Course Design Institute (CDI)

2/2/2018 Update: CLEAR will not be offering CDI this summer. In place of CDI, CLEAR will be offering other course design resources and opportunities. If you are interested in being placed on a list to be notified about these opportunities, please email Jenna Ledford at jenna.ledford@unt.edu.

What is CLEAR CDI?

The CLEAR Course Design Institute (CDI) is a course design series offered in two three-week sessions for anyone at UNT with an instructional role (full-time faculty, adjuncts, graduate students with teaching responsibilities, etc.) that is designed to:

  • Provide UNT educators with the time and support, both financial and pedagogical, to design or redesign UNT courses that promote student learning and retention.
  • Support UNT educators in the design or redesign of UNT courses according an outcomes-based model.
  • Facilitate a UNT educator community of practice that promotes innovative pedagogical strategies at the university.

To participate in CDI, applicants must select one course that will be taught in the 2017-2018 academic year to design or redesign. 

Financial support for CLEAR CDI 2016 participants will be provided in the form of grants, ranging from $500 (Course Design Part I) to $750 (Course Design Part II). Receipt of grant monies is contingent upon the accepted applicant’s completion of required work and assignments. 

How does CLEAR CDI work?

CLEAR CDI 2017 consists of two fully online 3-week sessions with optional face-to-face events. Participants may apply to participate in one or both of the three-week courses. In each course, participants will complete outcomes via Blackboard, Google Drive, and Slack, an online, private group communication tool that will allow participants to communicate with fellow UNT educators and the CLEAR CDI team. Each week of the 3-week period will involve completing a module with a series of assignments and assessments ranging from individual activities to group work with other participants. All modules and assignments will be available from the beginning of the course, but participants will have scheduled group assignments.

The first course will run May 30, 2017 to June 20, 2017. This course is for participants who are either designing a new course for UNT or want to completely redesign a currently existing course. Course Design Part I consists of the following outcomes:

  • understanding student learning,
  • applying backward course design, and
  • writing student learning outcomes.

All work must be completed by June 29, 2017 to receive payment in the amount of $500 and certification in Fundamental Course Design and advance to Course Design II (if desired).

Course Design Part II will run July 5, 2017 to July 26, 2017. This course is for participants who have completed all requirements for Course Design I and want to advance and participants who already have written student learning outcomes for their course and are seeking to further develop their course (restrictions do apply to those who join CDI for Course Design Part II only, see application for details). Course Design Part II consists of the following outcomes:

  • developing assessments, 
  • designing student assignments, and 
  • creating learning experiences. 

All work must be completed by July 30, 2017 to receive payment in the amount of $750 and certification in Advanced Course Design.

During each three-week course, one face-to-face session with a faculty presenter will be offered. These interactive sessions are typically popular among participants, but are not required and will be recorded for online viewing for those who cannot attend the face-to-face option. Based on feedback from previous CDI series’, Coffee & Course Design sessions will also be offered each week as an opportunity for more informal face-to-face interaction. 

Apply Now

The deadline for application is March 19, 2017, 11:59pm. Applicants may be contacted with follow up questions. Notification of acceptance status will occur by April 3, 2017. You can apply by clicking here.

If you have any questions about this application form or other questions about the CLEAR Course Design Institute, please contact the CDI Program Manager, Jenna Ledford at jenna.ledford@unt.edu or at 940.369.7243. 

Important Dates

  • March 19, 2017: Last Day to Apply
  • April 3, 2017: Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status.
  • May 30, 2017-June 30, 2017: CDI Course Design I will be in session.
  • June 29, 2017: All assignments for Course Design I must be submitted in order to receive payment and advance to Course Design II.
  • July 5, 2017-July 26, 2017: CDI Course Design II will be in session.
  • July 30, 2017: All assignments for Course Design II must be submitted in order to receive payment.
  • August 28, 2017: Fall semester begins.
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