and support
• Any concerns from your Situational Factors worksheet.

Step two: Watch several of the exemplary course videos found below:

Step Three: Reflect on:

• What ideas did you like from these courses?
• Did any of the courses provide examples of how to solve problems you might have?
• Which ideas will you apply to your course? How and where will you apply them?

In the Build Your Course section we will present a variety of activities and assessments, as well as how to build in group work, active learning and how to combine the major elements you have worked on so far.

When you have finished gathering ideas from other courses, consider the tools you may use in your course.