Significant Learning by Design – I

Significant Learning by Design-I focuses on a model of course design developed by L. Dee Fink called Integrated Course Design, a design process shown to lead to greater student engagement and improved student learning. The conceptual framework, based Fink’s book, Creating Significant Learning Experiences (Jossey-Bass 2013), includes a design process that can be applied to face-to-face, blended/hybrid, and completely online courses.

This course is invaluable for anyone who wants to design, or redesign, a course that goes beyond surface-level learning and focuses on long-lasting, significant student learning.

Participant Outcomes Asset 10

By actively participating in this course, you will create a set of course design documents in which you:
  • Identify situational factors that impact the design of your course.
  • Consider the main pedagogical challenge of your course and how you can address it on the first day of class.
  • Articulate your overall vision and goals for the significant learning you want students to achieve.
  • Identify course-level learning outcomes based on the Taxonomy of Significant Learning.
  • Develop learning assessments and learning activities that enable students to achieve your course goals.
  • Reflect on your own learning and develop a personal plan for continued learning.
  • Receive ongoing feedback from a facilitator and colleagues at every step.

    Testimonials

    “I’m constantly begging for more time to get things done. However, as I progressed through these activities, I realized that working on a big dream was making me more productive… I instantly had ideas to add to my lesson plans and began to look forward to teaching the course again so that I could make my first day even more impactful.”

    – Molly Collins, English Instructor, Tri-County Technical College

    “I am absolutely loving this process! I love how clear, organized and strategic it is. Not in a way that constricts the process, but in a way that provides a framework for greater creativity and dreaming. I feel like I’ve been given ‘permission’ to incorporate things into my course that matter a lot to me.”

    – Brenda Keck, Assistant Professor The Townsend Institute, Concordia University Irvine

    “I had not previously thought of my course in reference to a Big Dream…I realized I’m so focused on getting students to ‘do statistics’ that I leave no time for them to process what they’re doing or why they’re doing it. I guess at the moment I just assume it will happen. I’m also convinced it does not happen. So, I was glad to face this challenge head-on, as it has really opened a whole new direction for my course to go.”

    – Mark Earley, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Columbus State Community College

    “The biggest impact of using Integrated Course Design is that it has provided me with a ‘toolkit’ to use when engaging in the course design and planning process. Taking a structured course like this that uses a systematic framework has been extremely useful and something that will allow me to be more critical and thoughtful when creating learning activities and assessments. I think my teaching will benefit as it will help me to view the bigger picture and greater purpose for the courses I am teaching.”

    – Gianina Gaitana, Professor of Nursing
    Georgian College

    “My work in this course challenged my beliefs and values about my teaching in several ways, a big one is my belief that I had developed an effective balance of activities, assignments, and assessments. This process forced me to look at each of these more closely and reflect on how they were incorporated into my class in ways that create and nurture a high impact, significant learning environment and experience for my students.”

    – David Parker, Assistant Professor & Director of Graduate Programs Division of Accounting and Finance, Graham School of Management Saint Xavier University

    “Revisiting the Taxonomy of Significant Learning has been very useful. I have thoroughly enjoyed the lessons as they are well organized and I really like being able to go back and forth between instructional content and application/assessment activities. I am amazed at how the ‘thinking big’ step transformed my course. The assessments are very different from those I previously used and the exercise has really focused my thinking around learning activities. I’m excited to actually teach this course again and try some of these ideas out!”

    – Dana Dawson, Associate Director of Teaching and Learning, Temple University

    “I shared my Big Dream with my class last Thursday and they applauded. Yes, applauded… I really wasn’t expecting that. It was a moment of solidarity and I realized that this is not just my dream, but also their dream. And when the instructor and the students share the same dream, the stage is set for real significant learning.”

    – Ted Stokes, Department Head, Engineering Technology, Tri-County Technical College

    Course Formats Asset 10

    Teachers and students who have used the teaching and learning strategies in this course report dramatic individual student improvement. You will likely experience a newfound joy in your ability to more strategically and effectively help your students learn how to learn.

    SELF-PACED

    In the self-paced format, you gain lifetime access to the course including all the videos, content, and resources and can complete the activities at your own pace. Participants have the option to add a 30-minute live feedback session with a facilitator and obtain a certificate of completion.

    • Mini-lessons with videos, resources, tips, and advice created by the book authors
    • Current resources and new ideas that build on the content in the book
    • Examples from past faculty participants from a variety of disciplines and institutions
    • Flexible so that you complete the course at your own pace
    • Equity-minded practices underlying every course
    • Immediate application of strategies and methods to your own course and context
    • SLD-I may be taken by itself or combined with the next course in the series, SLD-II
    • *Includes certificate of completion with 30-min facilitator feedback session

      $99 / $199*

      FACILITATED

      Next Cohort: July 7 – July 25, 2025

      In our facilitated courses, participants receive expert guidance through an established, step-by-step process. Join a future cohort or gather 5 colleagues, and arrange a dedicated session with customized dates!

      • All the same benefits of the self-paced course (mini lessons, advice from the authors, current resources, examples across disciplines, immediate application of strategies to your own courses and contexts)
      • Expert guidance through an established, step-by-step process
      • Personalized feedback at every step from an experienced facilitator
      • Collegial discussion with like-minded college educators
      • Flexible asynchronous format with targeted due dates to keep the group working together

        $495/person

        Meet the Author Asset 10

        Dr. L. Dee Fink

        Dr. L. Dee Fink was previously teaching faculty and the founding director of the Instructional Development Program at the University of Oklahoma. Dee led numerous workshops at conferences and on  campuses and served as a consultant to faculty and institutions in higher education in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

        Frequently Asked Questions

        How much time will it take to complete a course?

        Our facilitated courses are designed to be completed in 15-20 hours over a roughly 3-week period of time. Every situation is different, and you may choose to take more or less time, depending upon multiple factors. We recommend setting aside at least one hour per weekday to successfully complete the course. Our courses walk you through manageable steps every few days and over 90% of participants are able to complete the course within the allotted timeframe. There are no assignments on weekends, but you may use weekend time to catch up if you choose.

        Our self-paced courses are also designed to be completed in 15-20 hours, but you can complete them on your own time frame and schedule.

        What’s the difference between a facilitated or self-paced course?

        If you sign up for a course with specific calendar dates, this is a facilitated course. Our facilitated courses are offered completely online and are monitored daily by a live expert facilitator. In these courses there are specific due dates for assignments every few days and everyone is encouraged to work at a similar pace for the benefits of collegial discussion. You will want to be sure to select a session in which you are able to actively participate on most days during the allotted timeframe.

        A self-paced course contains the same content and activities as the facilitated course, but does not include discussions or facilitator feedback. You can still walk through the step-by-step activities on your own timeline, and if you have purchased certificate of completion option, once you complete the complete the application activities, you can schedule a live 30-min phone/web meeting to brainstorm and receive feedback from an experienced facilitator, addressing your individual context and concerns. With this option, upon completion of the activities and individual facilitator session, participants receive a certificate of completion. Registration for the self-paced course includes unlimited access for the lifetime of this course, including future updates and additional resources. (At minimum, you will have guaranteed access at least one year from your registration date).

        Are there any real-time meetings?

        Our facilitated courses are offered in a fully-online asynchronous format through the Canvas software. There are NO real-time/synchronous meetings. Rather, active participation and specific due dates keep the group working together and sharing constructive feedback and ideas at each step of the process.

        For example, there is typically a syllabus assignment and welcome introduction due on the first day, the second day may entail watching a short video, reading through a lesson, and responding to a teaching issue in a discussion. As the course progresses and you develop your own materials, there are often a few days between assignment submission due dates.

        We understand that everyone has their own commitments outside of this course. The due dates are suggested and targeted to keep the group working together as much as possible in the facilitated courses.

        Our self-paced courses are also designed to be completed in 15-20 hours, but you can complete them on your own time frame and schedule.

        What do I need to complete the course?

        Each course is delivered in the Canvas Learning Management System. A basic familiarity with course management systems (such as Canvas) is helpful but not required to successfully complete the course. Application activities can be completed using Microsoft Word. Standard skills such as the ability to send and receive email, use word processing software, navigate the Internet, download and attach documents and locate downloaded documents on your computer should be sufficient.

        Because the course is delivered completely online it is important that you have daily access to a computer and consistent, reliable broadband/high speed Internet access.

        The related book is required for successful completion of most of our courses. These books are widely available at an affordable cost via the publisher website, Amazon, or your institutional or local library. A book is NOT required for either of the Significant Learning by Design courses.

        How do I access the course?

        Our courses are offered through canvas.instructure.com. If you use Canvas at your institution, please note that this is a separate Canvas website that is not connected to the Canvas site you may use at your own institution.

        If you registered for a self-paced course, you will receive an email invitation to access the course upon receipt of payment. Please be patient as this is a manual process, but you should receive the email invite within 24 hours, often much sooner. The email invitation will be titled “Course Invitation” and will come from “Canvas Free for Teachers” at notifications@instructure.com. Please check your junk mail or spam folders if you do not see this email within 24 hours.

        If you have registered for a facilitated course, please put the course dates on your calendar and block off at least one hour per weekday during those dates to participate. The week before your course begins, you will receive a welcome email with further details and an invitation to join the online course. You will need to create or activate your account with https://canvas.instructure.com once the course opens.

        Once you receive the email invitation from notifications@instructure.com, click on the Get Started link in the email to access the course.  If you have not used this Canvas site before, you will need to create a new account using the same email address that you used to register for the course. If you have previously used the Canvas Free-for-Teacher website, you can log in with your existing credentials. A help guide for creating a new account can be found here.

         

        What if the course dates don't work for me?

        Our courses are facilitated by expert faculty and are scheduled to be offered throughout the year. If the dates listed do not fit your schedule, you can try to find like-minded colleagues and contact us to schedule your own dates (available for groups of 6 or more). Be sure to sign up for our occasional newsletter to stay informed of upcoming dates.

        Can I arrange a course just for my institution?

        Absolutely! We can create a dedicated course session with customized dates (pending availability) for groups of 6 or more participants. Please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.

        What is the cancellation/withdrawal policy?

        CANCELLATION OR WITHDRAWAL FOR FACILITATED COURSES

        Cancellation by Individual Participant:  Cancellations received prior to the “Register By” date are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations received after the “Register By” date but before the start date of the course are eligible for a 50% refund. Refunds can only be credited by check back to the original payee. Cancellations received after the course commences (the start date of the course or event) are not eligible for a refund.

        Individual Withdrawal from the Course: If you believe that you will not be able to complete the course and must withdraw after the course begins (which includes the first day of the course), please be aware that refunds are NOT applied except in the case of extreme emergency. If you must withdraw from the course, you are welcome to enroll in another session at another time, but you will be required to pay the full course fee again. We recognize that everyone is juggling multiple personal and professional responsibilities, so please carefully ensure prior to the first day that you have the necessary time available to complete the course. We are also juggling the scheduling of courses, enrollments, and hiring expert faculty facilitators.

        If you find that you must cancel your registration or withdraw from the course, please contact your facilitator and email us at info@intentionalcollegeteaching.org immediately.

        Cancellation or Withdrawal for Institutional Groups: Registrations that are part of an Institutional Group (participants are part of a dedicated section and/or paid for as a group by their institution) are not eligible for a refund. For facilitated courses, Institutional groups have the option of substituting a registration for a different participant up until three days after the course commences. Institutional group payments are due 2 weeks before the course start date. After that time, unpaid balances are subject to a late payment fee of 3.75% every 30 days.

        Cancellation by Intentional College Teaching: Intentional College Teaching reserves the right to cancel a facilitated course or event due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the course or event non-viable. Should circumstances arise that result in the postponement of an event or course, you will have the option to either receive a full refund or transfer registration to the same or a different course of the same type at a future date.

        CANCELLATION OR WITHDRAWAL FOR SELF-PACED COURSES

        Cancellation for Self-Paced Courses: For self-paced courses, cancellations or withdrawal situations do not apply. Once a participant has been given access to the Canvas course, no refunds are possible. You will have access to self-paced course for the lifetime of the course (at minimum one year from your registration date), including all future updates.