Center for Excellence in TeachingCritical studies strategies to decolonize art and design
Faculty showcase presentation by Amelia Jones. A resource on how to create inclusive curriculum by decolonizing course and program content.
Resources: Course Design
Writing learning objectives
A concise how-to process for developing specific and measurable course learning objectives. Intended as an introduction for new instructors or a reminder for experienced instructors. Keywords: Learning objectives, course design, assessment, bloom’s taxonomy, goals.
Sample assignment descriptions
A collection of assignment descriptions from actual USC courses. The assignment descriptions follow best practices in terms of connecting the assignment to the course learning objective(s), providing a narrative overview of the assignment, indicating the steps required to complete the assignment, and referencing how the assignment will be graded.
Learning theories
An overview of fundamental aspects of the leading learning theories. University instructors use these theories to inform the decisions they make about their teaching/instruction with the goal of making it more effective.
Introducing your course with video
Recommendations and tips for making an introductory video for one of your courses, which can be shared with students via email or through an LMS, such as Blackboard. Also included is a sample script template to help structure the video content.
In-class work as participation
This guide serves as an explanation of using in-class work to evaluate student participation, and why in-class work is preferred over less-structured forms of participation. Suggestions for facilitating in-class work, and samples, are provided.
Flipped course design
An introduction to the flipped course, a course design style that is more consistent with theories of human learning than traditional lecture-style courses and supported by educational research.
Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive learning environments
Presents ways to foster a more LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus) inclusive learning environment, available USC support services, and suggested online resources.
Sources for free copyright-free images
A list of web sites that provide access to images that can be used in instructional materials, such as presentation slide decks, documents, and web sites. All listed sites provide free images, which are also copyright-free. Some sites have requirements for use, such as attribution of the author.
Maximize efficiency when teaching large classes
A set of tips for instructors who are teaching courses with large enrollments (greater than 30), intended to minimize faculty time requirements and workload while simultaneously maintaining student learning. These tips apply for courses of any delivery type: online, hybrid, or face-to-face.