Course Design

Course Design Studio sessions are designed to provide practical strategies for anyone involved in designing courses and learning experiences. They include a brief, high-level overview of the topic, step-by-step instructions on the specific tools mentioned, and dedicated time for both questions and hands-on, personalized support. 

The Course Design Intensive is a multi-day program, where you work in a supportive atmosphere, both individually and collaboratively, to design or re-design a UBC credit course that you teach or are planning to teach.

Course Design Intensive

Apply by August 6  The Course Design Intensive (CDI) will be offered in August 2026 for faculty members who would like to re/design a for-credit course they will be offering in September or later.   The CDI is an intensive program in which participants work, individually and collaboratively, to design or re-design a course they are (or will be) teaching. (more…)


Upcoming Dates - "Course Design Intensive"

  • In-person: Launch Party
    Date
    August 10, 2026
    Time
    1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
  • Online: Assessment Design
    Date
    August 12, 2026
    Time
    10:00 am - 12:00 pm
  • Online: Learning Activity Design
    Date
    August 14, 2026
    Time
    10:00 am - 12:00 pm
  • In-person: Wrap-up & Launch Forward Session
    Date
    August 24, 2026
    Time
    1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Facilitators

  • Judy Chan
    Faculty Associate, Faculty Liaison, Land and Food Systems

Course Design for Large Classes: Creating Multiple Choice Questions to Assess Higher Order Thinking

Quizzes are often used to check recall and understanding, but they can also be used for assessing higher-order thinking skills: application, analysis, and evaluation. We will introduce some best practices and share practical examples and approaches to designing multiple choice questions that assess students’ ability to apply their knowledge to complicated problems, analyze cases, and evaluate options. Guest faculty facilitators will (more…)


Upcoming Dates - "Course Design for Large Classes: Creating Multiple Choice Questions to Assess Higher Order Thinking"

  • In-person
    Date
    September 15, 2026
    Time
    1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Facilitators

Course Design for Large Classes: Turning Exams into Learning Using Two-stage Exams

Midterm and final exams are high-stakes evaluation events that can be stressful for many students. Changes in the exam structure may turn exams into valuable opportunities for peer learning through discussion and feedback. In a two-stage exam, students first complete a test individually, and then immediately work in small collaborative groups. In this one-hour workshop, guest faculty facilitators will discuss how they adapted this assessment approach for large classes, including exam design, classroom logistics, practical considerations for implementation, student feedback, and lesson learned. Participants will (more…)


Upcoming Dates - "Course Design for Large Classes: Turning Exams into Learning Using Two-stage Exams"

  • In-person
    Date
    November 17, 2026
    Time
    1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Facilitators

Course Design for Large Classes: Creating Fair, Equitable, and Inclusive Group Work

While group work is widely used to promote student-led collaborative learning, many instructors continue to navigate how to make it equitable and effective in practice to meet intended learning outcomes. In this workshop, guest faculty facilitators will share how they address key design challenges such as individual accountability, equitable participation, and assessment of both process and product to support meaningful collaboration among students. Participants will leave with practical ideas for implementing and facilitating group work in their own courses. Browse the other events (more…)


Upcoming Dates - "Course Design for Large Classes: Creating Fair, Equitable, and Inclusive Group Work"

  • In-person
    Date
    December 9, 2026
    Time
    12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Facilitators