Course mapping is an approach to designing courses that begins with the outcomes provided by TCSG.  Using the outcomes, with the learning domains and levels of learning, teachers create assessments and learning activities to support student learners.  The final product is a map that acts as a flexible guide to the course to ensure that all expected outcomes are addressed. Participants in this course will begin an outline of this course map and identify tools to complete essential elements of the map.

All courses are provided TCSG Outcomes. These outcomes are tied to learning domains and levels of learning.  Using Bloom’s taxonomy (or other established taxonomies) as a general guide, faculty work through assignments to ensure they meet the stated outcomes.  Participants in this course will practice identifying levels of learning and creating activities that challenge students to meet the level of provided outcomes.

UDL focuses on engagement, representation, action, and expression.  It is about using the science of how people learn to create courses that support learners and lead to equity. Participants in this course will establish a working definition of UDL and create action steps to incorporate elements of UDL into their courses.

Formative assessments are assessments used to guide the learning process.  Summative assessments are used to evaluate the learning in a course.  To be effective, assessments should align with the outcomes and provide sufficient opportunities for students to prove knowledge of those outcomes.  Participants in this course will review assessment and learn how to use outcomes to align formative and summative assessment.

While multiple choice tests and essays are common in higher education, instructors can use a variety of tools to determine student learning.  These tools can mirror future real-world tasks or can challenge students to apply their knowledge in new ways.  Varied assessments allow instructors to create relevant tasks that provide practice and data to show mastery of outcomes. Participants in this course will review and deepen their understanding of ideas for varied assessments to support their course.

To prove that students have successfully met all stated outcomes, assessments must meet certain criteria.  From ensuring an accurate sample size of questions to making sure that the established level of learning is met, aligning assessments is a task that requires planning, revision, and analysis.  Participants in this course will review outcomes and level of learning, as well as develop ideas to assess these outcomes more accurately.

For learners to engage as deeply as possible in the course material, they must feel safe and valued as members of a community.  Culturally relevant instruction includes approaches that enhance learning for all students and focuses on creating learning environments that support diverse learners.  Participants in this course will review strategies to cultivate environments that support a variety of students.

Community in courses influences student success in many ways.  There are many approaches to increase the sense of community in all types of courses, from discussions to the use of tone.  Topics around creating community deal with how instructors build relationships and create opportunities for students to connect with the course.  Participants in this course will review and develop ways to create a community that increases student engagement and success.

Accessible course design works to make learning accessible to all learners.  Planning to meet multiple modalities and needs can make this process more efficient.  Accessible design accounts for learning materials, learning activities, and assessments.  Participants in this course will explore ideas to improve the accessibility of their course design.

Communication is key to any course.  This included communication between the students and instructor about content, process, and assignments.  It also includes feedback, student-to-student communication, syllabus and grading communication, and all ways instructors connect with students.  Participants in this course will review the essential elements of communication and create a communication plan for their courses. 

Feedback on assignments is at the core of how students learn.  Students need regular assignments with feedback to guide their growth in a subject.  Whether it is built into assignments or provided by instructors, this feedback needs to be specific and meaningful.  Participants in this course will explore ways to provide meaningful feedback to students through multiple approaches.

Associated with the ideas of cognitive load, scaffolding and chunking are about how instructors present materials to students to best help them learn.  This may mean building up missing elements of prior knowledge or breaking learning down into manageable sections.  Both strategies help instructors better meet the needs of diverse learners.  Participants in this course will define scaffolding and chunking and apply these concepts to support learners in their courses.

Activities that are meaningful and interesting engage students and increase involvement and learning in courses.  These activities vary by class but are a vital part of planning.  Collaboration helps instructors develop more meaningful and varied activities to support student learning.  Participants in this course will collaborate to plan and create activities that increase engagement in the types of courses they teach.

Engagement is vital to student success in courses.  While teachers cannot create courses that are guaranteed to engage all learners, some practices can be used to increase engagement for those who take advantage of the opportunities.  These methods require planning and follow-through and addressing them at the start of the class can lead to greater success.  Participants in this course will learn about methods to increase engagement and create a plan for their courses.

The basic overview of Quality Matters introduces the purpose and basic elements of the Quality Matter Rubric.  This overview helps those interested in QM to better understand what it is and how it can help with course development and quality assurance.  Participants in this course will learn about the rubric and the core elements of QM and establish steps to apply the rubric to their courses.

Each standard of Quality Matters has elements that inform the review.  While an overview of the rubric is helpful, the specifics of each standard guide faculty to look more closely at their content to ensure that all elements are accessible.  Participants in this course will learn the details of each standard in order to apply them to course design.

For any faculty interested in Quality Matters, the QM Coordinator can conduct an informal internal review.  This process involved a detailed review of the course and its elements based on the QM rubric.  The QMC will provide feedback based on the standards and work with the faculty if they desire to make any changes to their course.

The Technology Enhanced Classrooms are located on the Augusta, Waynesboro, Thomson, Grovetown, and Lincolnton sites.  These rooms allow for an instructor on any campus to reach learners on other campuses in-person without going to those campus locations.  These rooms are also ideal for department meetings or other meetings for which attendees are located on different campus locations.  The basics training introduces the elements of these rooms and allows participants to experience how these rooms connect.  Participants in this course will learn the essential elements of the rooms to begin using them at an entry level.

For those instructors using the TEC rooms or for those who wish to use them in a specific way, this training addresses advanced use of the TEC rooms.  This training centers on application of the technology rather than the basics and is for those teachers who would like to expand their TEC room experience.  Participants in this course will bring the applications they envision for the room and work with the CPE Coordinator to determine the best way to use the room to support these applications.