App4

Course Project: Learning Plan Part 1: Context and Goals

Please review the Course Project Overview (found under Week 1) before beginning this assignment.

This week, you will begin your Course Project, in which you will develop a plan for a formal learning experience on a topic of your choice. To get started, complete the following steps:

• Select a topic or subject area with which you are familiar. You could choose an academic subject (one you already teach, or plan on teaching), a career or occupational field in which you have expertise, or a topic related to a hobby or personal interest. Check with your instructor if you're not sure if your chosen topic is appropriate for this project.
• Determine the nature of the formal learning experience you will develop. A "formal learning experience" could be a course, a unit within a course, a workshop, or a training module.
• Establish the context for your Learning Plan. In what kind of organization will your learning experience be offered? Who will be the learners?

By Week 7, your Learning Plan will include a syllabus with learning goals and teaching and assessment strategies, as well as a rationale for your design and an analysis of resources needed. Keep this in mind as you are choosing your topic and the type of learning experience you will develop. You will develop pieces of your Learning Plan over the next 4 weeks.

For your Assignment this week, prepare the following:

• An analysis of the learning context for your Learning Plan, including:
• • Key characteristics of the student population
  • Characteristics of the subject matter that may present special challenges
  • Any other contextual factors that may impact the design of your Learning Plan
• Learning goals or outcomes, including:
• • A rationale for selecting your goals
  • A description of how these goals align with any relevant professional or disciplinary standards or institutional outcomes

Research standards in your field by locating appropriate professional or disciplinary association websites on the Internet.

In addition to the Learning Resources for this week, you may want to consult relevant journals on college teaching in your discipline; refer to the list provided for the Application Assignment in Week 3.

(Assignment length: 2–3 pages)

Please Note: There is nothing to submit this week. You will submit your work for Weeks 4 and 5 by Sunday of Week 5.