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Course Design Institute

Course Design institute Banner: Think Big with, Align and Asses, Actively Engage, and Plan and Evaluate

The Course Design Institute (CDI) is intended to support the University of California, Merced, faculty wishing to create a new or redesign an existing course of their choosing. These designs will combine research-based pedagogy and instructional modalities to create effective and supportive learning environments for the diverse students at UC Merced. Each faculty member accepted into the program will receive an honorarium of $2000 (inclusive of benefits) for successfully meeting all expectations outlined for the Course Design Institute.

The Institute will run in-person for four days in May 2025, and include opportunities for faculty to work in large groups, collaborate with faculty having similar course design topics and interests, and converse with staff from UC Merced's Teaching Commons. Resources critical to participant success will be made available throughout the duration of the design/redesign program, and may also be accessed asynchronously at one's own pace.

The CDI will focus on learning theories and research from the science of teaching and learning, with an emphasis on helping participants apply these theories and findings to improve the design of their own courses and instruction. Highlighting methods that have been successfully implemented at UC Merced and elsewhere, the CDI will emphasize practical ways to engage students and improve learning. Finally, we will explore how we can treat teaching and learning as an object of scholarly inquiry.

Call for applications for Spring 2025 is Open! (see the link below under How to Apply) 

For questions, please contact Division of Undergraduate Education Dean's office at undergradeducation@ucmerced.edu. 

Guiding Principles of the Institute

  1. Model evidence-based pedagogical strategies and academic technology tools.
  2. Create multiple opportunities to provide and receive feedback.
  3. Ground teaching practice in student-centered, anti-racist, and inclusive strategies.
  4. Establish a shared understanding of current campus priorities and common language.
  5. Share experiences with cohort faculty to establish a network.
  6. Provide relevant, local, and diverse examples of course design and implementations principles.
  7. Emphasize transformative, directly applicable, and attainable course design models.

Institute Outcomes

  1. Transform and build course materials using evidence-based strategies that support student success
  2. Apply best practices to the basic structure for your course, including mode of instruction, syllabus, introductory modules, and course artifacts.
  3. Utilize technology to support student learning and increase accessibility.
  4. Connect with institute instructors to discuss transformations and build a community of practice.

Expectations of Participants

  1. Attend all four days of the institute.
  2. Be prepared to transform an existing course or design a new course using theory and research around teaching and pedagogy.
  3. Complete the design/redesign of the approved course.
  4. Consult with an instructional coach two times after the program.
  5. Teach the new or redesigned course at least once during the following 18 months.
  6. Analyze the effectiveness of the new or redesigned course, and attend a final debrief meeting to propose subsequent improvements based on the analysis.

Priority for Funding

Applications may be submitted by senate and non-senate faculty. Priority will be given to courses that address one of the following course designs:

  • AI as Ally, Not Enemy: How can instructors collaborate with artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize student engagement and improve access? This cohort will consider emerging strategies for using AI as a partner to make course content more meaningful for students (e.g., make it feel like a game). We will also explore how AI can serve as a tool to improve student success. Lastly, we consider how AI can be a pedagogical partner, providing you with feedback and drafts on course artifacts as you design your curriculum
  • Optimizing Instruction in Large Classes: How do we activate learning without burning ourselves out? This cohort will discuss strategies to personalize the learning experience for students in large classes and optimizing the labor investment of instructors. We will explore evidence-based techniques like using Gradescope to streamline the process of providing feedback, implement cooperative learning to make classes feel smaller, and effectively use the flipped learning model.
  • Teaching for Tomorrow: How do we prepare students for the 21st-Century? For jobs that have not yet been invented, for interpersonal collaboration across differences, for solving ‘wicked problems.’ This cohort will explore what “professionalization” means for the future. We will discuss essential skills that students must develop, how those can be cultivated in our courses, and strategies for encouraging skill transfer beyond our classes/disciplines. Along with that list, we will explore strategies for how to generate non-cognitive habits of mind (and heart) for discovering purpose and meaning-making.

Format and Schedule

  1. Tuesday - Friday, May 20-23, from 9 am – 3 pm
  2. In-person on campus.
  3. The daily format will consist of short information sessions, individual work, group work, peer review, and sharing of materials for feedback.

How to Apply

Complete the Spring 2025 CDI Application before April 14, 2025

Application Review Process:  

Applications will be reviewed by the CDI committee. The committee will make recommendations for awards to the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education.

Important Dates and Deadlines: 

  • Application Opens: Friday, March 21, 2025
  • Application Closes: Monday, April 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
  • Notification of Awards: Monday, April 28, 2025
  • Course Design Institute: Tuesday - Friday, May 20-23, from 9 am – 3 pm