You’re about to start designing your course. Before you put a single word on your presentation, there are a few things you should do to make your course better. Here are some tips that will help you design an effective course by using best practices and choosing the right tools.

Define learning goals for your students.

One of the most important things you can do as an educator is to define your learning goals. When writing student learning goals, they should be:

• Measurable or observable. Your goals should be realistic and attainable within the duration of your course.
• Manageable. Consider your students’ capabilities, and make sure that your goals are achievable.
• Meaningful. Every educator wants their students to learn something from their course. Make sure that your students are not only trying to achieve your goals but also theirs - learning something useful along the way.

Determine how long your course will take.

A specific timetable will help you and your partner maximise your module. Just like any other course, make sure that your course or your lesson plan is not too short nor too long. You want it to be long enough so that students can achieve your learning goals and you will likely also need to meet your institutions’ requirements.

Design collaborative activities for your students

Where’s the fun in learning if you’re not going to incorporate activities for your students? This will not only make your class exciting, but it will also enhance engagement and teamwork.

You could try incorporating these collaborative activities in your module:

• Divide your class into two groups and start a debate. This will make your discussions more fruitful and inclusive.
• Randomly assign students to small groups to complete a research project together about your lesson. Encourage them to divide the tasks evenly among each other to further enhance their collaboration.
• Start small group discussions at the end of your classes so your students can discuss what they have learned and their own opinions among themselves.

Monitor student work and learning

It’s important to monitor not just what students are doing but how they are doing it. Monitor the progress of each student and make sure they are progressing with their work. Here are some tips on how you can do this in an online classroom setting:

• Have a system that keeps track of student progress in order to ensure that students are making progress. It can serve as a weekly report to evaluate student educational growth and offer guidance on improvement. Consider using ImmerseU’s assessment or video activity tools to collect responses. 
• Checking attendance daily or weekly is a good way to make sure that your students are attending your classes and paying attention.
• Establish clear expectations for you and your co-teacher around how often each of you will provide feedback to students. For example, you could have practice assignments where you review your students’ work and then reach out to each student individually with your feedback.

Select tools for collaboration

Before starting your own COIL course, you need to select the right tools that you're going to use to collaborate. ImmerseU can help you plan out your lessons, incorporate engaging activities, and monitor your students' work. Creating a COIL module has never been this easy. Get started planning your COIL module today with ImmerseU!