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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.
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