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    Challenges For Designing A New Course Vs Redesigning An Existing One

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    misheck banda
    Designing a new course or redesigning an existing one both aim to meet learning goals that are not fully achieved. The biggest challenges are getting approval from superiors and justifying changes, as new courses imply past decisions were insufficient. It is also difficult to compile a team with the right competencies in learning models, communication, technology skills, and more. Lack of support from administration during the process can negatively impact projects. While challenges exist, course design and redesign remain valuable for improving teaching and ensuring courses reflect new developments.

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    Challenges For Designing A New Course Vs Redesigning An Existing One

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    misheck banda
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    Designing a new course or redesigning an existing one both aim to meet learning goals that are not fully achieved. The biggest challenges are getting approval from superiors and justifying changes, as new courses imply past decisions were insufficient. It is also difficult to compile a team with the right competencies in learning models, communication, technology skills, and more. Lack of support from administration during the process can negatively impact projects. While challenges exist, course design and redesign remain valuable for improving teaching and ensuring courses reflect new developments.

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    Challenges for designing a new course vs redesigning an existing one

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    Designing a new course or redesigning an existing one both aim to meet learning goals that are not fully achieved. The biggest challenges are getting approval from superiors and justifying changes, as new courses imply past decisions were insufficient. It is also difficult to compile a team with the right competencies in learning models, communication, technology skills, and more. Lack of support from administration during the process can negatively impact projects. While challenges exist, course design and redesign remain valuable for improving teaching and ensuring courses reflect new developments.

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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    250 views2 pages

    Challenges For Designing A New Course Vs Redesigning An Existing One

    Uploaded by

    misheck banda
    Designing a new course or redesigning an existing one both aim to meet learning goals that are not fully achieved. The biggest challenges are getting approval from superiors and justifying changes, as new courses imply past decisions were insufficient. It is also difficult to compile a team with the right competencies in learning models, communication, technology skills, and more. Lack of support from administration during the process can negatively impact projects. While challenges exist, course design and redesign remain valuable for improving teaching and ensuring courses reflect new developments.

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    What are the challenges for designing a new course vs redesigning an existing one?

    Designing a new course comes as a desire to fill the gap or gaps in the present offerings (Diamond
    R.M, 2008). Redesigning an existing course may be to address omissions or to improve the
    effectiveness or efficiency of the present offering (Diamond, R.M 2008). In both scenarios,
    whether to design a new course or redesign an existing course is out of a desire to have certain
    learning goals met which most likely are not being met fully or partially. Learning goals being met
    refers to the student’s ability and capacity to achieve the desired basic and specific competencies
    over an estimated period.
    Designing a new course and redesigning an existing course have got very similar challenges. The
    biggest challenge in both practices is getting the needed approval to proceed. It is a very hard
    task to convince superiors (dean, supervisor, chancellor, provost e.t.c) on the need for a new
    course. This is because a new course steps on their ego, it is similar to saying that what they had
    decided to offer was not good enough, or they did not make the right choices on the courses
    being provided or the gaps in the current course. Getting approval from superiors to design a new
    course or redesign an existing one means that the above authorities have conceded defeat. There
    has to be a very convincing and effective justification to have this done.
    Justifying between old and newly proposed courses means that a new set of learning goals will
    be introduced. In this event, the new course or redesigned course should maintain or have a link
    between the learning goals and the institutional goals. The new course or program is likely to be
    approved by superiors if it does not conflict with the prior set institutional goals, mission, and
    values. Approval from superiors is necessary because if resources will be needed in the design or
    redesign of the new courses, the needed resources will have to be provided by the same
    superiors. The needed resources would range from computers, a stable internet connection,
    transportation to and from research areas, petty cash for miscellaneous expenses, and any
    accreditation fees needed if the course has to be approved.
    Another challenge faced in designing or redesigning a course is ensuring that there is a team with
    the right competencies to be involved. An effective course design or redesign team would include
    a team of members with competencies and skills such as a deep level of understanding of
    learning models; above-average communication skills; learning technology usage experience;
    project management skills (tech and non-tech skills); visual and design skills; creativity skills; good
    research skills; time management skills; understanding how to assess learning programs.
    Compiling a team with these skills is not easy, let alone finding them and convincing them to be
    part of a project which usually does not come with any extra incentives but just additional work
    from the usual routine.
    Lack of assurance from authorities that the administration will support the project not until at a
    time when the project is complete is another challenge. In my course design experience, one of
    our team members was fired three months after the start of our course redesign project. Our
    immediate supervisor tried to convince the superiors to have him reinstated, but they stood their
    ground. This scenario affected the rhythm of our project negatively. Administrations should
    ensure that once a project is started, it is completed to avoid wasting time and resources.
    The absence of consideration for the faculty team working on the course design/redesign project
    by superiors is another challenge. Once a team has been set to design or redesign a course or
    program, superiors should at least offer incentives to motivate members of the team. Incentives
    could range from allowances, reduced instruction time (more time for the project), recognition
    awards for the efforts, and any other appreciative gestures.
    There are some challenges specific to a new course design such as identifying goals and linking
    them to institutional goals; finding resources or materials that would meet the desired student
    outcomes; and establishing required credit time. Challenges specific for redesigning an existing
    course design include identifying gaps in the existing course or programs and establishing new
    instructional and assessment strategies.
    Conclusion
    The challenges faced in designing and redesigning courses will vary by department or education
    institution. Course or curriculum design remains a valuable practice for students and instructors
    despite the challenges. Newly designed courses can demonstrate commitment to improving
    teaching in a department or discipline and can as well form an important component of one’s
    teaching dossier. The new design or redesigned courses can help ensure that the individual
    courses reflect new developments in research or program requirements or program
    requirements or in approaches to established topics.
    Whether the practice is designing or redesigning a course, it must be emphasized that the new
    proposals on the course are efficient and logical. New proposals should be justifiable and satisfy
    the need for a new course or curriculum.
    Reference
    Diamond, R.M (2008). Designing and assessing courses and curricula. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

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