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Allison Sheffel
Academic Affairs Technician
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How to Create Learning Plans

Overview

Learning Plans outline the specific activities students will complete to meet the course competencies and learning objectives. It is most common to develop one learning plan per course competency, but sometimes multiple competencies are combined if the content is closely related. You may find it helpful to use the Learning Plan Worksheet.

Steps

1. Get a copy of the course outcome summary (COS) for your course. Accessing Course Outcome Summaries in WIDS can help you navigate and print a copy of your COS.
    
2. Review the competencies, learning objectives, assessment strategies, and performance standards.
    
3. Select a competency look at the first learning objective. Determine activity/activities learners will complete to learn this objective. Be sure to consider the learning environment.
    
4. Select learning activities for the remaining learning objectives for the competency.
    
5. Review your list of learning activities. Do they
   1. address every learning objective for the selected competency/competencies?
   2. work for the course delivery method?
   3. begin with action verbs directing learners to what they should do?
   4. actively engage and involve learners?
   5. address a variety of learning styles and/or multiple intelligences?
   6. consider Universal Design?
   7. include a variety of individual, small group, and large group activities?
   8. reflect respect for diversity and freedom from bias?
   9. help learners achieve the level of Bloom’s Taxonomy designated for the competency?

If you answered no to any of the questions above, you may want to add or select different learning activities to meet learner needs.

6. Consider the Learning Cycle. The learning activities above address the comprehension portion of the learning cycle. Select learning activities that address the other components of the learning cycle. The Learning Cycle Learning Activities from the WIDS learning activities lists may help you identify activities.
    
7. Review the practice activity/activities. Are there opportunities
   1. for learners to self-check their learning?
   2. for learners to receive feedback from peers and/or the instructor and improve their performance?
   3. for the instructor to check learning using CATs?

If you answered no to either of the questions above, you may want to add or select different learning activities to incorporate formative assessment strategies to improve learning.

8. Review the assessment activity/activities and compare to the assessment strategies and criteria on the COS for the competency.  The selected assessment strategy/strategies should align with the COS and be able to assess all of the criteria listed for the competency.
    
9. Write an introduction to your learning plan that explains why the competency (competencies) is important to learn, how the learning is beneficial, and summarizes the content. 
    
10. Title your plan.

Checklist

Learning Plans Should

For WIDS Users:

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