Five Course Design Principles

Principle #1: CFU courses are designed for active, busy adults who want to make good use of their time and get information they can put to use right away. Think about the three to five points that are most essential and how you can make your course practical, relevant, and vital.

Principle #2: Most teachers of adults make the mistake of starting with very elementary background information and working toward the "good stuff." This often bores many students who already have experience in the field. How can you "start in the middle" with some terrific material and then backfill the introductory stuff?  

Principle #3: Students come with many different levels of prior experience. A quick "needs and experience" assessment check-in before you begin to deliver your material will help you to know what your students are hoping to get from class. Be ready to tailor your presentation to meet the needs of the students who arrive in any given session.

Principle #4: The CFU catalog course description is an "implied contract" between teacher and student concerning what the course will teach, how it will be taught, and what benefit the student will receive. The best course descriptions are specific about what, when, and how the skills will be taught.

Principle #5: Materials fees are sometimes needed to provide essential supplies for class projects or pay for admission tickets for class outings, etc. Most often these fees are paid in class, directly to the instructor, to cover out-of-pocket costs for copying and producing materials. CFU seeks to keep these fees as low as possible and expect that you will charge just what you need to cover your costs. We need an accurate statement of what your fees will cover--what supplies in what quantities.