Course Design and Technology

To improve the process of learning consider using SUNY Cortland’s Learning Management System, Brightspace. Essentially, an LMS is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and delivery of educational courses.

What are the Benefits of a Learning Management System? 

There are a variety of benefits to using a Learning Management System, including:

•  Accessibility - Online access to educational materials makes it easy for students to learn from anywhere, at any time.
•  Organization - An LMS allows for the centralization of all educational materials, making it easy for learners to find what they need when they need it.
•  Tracking and Reporting - Insight tools allow for progress tracking and reporting on the overall success of the course. There are usually a variety of reports available providing practical feedback, insight and the ability to spot knowledge gaps. 
• Engagement - Interactive elements such as quizzes, surveys, discussion boards, and multimedia content make the learning experience more engaging and boost knowledge retention. LMSs also allow collaboration and communication between learners, which can enhance the learning experience.

Your Brightspace course should complement and enhance your teaching. You should set it up so students can confidently navigate to access resources, check due dates, submit work, communicate with you, and engage with other students. For more information on using Brightspace and setting up your course please explore our knowledge base tutorials in MyRedDragon. You can access our Brightspace resources page (link) with helpful articles to guide you.

Key Functions and Components of a Syllabus

A syllabus has several functions. The first is to inform students of the objectives of the course and provide a sense of what the course will be like. The second function is to document expectations for assignments and grade allocations. The third function is to provide a resource to which students can refer for logistical information such as the schedule for the course and office hours.

 Generally, a syllabus should include the following information:

1. Learning Objectives What students will gain or take away from your course. Why these objectives are the most important skills/knowledge for the course  
2. Goal/Rationale How the course relates to primary concepts and principles of the discipline. Type of knowledge and abilities that will be emphasized. How and why the course is organized in a particular sequence.
3. Basic Information Course name and number, meeting time and place, instructor name, contact information, office hours.
4. Course Content Schedule, outline, meeting dates and holidays, major topics and sub-topics.
5. Student Responsibilities Rationale for homework, projects, quizzes, exams, reading requirements, participation, due dates, etc. Policies on lateness, missed work, etc.
6. Grading Method Clear, explicit statement of assessment process and measurements.
7. Materials and Access Required texts and readings, course packs. How to get materials including relevant instructional technologies. Additional resources such as study groups, etc.

To access the required/recommended SUNY Cortland Syllabus Statements(link) and to learn more about what a syllabus should contain, please visit our Syllabus Design page (link)

The Backward Course Design Model, developed by Wiggins and McTighe, presents a four-step approach to course structuring that begins with defining clear goals and works backward to create aligned assessments and learning experiences. This method ensures that all course elements are purposefully designed to achieve desired outcomes. 

Backward Course Design (Download)

Bloom's Taxonomy, a cornerstone of educational theory, offers a hierarchical classification of learning objectives across three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive domain, which is often the primary focus in education, comprises six levels of thinking skills, from basic recall to complex creation. The affective domain addresses attitudes and values, while the psychomotor domain deals with physical skills and coordination.

Bloom's Taxonomy (Download)

Assessment and Grading. While often used interchangeably, assessment and grading have distinct purposes. Assessment focuses on evaluating student learning and identifying areas for improvement, while grading provides a numerical or letter representation of student performance. Assessment can involve a variety of methods, including those that do not result in a grade, such as student reflections or concept maps.

Assessment and Grading (Download)

Educational Technology (EdTech) encompasses the use of technology to support and enhance learning. This can range from basic tools like educational videos to more complex systems like adaptive learning platforms.  

• What are the benefits of EdTech? - EdTech can create more interactive and personalized learning experiences, improve student engagement, and address various educational challenges. 
•  What about privacy and security? - Not all EdTech is created equal, and it's important to consider the privacy and security of the tools being used. It's crucial to ensure that the EdTech tools have been vetted for privacy and security. The security of EdTech tools for student data varies, but reputable providers often implement robust security measures to protect sensitive information.
• How much time should students spend on EdTech? - The amount of time spent on EdTech should be balanced with other activities, and it's important to consider the purpose of the technology and its integration into the curriculum. It's important to ensure that EdTech tools are being used intentionally and purposefully to enhance learning. 
• What is the role of the instructor with EdTech? - Teachers play a crucial role in integrating edtech, providing support, and facilitating learning with technology. 
•  How do EdTech tools improve student engagement? - EdTech tools improve student engagement by providing interactive and engaging learning experiences.
• ‍Can EdTech tools support students with learning disabilities? - Yes, EdTech tools can support students with learning disabilities by offering personalized learning experiences and accommodations.

EdTech (Download)

Gamification. Statistics show that the population of adult women gamers outnumbers that of males under 18. 97% of Americans view games as beneficial in some way and 89% of Americans view games as useful for building skills (ESA 2022). This means that games have a wide appeal, and everyone has the capacity to derive joy from games if they are well designed and engaging.

The same applies to learning.

The application of gamification in higher education will incentivize students to learn on their own and with more efficiency. A primary reason is that it helps build connections among members of an academic community through encouraging collaboration and competition. A gamified learning process has the potential to immerse your students in curricular content and cultivate a positive attitude toward study. Learning is no longer a laborious task but a fun and rewarding quest. 

There are multiple ways to harness the power of play and introduce gamification into higher education. Gamification could be applied in a wide range of situations, ranging from the digitally sophisticated to the casual, informal, and analog. The instructor can create gamified activities of different scales, duration, and complexity to

1. Grant students extra-credit awards
2. Promote in-class team competition and/or collaboration
3. Implement complex multilevel schemes over a longer period of time to give students an immersive experience.

Gamification (Download)

Community Building. A community is a supportive social group in which members feel a sense of belonging and share a common interest, experience, or goals (Berry, 2017; Brown, 2001; McMillan & Chavis, 1986; Rovai, 2003). Particularly in a learning community, members (both students and instructors) engage in collective inquiry and provide each other with academic and social support (Lai, 2015; Shrivastava, 1999). Community building in the classroom is about creating a space in which students and instructors are committed to a shared learning goal and achieve learning through frequent collaboration and social interaction (Adams & Wilson, 2020; Berry, 2019; McMillan & Chavis, 1986).

Research shows that when students feel that they belong to their academic community, that they matter to one another, and that they can find emotional, social, and cognitive support for one another, they are able to engage in dialogue and reflection more actively and take ownership and responsibility of their own learning (Baker, 2010; Berry, 2019; Brown, 2001; Bush et al. 2010; Cowan, 2012; Lohr & Haley, 2018; Sadera et al., 2009). 

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework (Garrison, 2009; Garrison et al., 2010) is widely noted for its three elements – social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence – that are deemed critical for fostering a community of actively engaged participants.

The interplay of the social presence (participants’ ability to establish themselves as real/authentic selves in their academic community), cognitive presence (participants’ ability to construct meaning and confirm understanding), and teaching presence (instructor’s ability to design, facilitate, and provide direct instruction) cultivates a community that provides optimal support for student learning.

Community Building (Download)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA strictly prohibits access to student records by any third party, including parents, with certain limited exceptions, unless the student gives written authorization to do so.

As faculty, you are legally responsible for safeguarding student information. This includes:

Grades and Assignments: Do not post grades publicly or share them via email unless using a secure system like your institution’s LMS (e.g., Brightspace).

Student Information: Do not share a student’s class schedule, ID number, or performance with others (including parents) without written consent.

Letters of Recommendation: If you plan to include details from a student's record (like grades or GPA), you must obtain written permission.

Class Rosters and Attendance: Treat these as confidential. Do not share with others unless there's a legitimate educational interest.

YuJa is a comprehensive video content management system.

• It allows users to record, upload, publish, share, and manage video content within learning management systems like Brightspace.
• YuJa features include lecture capture, video editing, closed captioning, and mobile compatibility.
• It is used to enhance student engagement, creativity, and learning experiences

Access Yuja (Link)

Course Teacher Evaluations are a way for students to evaluate the course and offer comments and suggestions for its continued improvement. Responses are kept anonymous and are not linked to students' identification in any manner. Students' NetID, C Number, and name are never exposed to a faculty member when they review Course Teacher Evaluation Responses.

• Faculty members or department secretaries can manage Course Teacher Evaluations (CTEs) through myRedDragon. The link is located within the Faculty/Staff tab - select the "Anthology CTE System" link. 
• Faculty will only be able to see the results of the CTEs after banner grades have been finalized. 
• Faculty can view CTE results within the Faculty/Staff tab of myRedDragon. In the CTE section, look for the "Reports" tab.

Anthology Course Evaluations is the tool we use to collect and analyze student feedback on courses and instructors (CTEs). It streamlines the process of gathering feedback through online surveys, offers robust reporting features, and helps institutions use data to improve teaching and learning experiences.

Access Anthology (Link) (Must be logged into MyRedDragon to access).

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance—it’s about ensuring all students have equal access to learning. When digital spaces are inaccessible, students with disabilities face unnecessary barriers that hinder their academic success. Creating accessible content benefits everyone, from students using screen readers to those navigating online courses in low-bandwidth environments.

People with disabilities access and navigate digital technology in different ways, depending on their individual needs and preferences. Sometimes people configure standard software and hardware according to their needs, and sometimes people use specialized software and hardware that help them perform certain tasks.

Some common approaches for interacting with the Web include:

• Assistive Technologies – software and hardware that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the web. These include screen readers that read aloud web pages for people who cannot read the text, screen magnifiers for people with some types of low vision, and speech recognition software and selection switches for people who cannot use a keyboard or mouse.
• Adaptive Strategies – techniques that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the Web, such as increasing text size, reducing mouse speed, and turning on captions. Adaptive strategies include techniques with standard software, with mainstream web browsers, with mobile devices, and with assistive technologies.

Accessibility Resources (Download)

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can help make your courses more inclusive. CAST, the organization which created the Universal Design for Learning framework, says that it is “a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.”

If we consider barriers to learning during the design process, we can mitigate those barriers and provide instruction that is accessible and usable from the start. There will be no need to retrofit our instruction because we have considered the needs of the diverse student population with which we could potentially work before they even arrive. When Universal Design for Learning principles are followed, we can provide instruction that is accessible to students with disabilities. Instruction that is universally designed makes for a better learning experience for all.

Visit our Cortland REACH page (Link) to learn more about Accessibility and the Universal Design for Learning and how you should be incorporating both.

Generative AI is no longer just for tech experts and scientists; it’s becoming accessible to anyone. AI can make your everyday tasks easier and more efficient, allowing you to focus on what matters to you. Explore AI In Higher Education (Link) for more detailed information.