Click here to view the video transcript
As we wrap up, I want to leave you with three key takeaways.
First, pre-built courses are a tool, and like any tool, their success depends on how you use them. I like to think of the educator’s role in a pre-built course as bringing content to life and making it relevant for learners.
Second, be open to creative engagement strategies. These are small, simple ways with big impacts that can make the course interactive. Whether it’s through polling, group activities, real-world examples, or announcements with videos, or video/audio feedback—anything you can do to create interaction and connection will make a huge difference in this kind of course.
And finally, remember to reflect and adapt. What works for one semester, one session, or one cohort may not work the next time around. It will need to be tweaked. So, don’t be afraid to adjust and be flexible as you go, especially in a pre-built or standardised course where the prompts, topics, and module sequencing might remain the same. What will change is how you interact, the supplemental activities you create, and the engagement strategies you employ to connect with students. Those are the things that need to remain flexible and adapt to what your learners need at that time and what you, as an educator, need.
So, thank you so much for joining me in this course. I hope these strategies help you feel more confident and excited about teaching pre-built courses. Remember, you’ve got this. There is room for you and your learners in this kind of learning experience. In fact, you and your learners, and that connection, is the most important part of this experience.
I hope you can embrace that nugget of knowledge and go forth to create amazing interactive strategies that will enhance the pre-built or standardised experience. This will give you the benefit of a learning experience you know your students will walk away from, having tangible knowledge they can apply, while also feeling supported and engaged the entire way.
Pre-built courses offer consistency and efficiency, but successful implementation requires balancing standardisation with personalisation. Remember that:
- The instructor’s role remains crucial in bringing pre-built content to life and adapting it to meet diverse student needs.
- Effective use of pre-built courses involves understanding their design principles and actively seeking ways to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
- Regularly reflecting on and adapting your approach to teaching pre-built courses is key to maximising their benefits while mitigating potential drawbacks.
Thank you for taking this Teaching Pre-Built Courses course which has been developed with Niya Bond. We hope you have enjoyed it. Remember to mark this lesson as ‘Mark Complete’ to earn your Course Completion Badge.
Further reading:
- The Standardization of College Teaching
- Teaching Standardized Courses: Advantages and Disadvantages
- Supporting High Quality Teaching in Online Programs
- Flexibility Within Structure: Factors contributing to Faculty Perceptions of Autonomy and Standardization in Course Design and Delivery
References:
Bart, M. (2010, July 12). Teaching Standardized Courses: Advantages and Disadvantages. Faculty Focus.
Santelli, B., Stewart, K., & Mandernach, J. (2023). Four Strategies to Foster Effective Online Teaching within a Standardized Curriculum: Effective eLearning (Special Series). eLearn, 2023(8).
Wilson, S. (2006, September 11). The Standardization of College Teaching. Inside Higher Ed.
Zhao, Y., Li, T., & Liu, W. (2023). The Benefits and Drawbacks of Standardized Curriculum in Education. Research and Advances in Education, 2(10), 41-47.
Discussions
What is one way that you might empower yourself or learners in a pre-built course or within standardised curricula?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.