Last updated on October 18, 2024
In the CTLD Course Development Cycle, MSU Denver instructors work with the instructional design team to improve their existing or new courses. Instructors identify course objectives, develop learning activities, create a user-friendly course, record high-quality multimedia content, and much more.
As part of the Spring 2024 development cycle, Environmental Science instructor Sarah Schliemann worked with the CTLD Instructional Design Team to create an online version of ENV 3700, Mountain Environments. Dr. Schliemann and the CTLD found and integrated Open Educational Resources (OER), heavily emphasized Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility, and created a scaffolded learning experience in this course.
Dr. Sarah Schliemann grew up in Denver and spent her childhood exploring the natural world in the city and the mountains. Her love of the natural world led her to the University of Colorado, Boulder where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. She continued her education with a master’s degree in Environmental Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a PhD in Forest and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her research focuses on climate change and the role of mountain soils in carbon storage. She finds the Mountain Environments course especially rewarding, as it gives her the chance to share her expertise in alpine systems, environmental science, and ecology.
Contents
Showcase Examples
Open Educational Resources
By replacing the traditional textbook with OER, the course will provide significant financial relief for students, saving them over 70 dollars. Dr. Schliemann’s commitment to cost-effective education ensures that high-quality learning materials will be available without the burden of expensive textbooks. This strategic use of OER will not only save students money but also offer diverse and adaptable resources that could be tailored to the specific needs of the course. For example:
- Dr. Schliemann carefully selected OER for extremely niche topics such as Colorado mountain weather and parasitic insects, providing readings tailored to topics not covered in the previous textbook.
- Additionally, these OER readings brought in diverse perspectives on environmental science, expanding beyond the course’s focus on Colorado to include topics like mining and mountain ecology from other regions.
UDL and Accessibility
The course also heavily emphasized UDL to ensure equitable learning experiences for all students. Dr. Schliemann implemented several accessibility initiatives, such as creating more accessible versions of topographic maps, and making complex geographical information more understandable and usable for students with diverse needs. Dr. Schliemann edited topographic maps to ensure readability for all students. She also provided alt text for all images as well as some long descriptions for more complex images such as charts and graphs.
She applied additional design principles, such as chunking, to media in her course by offering shorter, more focused lectures. This approach helps to break down complex information into manageable segments, aiming to enhance student comprehension and retention. By integrating these principles, Dr. Schliemann created a course designed to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment while accommodating different learners, putting all students in a position to succeed in the course.
Scaffolding
Dr. Schliemann effectively employed scaffolding throughout this course by providing ample vocabulary lists, knowledge checks, and formative quizzes so learners can connect and build upon prior knowledge.
One of the key assignments created by Dr. Schliemann that highlights the use of scaffolding is the discussion-based project about mountain ranges. In this project, students are tasked with selecting a mountain range and exploring its environmental aspects in connection with the course’s core topics, such as mountain building, climate change, and biodiversity. The project spans the entire course, allowing students to integrate new knowledge as they move through each module. Through scaffolding, this assignment enables students to see the connections between different environmental science topics and develop a holistic understanding of how various factors, such as geological processes and climate change, interact in specific ecosystems.
Conclusion
ENV 3700 – Mountain Environments thoughtfully curates OER, supplementing the original textbook with no-cost materials on topics like mountain climate and parasites, which were not initially covered. The course also employs chunking by breaking up media content into smaller pieces, helping to improve learner retention. Additionally, making topographical maps accessible enhances the course’s ability to present complex concepts clearly and digestibly for all students. The discussion-based mountain range project continues throughout the course, giving students opportunities to consistently apply their growing knowledge, reinforcing their understanding of key concepts as they advance through each stage. This project reflects Dr. Schliemann’s commitment to providing an affordable, accessible course that prioritizes learner success.
Partnering for Continuous Improvement in Teaching and Learning
A significant factor in the success of these and similar projects is the support and funding from the Offices of Online Learning (OOL) and Innovative and Lifelong Learning (I&LL), which have been instrumental in enhancing the quality of our online educational endeavors. OOL’s and I&LL’s support and contributions have empowered faculty members to innovate and create a more enriching educational environment for all. Please visit the Office of Online Learning and Innovative & Lifelong Learning for more information about all that they are doing to help MSU Denver faculty members and students.
Want to get involved?
One way to find help with implementing student supports in your course is the CTLD Course Development Cycle. This is an intensive, but rewarding, process where an instructional designer will work with you over the course of several months to identify course objectives, develop learning activities, create a user-friendly course, record high-quality multimedia content, and much more.
For more information on the CTLD Development Cycle, as well as how to apply to join, please see our CTLD Course Development Cycle spotlight.
Have questions?
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