How to design a hybrid course

The key to a successful hybrid course is planning and good design. Find resources that walk you through the backward design process that aligns activities and assessments with desired course outcomes.

Blended/Hybrid Backward Design Model

The key to a successful course is planning and good design. The steps represented in this course are based on the backward design model developed by Wiggins and McTighe in their book Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe 13-21). In this model, one begins with the identification of desired outcomes and moves through a process of designing engaging activities and assessments which support those outcomes. In his book Creating Significant Learning Experiences, L. Dee Fink presents a modified version of this approach which he refers to as the Integrated Course Design Model (Fink 74-75). We have modified this model slightly for the sake of simplicity.

• Backward Design Step 1: Identify Situational Factors
• Backward Design Step 2: Identify Course Outcomes
• Backward Design Step 3: Define a Course Structure
• Backward Design Step 4: Identify Unit Objectives
• Backward Design Step 5: Identify Evidence of Understanding
• Backward Design Step 6: Select Learning Activities For Your Course
• Backward Design Step 7: Integrate Course Elements
• Backward Design Step 8: Debug Your Course 
• Backward Design Step 9: Evaluate Your Course