Alignment – the practice of matching learning content, activities, tools, and assessments with a course’s learning objectives – contributes great value to the teaching and learning ecosystem. By facilitating the growth and improvement of both instructors and institutions while enhancing the learning experience for students, efforts toward an aligned and refined course pay off in improved outcomes. Focusing our approach on evidence-based course design principles that have proven effective in boosting student engagement and retention benefits all stakeholders by demonstrating our dedication to continuous improvement. Bottom line: By promoting high-quality learning experiences, we help to enhance student success – and that’s a solid win for everyone.

While alignment is typically a practice associated with online courses, its benefits permeate into other instructional delivery modalities due to its focus on reliability and relevance. Even engaging in an informal review of your course can provide insight into ensuring that our online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses meet established standards for course design. This helps us maintain a consistent level of quality across the curriculum and also allows us to make necessary adjustments and enhancements to our offerings. The Online Course Basic Standards Rubric can help you get started in evaluating and improving your course for effective alignment. Give it a try!

For additional help with course alignment or other instructional design needs, please reach out to Crystal Donlan, Etown’s Instructional Designer and Online Learning Specialist, at donlanc@etown.edu or contact any member of the Teaching and Learning Design Studio. We look forward to working with you on refining your course!