Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 1
Curriculum Writing Guide
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 2
Table of Contents
Curriculum Writing........................................................................................................................ 3
Length of Courses .................................................................................................................... 3
Learning Management System (LMS) Course Template .................................................. 3
Faculty Guide ............................................................................................................................ 3
Contract Requirements ........................................................................................................... 3
Curriculum Development and Ownership ............................................................................ 3
Course Process Guidelines .................................................................................................... 4
Course Writing Categories...................................................................................................... 4
Course Creations ................................................................................................................. 4
Course Revisions ................................................................................................................. 4
Major Revision (51%-75% of course/lab) ..................................................................... 5
Minor Revision (21%-50% of course/lab) ..................................................................... 5
Curriculum Update Revision (11-20% of the course) ................................................. 5
Curriculum Update Revision (10% or less of the course).......................................... 5
Writing Process............................................................................................................................. 6
Writer Selection and Course Production .............................................................................. 6
Writer Selection .................................................................................................................... 6
Selection of Course Resources ............................................................................................. 6
Course Creations ..................................................................................................................... 7
Prospectus Submission....................................................................................................... 7
Prospectus Approval ........................................................................................................... 7
Writing Process (Creations and Revisions) ......................................................................... 7
Writing Process .................................................................................................................... 7
Review and Editing .............................................................................................................. 8
Completion ............................................................................................................................ 8
Final Review ......................................................................................................................... 8
Timeline ................................................................................................................................. 8
Word Processing Guidelines .............................................................................................. 9
Payment................................................................................................................................. 9
Curriculum Design and Technology Department Contacts ............................................... 9
How to Write Objectives and Design Curriculum .................................................................. 10
Assessment Alignment in Curriculum Design.................................................................... 10
Writing Quality Objectives ..................................................................................................... 12
Objective/Assessment Match ............................................................................................... 19
Appendices.................................................................................................................................. 22
Appendix A .............................................................................................................................. 23
Copyright ............................................................................................................................. 23
Appendix B .............................................................................................................................. 27
Respondus Formatting ...................................................................................................... 27
Appendix C .............................................................................................................................. 29
Test Proctoring ................................................................................................................... 29
Appendix D .............................................................................................................................. 30
Guidance For Video In Course Writing ........................................................................... 30
Appendix E .............................................................................................................................. 32
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 3
Curriculum Writing
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Length of Courses
Courses will vary in length based upon a number of factors, including but not limited to
the academic program, the course content, and the student audience. The course
length will be communicated to the course writer via the course creation or revision
contract.
Learning Management System (LMS) Course Template
As the course writer, you are creating a faculty guide that will be converted into a
master course template for the university LMS. This LMS master course template will be
created by an instructional designer in the Curriculum Design and Technology (CDT)
department. The course writer and Academic Dean or Program Chair will have final
approval of the LMS master course template after the instructional designer has created
the master course template.
In order to write a course that can be effectively delivered online in a learning
management system, the course writer must be familiar with the learning management
system that is being used. If you need any assistance or have questions about the
capability of the LMS, please contact the CDT department. Refresher training can be
scheduled.
Faculty Guide
Each course will have a faculty guide. If you, the course writer, are writing a new
course, you will create the faculty guide from a provided template. If you are revising a
course, you will edit the old faculty guide.
This guide will follow a standardized template to ensure continuity between courses and
LETU branding. A copy of the template will be provided by your instructional designer.
Contract Requirements
Contract requirements will be outlined in the contract you receive. It is important to note
contract date is NOT always dependent on the semester the course will be offered.
Instead, the course deadline is assigned so workload can be managed accordingly. If a
course writer does not meet course deadlines there will be a financial penalty or the
contract may be cancelled since the impact on departments cost the university money
and if the course cannot be offered, this will result in decreased tuition dollars.
Curriculum Development and Ownership
The development of a course and supporting faculty guide will follow the Letourneau
University approved curriculum design model. The course must be submitted in the
designated style and format.
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 4
The course materials prepared for course are the sole property of LeTourneau
University and may not be copied or used in any manner without the express written
permission of LeTourneau University.
Course Process Guidelines

The following items CANNOT be altered:
o Courses will use the existing LeTourneau naming and numbering
conventions.
o Course descriptions must match those published in the University Catalog.
o The master template design
Course Writing Categories
When new courses or revisions are needed, a contract will be issued to write under the
following categories:
Course Creations
New courses are created when:
 A new program is developed,
 Changes in curriculum are made to existing programs necessitating the creation
of new courses, or
 Additional courses are needed to fulfill general education or general elective
requirements.
Course creations are considered to be those courses to be written with no pre-existing
course sample supplied by LeTourneau. New course creations must meet the following
additional criteria:
 Have a course number and title which is different from any current course
available in LeTourneau University’s program offerings; and
 Have content that is not substantially similar to any current course available in
the university’s program offerings.
Course creations must be communicated to the CDT department by program directors
and/or deans when they are scheduled to ensure there is sufficient time for curriculum
to be completed and approved. Curriculum development requires at least a 120 day
cycle (2 months for writing process and 1 month for finalization and approval and then 1
month prep period for faculty teaching the course.
Course Revisions
The following situations indicate that a course requires revision:
 End-of-course surveys indicate a course revision is needed.
 The text has gone out of print or software has changed.
 The university has introduced new degree programs requiring the scope or focus
of the existing course be altered.
 The course was last revised three or more years ago, and material is outdated.
 Faculty members have indicated there are problems with the course
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 5
Program directors and/or deans must inform the CDT department of any course
revisions that are required 120 days or more before the course is scheduled.
Course revisions fall within four categories as described below:
Major Revision (51%-75% of course/lab)
Course content requires extensive rewriting in virtually every category:
 Overall goals and objectives
 Introductory notes
 Overall assignments
 Activities
A major revision represents modification of over 50% of the curriculum materials.
Minor Revision (21%-50% of course/lab)
Course content requires rewriting in more than 20% and less than 50% of the following
categories:
 Overall goals and objectives
 Introductory notes
 Overall assignments
 Activities
A minor revision is more than grammatical cleanup or change of text edition and would
involve changing at least 21 -50% of the curriculum.
Curriculum Update Revision (11-20% of the course)
Course has experienced a change in text edition and/or minor material has become
obsolete and requires very minor revision in materials and assignments.
* If text edition change is required by the bookstore, all curriculum update revisions must be
communicated to the CDT department as soon as the school is notified by the bookstore that older
versions of a textbook can no longer be sourced
Curriculum Update Revision (10% or less of the course)
These revisions will be done without compensation, usually by full time faculty.
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 6
Writing Process
Writer Selection and Course Production
LeTourneau University desires to produce outstanding, quality curricula for students that
are both accurate and up-to-date. Because the course writer will be writing a course
that will be used by both experienced and new faculty members, it is critical that the
following steps be followed. These steps will ensure the course can be easily
understood and used by our entire faculty.
Writer Selection
1. Course creation and/or revision need is identified.
2. A course writer is selected by the Academic Dean or Program Chair from a list of
current faculty who are or can be credentialed to teach the course.
3. The department notifies the Curriculum Design & Technology department to let
them know who will be writing the course.
Selection of Course Resources
When selecting resources that students will be required to purchase for a course, the
course writer should consider the following:
1. The latest version of the textbook must be used
2. In general, textbooks should be less than 5 years old unless they are a seminal
work
3. Digital resources should be considered when possible.
4. Consider the cost of the textbook…is it prohibitive?
5. Consider open educational resources. The LETU library has a listing of open
resources that can be used free of charge.
6. Find out if the text you are considering is already being used in another course in
the program of study.
7. Review the LETU copyright policy in Appendix A of this guide. When only a
small portion of a resource will be used, consider copying and posting the
needed part instead of requiring students to purchase a book they will not really
use
The course writer should first check with the administrative assistant for the school the
course falls under to see if the school has selected the resources for you to use in this
course. If the school has not selected resources for the course being written, the course
writer must select the required resources and email the required resources to the school
administrative assistant as soon as the resources are selected. These required
resources will be adopted by the bookstore. Please include: Name of Text, Author,
Copyright and ISBN Number.
Courses Units Comprise of Two or More Weeks
Units are used on the course grid to provide flexibility. The number of units may
correspond to the number of weeks for a course or a unit may comprise two or more
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 7
weeks if the writer chooses. The important thing to remember is that if a unit in an online
course is comprised of two or more weeks, there should be an engagement activity with
peers (preferably) and/or instructor each week to keep students on track in the course.
Course Creations
Prospectus Submission
A prospectus is only submitted for a new course creation. The prospectus must be
approved by the Curriculum Design & Technology department as well as the
department in the respective school. The course writer can proceed working on the
course creation while the prospectus is under review but should proceed with caution
since changes to the original course plan may be required by the department.
The prospectus must include:
 Resources
o Required Resources
o Any supplementary material to be used that will incur a cost to students
(memberships, programs, etc.)
 Content
o Course objectives at the appropriate taxonomy levels (See How to Write
Objectives and Design Curriculum section)
o A draft of course activities and readings
o A list of assignments that is proposed for each unit of the course. Homework
assignments, quizzes and test items only need to be listed. If papers or case
studies will be used, please give basic information about what you are proposing
for these items.
Your instructional designer will provide you with a current copy of the prospectus form
which must be completed.
Prospectus Approval
1. After CDT department approval, the Academic Dean or Program Chair will review
the prospectus.
2. If the prospectus is approved, the Academic Dean or Program Chair sends
approval to the CDT department to be kept on file with course documents. If the
course is not approved, the CDT department will further assist the course writer
and engage department personnel as required until the prospectus is approved.
Writing Process (Creations and Revisions)
Writing Process
1. The course writer will be assigned to an instructional designer from the CDT
department who will assist the writer throughout the project.
2. Course writer writes course. The final faculty guide is submitted in Microsoft
Word processing format using the standard LETU approved curriculum template.
All courses must follow this template. Course author submits curriculum to the
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 8
Curriculum Design & Technology department by the dates specified on the
contract. Submissions must include the faculty guide, the curriculum audit, and
copies of all quizzes, tests with answer keys as well as supplementary material. If
course is not received within one week of the due date, the course writer will
forfeit 20% of the course writing fee unless this delay is caused by something
outside of the writer’s control (such as short notice text edition change).
Review and Editing
1. The instructional designer from the CDT department reviews the course
submission. If changes, course design problems, additions, or editing are
required to meet requirements, the course writer and the instructional designer
will meet to discuss the necessary changes.
2. If changes/additions/editing are required, the curriculum will be returned to the
course writer.
Completion
1. The course author returns the course with final changes made.
2. The faculty guide is sent to the school for review.
3. The course reviewer will contact the instructional designer from the Curriculum
Design & Technology department and let the instructional designer know the
faculty guide is approved or if changes need to be made. If changes need to be
made, the instructional designer contacts the course writer about making
necessary changes, and the course will be sent back to the school for review
until the course is approved.
4. The instructional designer finalizes the faculty guide and puts the course into the
LMS.
5. After the course is completed in the LMS, the instructional designer notifies the
course writer as well as the course reviewer that final course review must be
completed.
6. Both the writer and the course reviewer must contact instructional designer and
let the designer know the course is approved or if changes need to be made. If
changes need to be made, the instructional designer will make the changes and
notify the writer and reviewer that the course is now complete. The writer and
the reviewer will notify the instructional designer of final approval.
7. The instructional designer does all final edits on the faculty guide and syllabus
and adds it to the LMS.
8. The instructional designer completes the course quality review checklist.
9. The instructional designer approves payment to the author.
Final Review
Course writers are encouraged to teach the first session of the course. If changes,
additions, or editing need to be made after the first teaching of the course, the course
will be returned to the course writer for revision.
Timeline
In this time line, the writer is allowed a four-week window to submit the prospectus for
approval and a 4-6 -week window to complete the course. The course will be
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 9
scheduled to be completed and to the CDT department at least 60 days before the first
course offering.
Word Processing Guidelines
The faculty guide must be created in Microsoft Word using the shell provided by the
University. The template in the faculty guide must be followed exactly. Unused items
as well as the directions in red should be deleted.
Payment
Course payment cannot be processed until the course is complete and approved by
curriculum and the college. There may be delays from the time the course is received
by the curriculum department until the course is built depending on the curriculum
department workload. Workload is scheduled to prevent delays, but if several course
writers submit late courses, other courses have to be put on hold to create the ones that
will be offered first. The best way to prevent this is for ALL writers to complete their
courses by the deadline.
After the course is approved the instructional designer forwards contract and curriculum
action form to the school. After it is signed by the dean or program director, it is returned
to the curriculum department and then forwarded to the business office. This process
takes a minimum of one week. Course writers will then be paid the next pay period
AFTER the business office receives payment paperwork.
Curriculum Design and Technology Department Contacts
Ms. Lauren Treviño
Instructional Designer
903-233-4070
[email protected]
Mr. Ian Johnston
Instructional Designer
903-233-4070
[email protected]
Ms. Emilee Rummel
Instructional Designer
903-233-4070
[email protected]
Ms. Patty McConnell
Instructional Designer
903-233-4070
[email protected]
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 10
Important Curriculum Design Information
The information below is provided so the course writer understands
how to properly create curriculum that meets best practices and
accreditation standards. Each course will be evaluated for
compliance with these concepts. If course writers familiarize
themselves with this information prior to writing the course, it can
save considerable revision time.
How to Write Objectives and Design Curriculum
Assessment Alignment in Curriculum Design
Program outcomes, course objectives and
assessments must all be aligned in proper
curriculum design. Assessments must be written at
the same taxonomic level as the instructional
objective to prove this level was met. In addition,
course objectives must support overall program
outcomes to ensure there is not duplication within
courses or important topics are missed throughout
an entire program.


Course Objectives: What do I want students
to know how to do when they leave this
course?
Assessments: What kinds of tasks will reveal
whether students have achieved the course objectives I have identified?
If these items are not aligned, you will not provide the best educational experience for
your students. If you write an objective to the analysis level and you assess this with a
simple multiple choice and true/false test, you are not assessing to the level of the
objective—you are assessing two levels lower. You are only teaching to the knowledge
or comprehension level. Consequently if the objective is written at the knowledge level
and your assessment requires synthesis of new information, then you are assessing at
too high a level for the objective. Both of these scenarios can be frustrating to students
and can lead to confusion, students questioning expectations in a specific course and
even grade appeals. In addition, your course may not prepare the students properly for
upper level courses in the same subject area.
Backwards Design
According to Wiggins and McTighe (2006), curriculum development involves a
backwards approach. In other words we must begin with the end objective in mind and
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 11
then work backwards to design the curriculum. This will help ensure that we develop the
appropriate instructional methods and evaluations toward the objective.
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 12
There are three basic questions you should ask yourself as you design the curriculum:
1. What are the overarching big ideas that students should understand upon
completing this course? There are obviously numerous details and facts that
students must learn and accept to be well-versed in the subject matter. Most
importantly though, students should have a good understanding of the
overarching big ideas.
2. What evidence will I accept as proof of the students’ understanding of
these ideas? Somehow you must evaluate whether the students understand
these ideas. What sort of proof will you accept as evidence that they
understand? Is it a paper, a test, a presentation? How will the students prove to
the instructor that they understand these ideas?
3. What activities and instructional methods will I employ so that students
understand the overarching big ideas of this course? The rubber meets the
road here. You know the big ideas that the students should understand. You
have determined what proof that you will accept as evidence of this
understanding. Now, you must determine what will take place inside and outside
the classroom that will bring students to this understanding.
Blooms Taxonomy
In 1956 Benjamin Bloom developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior
important in learning. Bloom discovered that approximately 95 % of test questions
required students to think only at the lowest possible level; the recall of information.
Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive
domain, from the simple recall or recognition of
facts, at the lowest level, through increasingly
more complex and abstract mental levels, to the
highest order which is classified as evaluation
(Anderson, Krathwohl, and Bloom, 2001).
The following table indicates the six levels within
the cognitive domain as identified by Bloom. Verb
examples are indicated that represent intellectual
activity on each level.
Writing Quality Objectives
Course objectives (often called performance objectives or competencies) are brief,
clear, specific statements of what learners will be able to perform at the conclusion of
instructional activities. Generally, course objectives are competency-based as they
designate exactly what students need to do to demonstrate mastery of course material.
With this in mind, course objectives are always stated in terms of student outcomes.
The purpose of course objectives are to:


Facilitate overall course development by encouraging goal-directed planning
Inform students of the standards and expectations of the course
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 13







Provide information for the development of assessments by identifying the types
of evidence that students need to produce to demonstrate understanding
Clarify the intent of instruction and guide the formation of instructional activities
(textbook selection, teaching resources, instructional methods, etc)
Provide a framework for evaluating student understanding and progress
Serve as an implicit contract between instructor and students setting up a basis
for accountability
Drive curriculum planning (such as the development or revision of courses)
Create a framework for evaluating overall effectiveness of an educational
program
Provide evidence of student learning to be utilized for accreditation
LETU requires 5-6 course objectives per course that are overarching. The writer can
also opt to write unit objectives in addition (but not excluding) the overarching
objectives.
Guidelines for Writing Effective Objectives:
Effective objectives highlight expected student behavior as well as the specific
conditions and standards of performance.
Behavior - Write objectives in terms of an observable, behavioral outcome. Essentially,
objectives should provide a description of what the student will be able to do. When
writing the objective in performance terminology, the selection of an effective action
verb is of utmost importance. The use of a clear, targeted verb provides directions about
the expectations of student performance at the completion of instructional activities.
Because the verb provides the desired direction of emphasis, it is important to choose a
verb that is focused and targets a level of performance appropriate for the course.
Student-Centered - All objectives should focus on the student. An effective learning
objective will explain expectations for student behavior, performance, or understanding.
To ensure objectives are student-centered, a good objective should appropriately
complete the statement "The student will..."
Conditions - Objectives should be specific and target one expectation or aspect of
understanding and highlight the conditions under which the student is expected to
perform the task. The conditions of the objective should communicate the situation,
tools, references, or aids that will be provided for the student.
Standards - Each objective should be measurable and include the criteria for
evaluating student performance. Generally, standards provide information to clarify to
what extent a student must perform to be judged adequate; thus effective objectives
indicate a degree of accuracy, a quantity of correct responses or some other type of
measurable information. Standards serve the dual purpose of informing students of
performance expectations and providing insight as to how achievement of these
expectations will be measured. Since students will utilize the standards to guide their
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 14
performance, be sure to use specific terminology that has limited interpretations and
ensure that all students understand the same interpretation.
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 15
Types of Objectives:
There are three types of objectives:
1) Cognitive: the student needs to know, analyze, evaluate, synthesize knowledge
2) Affective: the student has to demonstrate an attitude, relationship or behavior
3) Psychomotor: the student has to perform something
Depending on the course goals, objectives may target a range of skills or cognitive
processes. Bloom's (1956) taxonomy of educational objectives differentiates between
three domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.
Domain
Target
Focus
Cognitive
Knowledge, intellectual skills
Mind
Affective
Attitudes, interests, feelings, values, adjustments Spirit
Psychomotor Motor and manipulations skills
Body
Most courses in higher education focus on the cognitive domain, thus it is important to
examine various levels of cognitive understanding. The cognitive domain is brokendown into six categories: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation. Generally, you will want to design objectives to target a range of levels
of student understanding. The phrasing of l objectives will help guide both instructional
activities and assessment, thus you should carefully select the emphasis of learning and
the relevant verb.
Tips for Improving Objectives

An objective has three parts:
o Condition (this may be inferred but is usually specified for psychomotor
objectives)
o Taxonomy: action verb that demonstrates the level of understanding a
student must demonstrate according to Bloom’s taxonomy level
o Criteria: (is often inferred in cognitive objectives based on passing grade)
indication of what will result in successful completion of the objective
o Examples:
 Cognitive
 The student will analyze the causes, impacts and effects of
World War II on global politics and economies. (condition
and criteria are inferred)
 The student will analyze the causes, impacts and effects of
World War II on global politics and economies with at least a
60% accuracy. (condition only inferred)
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 16



Given a description of a planet, the student will be able to
identify that planet, as demonstrated verbally or in writing.
(criteria only inferred)
Psychomotor
 Using a manual blood pressure cuff, the student will perform
blood pressure checks within a +/-10% limit of the standard
value. (contains condition (using BP cuff), verb (perform) and
criteria (+/-10% limit)
Affective
 Given the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team,
the student teacher will demonstrate a positive attitudes
towards others as measured by a survey completed by other
team members. (includes all three components)
Domain
Emphasis
Relevant Verbs
Cognitive
Knowledge
Recall, identify, recognize, acquire, distinguish, state, define, name, list,
label, reproduce, order
Cognitive
Comprehension Translate, extrapolate, convert, interpret, abstract, transform, select,
indicate, illustrate, represent, formulate, explain, classify, comprehend
Cognitive
Application
Apply, sequence, carry out, solve, prepare, operate, generalize, plan,
repair, explain, predict, demonstrate, instruct, compute, use, perform,
implement, employ, solve
Cognitive
Analysis
Analyze, estimate, compare, observe, detect, classify, discover,
discriminate, distinguish, catalog, investigate, breakdown, order,
determine, differentiate, dissect, contrast, examine, interpret
Cognitive
Synthesis
Write, plan, integrate, formulate, propose, specify, produce, organize,
theorize, design, build, systematize, combine, summarize, restate, argue,
discuss, derive, relate, generalize, conclude, produce
Cognitive
Evaluation
Evaluate, verify, assess, test, judge, rank, measure, appraise, select,
check, judge, justify, evaluate, determine, support, defend, criticize,
weigh, assess
Affective
Agree, avoid, support, participate, cooperate, praise, help, offer, join
Psychomotor
Adjust, repair, taste, bend, measure, perform, operate, use, move
Verbs that should be avoided since they are ambiguous or not measurable
include:
believe
comprehend
listen
experience
hear
know
self-actualize
perceive
realize
see
memorize
understand
recognize
conceptualize
think
feel
Phrases that should be avoided:
Appreciation for
Acquainted with
Awareness of
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 17
Capable of
Enjoyment of
Familiar with
Knowledge about




Comprehension of
Conscious of
Interest (ed) in
Understanding of
Cognizant of
Feeling for
Knowledge of
Keep statements short and focused on a single outcome. This allows instructors
to determine whether or not an objective has been met without having to
distinguish between partial completion or success. Different taxonomy verb
levels cannot be used in the same objective. Group items together in an
objective that will measured at the same taxonomy level to minimize the total
number of objectives. The recommended number of objectives for a course is
between 5-10 objectives. If any more than that are used, it is difficult to prove
that all objectives have been assessed effectively.
To ensure objectives are effective and measurable, avoid using verbs that are
vague or cannot be objectively assessed. Use active verbs that describe what a
student will be able to do once learning has occurred. Do not use verbs that can’t
be measured such as realize, explore, contemplate, etc.
Objectives should be student-focused and target the expected student outcome.
To assist in maintaining a student-centered emphasis, start objectives with the
phrase "The learner/student will be able to. . ."
Objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable to the instructor,
realistic to achieve, and time-bound with a deadline).
Include complex or higher-order objectives when they are appropriate. Most instructors
expect students to go beyond memorization of facts and terminology; objectives should
reflect instructors' expectations for student performance. In undergraduate 1000 and
2000 level courses at least one objective (in general) should be at the Bloom’s Level #3
(apply). In upper level undergraduate courses, several objectives should be at higher
taxonomic levels unless it is an introductory course. In graduate level courses, a
significant number of the objectives should be at Bloom’s Level #3 or above unless it is
an introductory course. Avoid using verbs that are difficult to measure objectively. The
following verbs are difficult to assess, thus should be used with caution:












know
comprehend
understand
appreciate
familiarize
study
be aware
become acquainted with
gain knowledge of
cover
learn
realize
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 18
If you utilize verbs like "know" or "understand", make sure that you state how
"knowledge" or "understanding" will be demonstrated. Remember, a good learning
objective is one that can be assessed to determine students' mastery of course
material.
Review Checklist:
_____ Does the learning objective stem from a course goal or objective?
_____ Is the learning objective measurable?
_____ Does the learning objective target one specific aspect of expected performance?
_____ Is the learning objective student-centered?
_____ Does the learning objective utilize an effective, action verb that targets the
desired level of performance?
_____ Do objectives measure a range of educational outcomes?
_____ Does the learning objective match instructional activities and assessments?
_____ Does the learning objective specify appropriate conditions for performance?
_____ Is the learning objective written in terms of observable, behavioral outcomes?
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 19
Objective/Assessment Match
Objectives should match instructional strategies and assessment requirements. To
ensure the connection between various course activities, it is useful to construct a table
highlighting the relationship. For example:
Learning Objective
Differentiate between qualitative
and quantitative assessment
Instructional
Activities
Lecture
Read text
Group activity
Assessment
Exam #1, Assessment Portfolio
#1, Mastery Questions
Assessments
This list is not all inclusive but can be used as a guide to create your
assessments.
This material was adapted from Carnegie Mellon University at:
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/alignment.html
Type of learning
objective
KNOWLEDGE
Recall
Recognize
Identify
Examples of appropriate assessments
Objective test items such as fill-in-the-blank, matching, labeling, or multiple-choice
questions that require students to:

recall or recognize terms, facts, and concepts
COMPREHENSION Activities such as papers, problem sets, class discussions, concept maps, simple
case studies, videos and wikis that require students to:
Interpret
Exemplify
 summarize readings, films, or speeches
Classify
 compare and contrast two or more theories, events, or processes
Summarize
 classify or categorize cases, elements, or events using established criteria
Infer
 paraphrase documents or speeches
Compare
 find or identify examples or illustrations of a concept or principle
Explain
APPLICATION
Apply
Execute
Implement
When developing tests, test questions can be short answer, 1-2 paragraph essay
or multiple choice exams where questions are written to incorporate two or more
pieces of knowledge to answer the question
Mathematical calculations should require the knowledge of two or more math
concepts.
Psychomotor Objectives (performance)
Activities such as problem sets, videos, performances, labs, prototyping, or
simulations that require students to:


use procedures to solve or complete familiar or unfamiliar tasks
determine which procedure(s) are most appropriate for a given task
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 20

requires the student do something
An example would be perform a counseling session that is videotaped and then
critiqued by the instructor
Cognitive Objectives (knowledge)
Application , implementation or execution requires that a student be able to gather
knowledge that he/she has and end up with a specific results. An example of this
might be a business assignment in project management where a student must take
the knowledge learned and use it to implement a specific project. This can be
measured by: papers, These can be measured by:



ANALYSIS
Analyze
Differentiate
Organize
Attribute
papers, project plans, project design, case studies, diagrams, wikis, and
organizational charts
Tests should include such things as labeling or creating diagrams, essay
questions where the execution of a process must be outlined by a student
or, multiple choice exams where questions are written to incorporate two or
more pieces of knowledge to answer the question
More difficult mathematical calculations
Activities such as research papers, case studies, critiques, labs, papers, projects,
debates, use of quality tools/methods, creation of charts or concept maps that
require students to:



discriminate or select relevant and irrelevant parts
determine how elements function together
determine bias, values, or underlying intent in presented material
Test should include essay questions that ask students to compare or contrast,
identify causes and effect, strengths and weaknesses, etc. Multiple choice
questions can be used of the type that offer 4-5 different answers and then group
the answers so the student has to know and apply information. However, at this
level multiple choice should be used sparingly and matching or True/False should
never be used. An example of a multiple choice question at this taxonomy level is
below:
E coli is a bacteria that:
EVALUATION
Evaluate
Check
a. Is a gram negative enteric
b. Causes traveler’s shigellosis
c. Grown on unenriched media
d. Is the most common type of bacteria isolated in humans
e. Only a is correct
f. a and b only is correct
g. a and c is correct
h. a,b, and c is correct
i. a, b, c and d is correct
Activities such as research papers, case studies journals, diaries, critiques,
problem sets, product reviews, creating operating instructions or technical guidance
or projects that require students to:
Curriculum Writing Guide – Page 21
Critique
Assess
SYNTHESIS
Create
Generate
Plan
Produce
Design

test, monitor, judge, or critique readings, performances, or products against
established criteria or standards
Tests at this level are very similar to the level above. It is not recommended that
multiple choice questions be used at these higher levels.
Psychomotor Objectives (performance)
Activities such as research projects, musical compositions, performances, essays,
business plans, website designs, or set designs that require students to:

make, build, design or generate something new
Cognitive Objectives (Knowledge)
Activities such as business plans, consultations, research papers, projects that
have multiple parts that have to be created, wikis, mindmaps, web pages, or
presentations
Whenever possible, assessments for the course should be problem-based and should
approximate real-life situations as much as possible. In general, students want
activities that transcend the theoretical and have true meaning in the subject area they
are pursing. Assignments which appear to be “busy-work” and do not appear to have a
purpose in the learning process may detract from the learning experience.
Submission of Assessments
You must provide copies and answer keys for all objective assessments within a
course. If an objective test (multiple choice, true/false, matching) is used within the
course, an answer key must be submitted. In addition, all test questions must be
properly formatted so they can be uploaded in Respondus. Please see Appendix B for
directions on how to properly format questions for Respondus. Information about test
proctoring can be found in Appendix C.
Course Writing Guide – Page 22
Appendices
Course Writing Guide – Page 23
Appendix A
Copyright
UPPS:
Library – Copyright, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act for Print and Electronic
Resources
Sponsor: Dean of Innovative Education/CIO
Category: General Administrative Services—Library
Effective Date: May 12, 2015 (New)
Review: May, E2Y
Next Review: May 12, 2017
Policy Locations: Student Handbook, Faculty Handbook, LETU Website
Contact: [email protected]
Objective of Policy
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidance regarding the use and distribution of
copyrighted materials under fair use standards and the TEACH Act. Copyrighted
materials can be used for educational purposes under “fair use” principles and the
TEACH Act. Section 107 of the United States Government Copyright Act provides
guidelines on fair use principles for educators, scholars, and students who use and
reproduce copyrighted material without the need to get written permission. This law
governs print and electronic material. For full text of U.S. Copyright Law,
see http://www.loc.gov/copyright/title17/. A no-cost Fair Use evaluation tool can be
found at http://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/.
On November 2, 2002, the "Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act"
(TEACH Act), part of the Justice Reauthorization legislation (H.R. 2215), was signed
into law by President Bush. This Act revised Section 110(2) and 112 of the U.S.
Copyright Law governing the conditions under which accredited, nonprofit educational
institutions in the U.S. may use copyrighted materials without permission from the
copyright owner and without payment of royalties.
Policy
Copyright and Fair Use
When copyrighted material is used without written permission for educational purposes,
the user must always ensure the material is properly cited before it is distributed to
students.
There are four factors that govern “fair use.” Fair use:

Applies when the use of the material is for an educational purpose only (it cannot be for
profit).
Course Writing Guide – Page 24



Applies when the material was created for the purpose of criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.
Will not have an effect on the potential fair market value of the copyrighted work.
Applies if amount of the material used is insubstantial compared to the length of the
copyrighted work. Fair use is usually a short excerpt; in addition, the material must be
properly cited.
An excerpt of no more than two pages or 10% of a work (whichever is less) is the rule
for the use of special works (U.S. Copyright Office, 2009, p. 6). To qualify for fair use,
the tests for brevity (how much you can copy) and spontaneity (how many times you
can use it) must apply.
Using something repeatedly over multiple semesters is not considered fair use. If an
excerpted material is going to be used multiple semesters, the professor should obtain
permission from the copyright holder as soon as feasible.
In general the following might be used under fair use for a limited time:




A chapter from a book (never the entire book)
An article from a periodical or newspaper
A short story, essay, or poem* (only one work each from an anthology or individual work)
A chart, picture, or diagram from a book
*Poetry must consist of 250 words or less or a maximum of 250 words from a larger
poem. Prose must be 2,500 words or less.
The following does not qualify as fair use:




Making multiple copies of different works that substitute for the purchase of books or
periodicals
Copying and using the same work from semester to semester
Copying and using the same material from several different courses
Copying more than 9 times in a single semester (U.S. Copyright Office, 2009, p. 7)
TEACH Act Guidance for Copyrighted Materials on a Learning Management System
If instructors and/or institutions wish to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the
TEACH Act for using copyrighted materials on a Learning Management System (LMS), they
must reasonably:





Limit access to copyrighted works to students currently enrolled in the class;
Limit access only for the time needed to complete the class session or course;
Inform instructors, students, and staff of copyright laws and policies;
Prevent further copying or redistribution of copyrighted works; and
Not interfere with copy protection mechanisms.
Use of copyrighted materials must be under the supervision of an instructor. LMS courses
provide a course context in which the role of the instructor and the instructor's control over the
materials are clearly defined.
 Only students enrolled in the course should have access to the copyrighted materials;
the instructor must ensure that copyrighted materials are available only to students
enrolled in the course.
Course Writing Guide – Page 25



The copyrighted materials must not be available to students after the class session or
course is complete.
The copyrighted materials must not be copied and redistributed to others.
Instructors must provide a warning in the description of the content that notifies students
that copying and redistributing these materials is a breach of copyright law.
If instructors use materials in their online courses and “fair use” or the “TEACH Act” does not
apply, they are responsible for obtaining copyright permission and paying royalties.
Public Domain Materials
Public domain materials may be used freely by anyone for any purpose without
obtaining copyright permission. Public domain materials are materials where the
copyright is not owned. This can be because 1) the copyright period has expired or 2)
the material was never copyrighted.
All works created by the U.S. Government and their employees are in the public domain
from the moment they are created. In the U.S., public domain can only be assured if the
work was published more than 95 years ago (if published before 1978) or 70 years from
the author’s death (if published in or after 1978). In addition, it is possible for a work to
be public domain in one country and copyrighted in another.
Although newer works also may be in the public domain, the user must ensure that it is
not copyrighted. Use of public domain materials can still raise problems concerning
trademarks, rights of publicity, and related rights in individuals portrayed in the material.
For educational purposes, public domain material must still be properly cited.
Reserve Room and Learning Management System
All materials placed in the reserve room or on the LMS must follow copyright rules.
Policy Review and Updates
Attendant procedures related to this policy include a formal review and recommendation
from the Learning Resource Committee (LRC) to the sponsor and senior reviewer. The
LRC’s recommendation must take place prior to the sponsor submitting the policy draft
to the Cabinet agenda for policy review and approval.
Certification Statement
This policy has been approved by the following and represents LeTourneau University
policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.
President and Cabinet
The following individual is the policy’s Senior Reviewer and is responsible for being the
most knowledgeable about the policy, as well as supporting the execution of the policy.
Director of Margaret Estes Library
Course Writing Guide – Page 26
Policy History
Approved as a New Policy, 12 May 2015
Course Writing Guide – Page 27
Appendix B
Respondus Formatting
Respondus is a tool we use at LeTourneau University to import questions from a Word
document (or other text file) into our LMS. Rather than manually entering each question
into the LMS, we use this tool. Respondus can be quite particular in how we format our
questions before it will process them. Please review the following examples when
submitting question pools.
It is imperative that you include the “Type: ” statements for questions other than singleanswer multiple-choice or True/False. Without it, Respondus will assume it is a
malformed multiple-choice. “Type:” should appear on the line before the question
number and question text. Answers should appear immediately after the question line.
You must include an asterisk before the correct answer choice with no space
after the asterisk.
You must include a space after the number of the question.
Please separate test pools by document.
No more than one occurrence of a number should appear within a single
document.
(For example, if you have a 1. from Chapter 1 and a 1. From Chapter 2, you will either
need to split the test pool into separate documents or renumber the questions.)
The formatting seems picky and unforgiving, but this is due to the way Respondus
handles the automatic processing.
MS Word users: you will also need to ensure automatic numbers and automatic letters
are turned off, or ensure that Word does not perform this action for you. Word 2007 and
2010 users may follow this guide from Microsoft. Disabling this feature can vary from
one version of Office to the next, so contact IT for assistance.
You may submit your files as .doc, .docx, .txt, or .rtf formats.
Single-answer, multiple choice.
1. What color is grass?
a. orange
*b. green
c. purple
d. pink
Multiple-answer, multiple-choice
You must include the Type: MA line for the system to process as a multiple answer.
Denote the correct answers with a *.
Type: MA
2. Which of the following are cities in East Texas?
*a. Nacogdoches
Course Writing Guide – Page 28
*b. Tyler
c. Ft. Stockton
*d. Longview
True False
The TRUE must always be the first option with FALSE as the second. Denote the
correct answer with a *.
3. The R. in R. G. LeTourneau stands for Rudolph.
a. True
*b. False
Essay
You must include the Type: E line for the system to process as an essay question.
There is no automatic processing for essay questions. The answer field does not need
to be fully completed, but Respondus will expect some answer field to process, so “a.
This is the answer” would suffice.
Type: E
4. Explain the water cycle.
a. This is the answer.
Fill-in-the-blank
You must include the Type: F line for the system to process as a fill in the blank. Use
the _ characters to denote the blank. All possible correct answers follow with a,b,c
order.
Type: F
5. ________ invented the radio and brought it to popularity.
a. Guglielmo Marconi
b. Nikola Tesla
Matching
You must include the Type: MT line for the system to process as a matching question.
The left side is as presented to the student, the right side are the options with the
correct matches, denoted with the = between them, no space.
Type: MT
6. Match the chemical element with its atomic number.
a. Ge=32
b. O=8
c. B=5
d. Es=99
e. Rn=86
Course Writing Guide – Page 29
Appendix C
Test Proctoring
In some cases, faculty may opt not to deliver an important test (such as a final exam) online utilizing the
normal mechanisms that are used to ensure academic integrity such as time limits, varying questions and
written responses. If this is the case, the students can be required to obtain a proctor. A proctor is a
person who can provide direct oversight for a student taking a test. The proctor will sign an attestation
form certifying the student has not cheated on the exam and that the exam was taken in his/her presence
within the allotted time.
There are three methods of proctoring that can be used for a course: 1) a physical proctor, 2) a
proctoring center or 3) virtual proctoring
Physical Proctor
Students can find proctors at testing centers, universities and libraries. These options are preferred;
however a proctor can also be a professional such as a teacher, supervisor or a pastor. Friends, family
members and co-workers should not be used as proctors.
If this method is desired, the faculty member will notify the mechanism he/she wishes to use to gather
proctor information at the beginning of the course. This can be a proctor information form, response to a
discussion post or an email with a due date noted. Faculty who wish to use proctors should gather the
following information: proctor’s name, position or professional capacity, mailing address, telephone
number and email. When the professor sends the exam to the proctor, he/she must also include an
attestation form is signed and dated by both the proctor and the student. The proctor must certify he/she
directly observed the student taking the test. Both the student and the proctor certify only the allotted
time was allowed for the exam. This proctor will return this attestation form with the student’s completed
test to the professor.
Proctoring Center
There is a proctoring center in the Margaret Estes library. Proctoring can be scheduled through library
staff and is available Monday through Friday from 8-5.
Virtual Proctoring
The Panopto Video Capture system now has the capability to be used as a virtual proctor. Students can
sign up for an account on Panopto and can then be recorded while they are taking a test. If you wish to
use this option in your course, please contact the CDT department.
Course Writing Guide – Page 30
Appendix D
Guidance For Video In Course Writing
Video can and should be incorporated when courses are written. Multi-media assists in
meeting the needs of auditory learners since online courses are primarily text-based.
When creating video, the following guidance needs to be kept in mind:
1. The course writer is creating a master course that will be taught by multiple faculty.
Video in master courses cannot be instructor-specific; it must be general to be used by
every instructor
2. Video in online courses should never exceed 5-10 minutes per clip. Students tend to
ignore or fast forward through long video clips.
3. Video should not be overused. Video is best used to reinforce major concepts or to
provide specific guidance (such as in solving a math or science problem).
4. Video created by others can be included in online courses; however, the course
writer must ensure copyright is not being violated.
5. The video should be enjoyable to watch. Students tend to enjoy video that has a
voiceover where they are shown how to do something or shown pictorials rather than
“talking head” videos. This is particularly important since the video will be used by
multiple instructors.
6. Start out the video by stating the purpose; viewers want an overview of what they will
be seeing and hearing.
7. Consider the audience. The audience for the video will be adult learners as well as
traditional college students.
8. Videos should have a standard naming convention so students know what they are.
For Example, MEDU5513_Video_1
9. Use clear and concise language in the video and stay focused on the topic at hand.
Use a script if necessary.
10. Record the video in a quiet setting to minimize background noise and ensure there
is proper lighting.
11. Do NOT use learning management-specific language (such as Blackboard or
Canvas) because this causes obsolescence when systems change. This applies to
other technologies such as conferencing programs (Adobe Connect, etc.)
Course Writing Guide – Page 31
12. Do NOT refer to yourself as the instructor in the video since you will not be the only
one teaching the course. Refer to yourself (if absolutely necessary) as the course writer
or creator.
13. Do NOT refer to specific elements of course design such as unit, week, etc. These
can change. Use a generic term like (further on in this course we will discuss…etc.).
Course Writing Guide – Page 32
Appendix E
Test Pools
Many publisher test pools are very extensive and may be comprised of even hundreds
of questions of different types. Some of these questions are very detailed because
writers have to create so many questions for one individual chapter. If open test pools
are used, this can result in some students being tested on minutiae rather than the
critical concepts the instructor wants them to learn. Also, tests can be generated where
one student gets all essay questions while another gets multiple choice questions only,
yet both have the same test time limit. In addition, some questions on publisher test
pools have errors which can cause problems in the testing process.
For this reason, a best practice when using test pools in course creation is for the
course writer to evaluate the test pool questions to select the ones that are related to
the course objectives. For example, if the course writer wants to give a 20-question
chapter quiz, then the test pool for this test should be no larger 2-3 times the size of the
quiz, which in this case would be 40 to 60 questions.
There may be cases where even 2-3 times the total number of questions will result in
some students being tested on detailed facts that are not truly critical to the learning
process depending on how the test pools have been created. If this is the case, the
best solution is for the writer to create the test (which can include test pool questions as
well as questions created by the instructor). The course writer should submit the test
via a word document formatted for Respondus (as indicated in Appendix B). It may also
be a good idea to create an alternate version for students who are unable to take tests
or quizzes at the same time as the rest of the class due to illness, etc. This can be
provided in the faculty guide that is submitted.
The Curriculum Department will not accept a blanket test pool from a course writer that
has not been evaluated by the course writer. This is to ensure the assessment is of the
highest quality and matched to the taxonomy of the course objectives.