Azza Awwad, Hanadi Salem, Helen Rizzo, Iman Soliman and Salma ElGhetany As part of AUC’s commitment to continuous improvement and teaching effectiveness, the Center for Learning and Teaching ran the first “Course Design Institute” in Summer 2024. The institute focused on learning outcome-driven course design in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Twenty seven AUC faculty members participated in the institute which consisted of five two-hour workshops that took place online over the week of June 9th. The workshops were facilitated by CLT and some of our key faculty collaborators who have pioneered innovations in their courses or programs: Dina Abdel Fattah (ECON), Khalil El Khodary (MENG), Maya Nicolas (IGHHE), Michelle Henry (RHET), and Sophie Farag (ELI).
In this newsletter, we feature and recognize some of our engaged faculty members who have redesigned their syllabi in order to provide a more effective learning experience, recapping their insights and the highlights of their course redesign journey:
Hanadi Salem – MENG
Although my courses are known for being effectively interactive, I was interested in modifying the course objectives and outcomes to reflect the big idea delivered in the course and the added value to the students at the time of graduation and after a few years from graduation.The main goals were to enhance my teaching, increase the students’ appreciation of the material presented in the course, facilitate the employment of AI in the course as an educational tool rather than a plagiarism tool, and reflect the new methodology on the course assessments.
To that end, I redesigned several activities in the course including the use of parts and components in class that provide direct examples for the appreciation of engineering materials for Mechanical Engineering graduates.
I would advise those who didn’t attend this course to join it to identify the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the course, to design the course to better suit the students’ backgrounds, and to emphasize active learning which facilitates the level of comprehension and appreciation of the delivered course material. The institute discussions were very enriching and useful for redesigning the course. The institute also gave ideas on how to incorporate technology and AI tools in the learning experience.
Helen Rizzo – SEA
I decided to join the summer institute because this was a good opportunity to learn new ways to think about my courses, especially in developing the course, the syllabus, learning outcomes, and assessments and ensure that my learning outcomes guide my decisions in redesigning my course and have a clear connection to the material such as the lectures, readings, in-class activities and assessments.
I focused on fine-tuning my learning outcomes using the Backward Design approach. This gave me a chance to reflect on what I want my students to take away from a core course in sociology that would stay with them in their everyday lives; such as how the sociological perspective can give them a better understanding of what is happening in the world; how to understand how interactions with their family, friends, colleagues at the university shapes who they are; how culture, power, and social structure influences them and the larger society; and how they have a role in changing the world around them.
I would recommend that faculty who wish to redesign their course take advantage of the Summer Institute if it is offered again in the future. I received support through the structured presentations, the hands-on activities, and a chance to discuss ideas in small groups. The follow up consultation also motivated me to apply what I learned after the workshop as I developed my course for this semester.
Iman A. Soliman – ALI
I was motivated to redesign my course to enhance student engagement and make the content more accessible and interactive and to improve the overall learning experience. After reflecting on the existing syllabus, I realized that certain aspects of the course needed to be geared more toward a face-to-face modality and enhancing active learning, particularly as the course was originally designed for self-learning. My primary goals were to increase student engagement, foster critical thinking, and create a more learner-centered environment. Additionally, I aimed to improve the alignment between learning outcomes and assessments, ensuring that students were being evaluated on the skills and knowledge that truly mattered for their advancement of skills needed in the workplace.
The redesign was quite comprehensive. I revamped several key components of the course, including the assessments, learning activities, and my approach to delivering content.
My advice to faculty who wish to redesign their course would be to start small and be open to experimentation. Redesigning a course can feel overwhelming, but tackling one component at a time helps make the process manageable. It’s also important to gather student feedback as you teach the course, so you can make adjustments and see what works. Working in a group is a great plus to course redesign. Having support from colleagues and resources like CLT is also a key factor for success.
Salma ElGhetany – JRMC
In order for my course to stay relevant and useful, I need to introduce new case studies, examples, industry trends and practices every single semester. This is why this initiative was very useful for a course like this, and for me personally, as it allowed me to be exposed to other minds, and methods that would further make the course material more engaging for all.
Through this institute, I opted towards enhancing my teaching skills and the learning experience inside class, making it one that is engaging and beneficial to all students, and not just some. I also hoped that by putting down these teaching styles in a structured format, as well as linking them to assessments and course material, I would be enhancing my teaching skills.
I basically re-imagined how I would teach one of the most important topics we discuss in class; actually one of the course’s pillars, which is fact-checking and verification.
This initiative provides an opportunity to break outside the box. It is easier to keep doing things the same way as long as this way has worked in the past. However, to actively seek ways to innovatively enhance one’s teaching, be open to learning how others teach, what works for them, and how they address challenging students, or difficult topics – or both – has been quite refreshing!
This institute created a facilitated learning community to support faculty who are committed to developing a new course or substantially revising an existing course. Participants received support from the CLT team of learning designers and educational developers and benefited from the shared expertise of a core team of faculty members who have previously worked with CLT on similar projects.
