6 Develop a Prototype Module – Weekly View

The pieces are coming together. You have ideas for Learning Materials, Lecture Materials, and Learning Activities organized into weekly chunks on your CDP. But what does this LOOK like in an online environment? The following MS Word Template will provide a pedagogically sound foundation for building out weekly online learning modules.

• Module Template

Develop Front Material as Advanced Organizers

Not to be overlooked, the headings at the front of the template provide students with the basic instructions and information they’ll need to proceed with the course content as well as a quick reference point when they’re looking back through modules to re-read material. This section includes:

• Overview (what will I learn this week?)
• Learning Objectives (what will I be expected to do by the end?)
• Module Instructions (how should I proceed through the materials provided?)
• Required Readings (what additional readings are required this week?)
• Key Terms and Concepts (what should I be keeping an eye out for in the module?)

These headings will give your students the grounding they need to begin working independently through the module content. Explanations of the headings and their purpose are included inside the template document.

Development Learning Material for your Prototype Module

This is what you’ve been waiting for! We recommend building just ONE weekly module as a prototype, from start to finish. This will let you get a sense of how your course will look and feel on a week to week basis. But to do that you’ll need to create all the pieces identified in your CDP. For this you’ll need to:

• Write your Front Material content pieces
• Write or record your Lecture Material sections
• Embed or link your selected Learning Material (articles, YouTube videos, other resources)
• Write clear instructions (including any required technical notes for students) for your designed Learning Activities.
• Build any 3rd party embeddable interactions required for Learning Activities (i.e. Padlet, Quizlet, Timeline JS, etc.)
• Build question banks for any quizzes or self-tests you plan to include
• Write review questions and answers for simple self-checking exercises
• Write discussion questions and build forums for them using the Discussions tool
• Etc.

Putting your Prototype Module together

Here you’ll organize the Front Material, Learning Materials, Lecture Materials, and the Learning Activities into one cohesive learning experience. The MS Word Module Template is a great place to draft this if you’re new to Learning Management Systems, but you could just dive in and begin developing your module directly in the pages of your LMS.

Examples of our Module Template in action

It’s difficult to imagine what this looks like and it’s where most faculty and instructors hit a mental roadblock. Here’s some examples of this completed module template inside various learning management systems.

• Blackboard – GEOL 109 Module 2: Geological Materials and Biogeochemical Cycles
• Canvas – AGRC 113 – Module 1: Why Do I Have to Take Economics?
• WordPress – POLS 222 Module 1: The Politics of Indigenous Identity
• Rise 360 – JSGS 806 Module 1: What is Public Policy Analysis?