Course Development Toolkit

We have assembled a variety of resources to help you develop a successful new course. See below for help on every step of the process from proposing and ideating your course to building it in Brightspace. If you would like a one-on-one consultation to assist with your course development, you can request one using this link: https://bentley.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6EDtJIVehrjEIEC

Get started with this course proposal template!

Select here to download the template

Who's involved in the course approval process?

The graphic below highlights the key players who will consult on your course and approve it as it passes through governance. Keep in mind that some categories of courses require additional parties to consult and approve your course. Please review the curriculum design website, which can be found here to determine any additional parties who may be involved when developing your specific course.

Initial Planning/Ideation: Department chair and department colleagues. One-week comment period. Committee Review. Graduate courses: Graduate Curriculum Committee and Graduate Council. Undergraduate courses: Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC). Notification of approval: Faculty Senate.

A Course in Development: Creating an A+ Course Proposal

The Learning Design team has created a brief video outlining the process of designing a new course at Bentley, as well as some tips and tricks to help your proposal succeed.

Ideation: Making Ideas a Reality

Before you write up your course proposal, you should take some time to think through the specifics of this course. As our campus specialists in innovation, the Badavas Center has kindly provided a guide to help you think through the logistics of your course and take it from an idea to a winning course proposal.

Click here to download the Ideation Handbook

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Learning Outcomes and Alignment: Start with the end in mind

Strong learning outcomes define the trajectory of your course, pulling together a variety of activities and readings to form a cohesive learning experience. Click the button below to read more about learning outcomes--from writing them to aligning your course activities with your outcomes!

Click here to download the Learning Outcomes and Alignment Guide

Brightspace Tips and Tricks: A Student's Perspective

Our Learning Design team works to help you make your courses more accessible and easier-to-use for students. When constructing this list of Brightspace tips, we asked one of our very own Bentley graduate students, Emily Kness, what she found helpful in the courses she has taken.

Click here to download "Brightspace Tips and Tricks: A Student's Perspective"

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Designing an Accessible Course

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Students come to us from a wide variety of backgrounds, and taking some time to consider their perspectives and incorporate those considerations into your course design can make every student's learning experience better. Check out the links below for more information to help you get started on making your course more accessible!

Inclusive Teaching Resources: https://www.bentley.edu/academics/offices/provost/inclusive-teaching

Universal Design for Learning: https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl

Developing and Utilizing Rubrics (from the Learning Design team's blog): https://www.bentley.edu/academics/offices/learning-design/blog/developing-and-utilizing-rubrics

Check out the AAC&U's sample rubrics for inspiration when making your own: https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/value-initiative/value-rubrics

Click to schedule a one-on-one consultation about your course!

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