Accelerated Course Design for Educators

When redesigning a course for an accelerated format, faculty should first consider how to reorganize the content and plan to fit the shorter timeline. Focusing on the essential topics and course requirements is a critical part of this process. One approach is to classify the requisite course concepts into three key areas:

• “Must know” – prerequisite ideas. 
  • These are the objectives that are necessary for understanding the concept and determining rapid acceleration or remediation.
• “Need to know” – less critical concepts to understand now but must know later. 
  • This is de-emphasizing less imperative knowledge and skills without placing the learner in immediate jeopardy.
• “Nice to know” – can be viewed as a lower priority without jeopardizing baseline knowledge. 
  • This is usually information that adds substance, breadth, or interest to a subject or a skill. 

Creating an accelerated course outline highlights thematic similarities, identifies redundancies, and ensures alignment of activities and assessments with course objectives. Collaborate with an instructional designer to gain valuable insights during this planning phase.

Once the course outline is established, the next steps are to begin the course redesign. There are multiple aspects to the redesign that are important to consider.

Capitalizing on the positive aspects of a condensed time frame can help faculty to re-evaluate the types of assessments offered and identify the use of engaging course tools. While you may have developed a course outline and suggested thematic patterns, the ability to consider the accelerated session from alternative viewpoints is helpful to generating new ideas. 

For instance, if a traditional course is “slow”, but an accelerated course is “fast”, how can this difference in speed provide agility in the course design? If this course in its traditional format is “large”, but the accelerated session will have a “small” enrollment, how could the difference in size help determine the types of activities or the tools of engagement selected? This may help in reconfiguring assignments for a smooth fit into the condensed format. 

In alignment with the “must know” prerequisite ideas discussed in Planning Accelerated Courses, the Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Indiana University Bloomington makes this suggestion:

“Create a succinct list of the key concepts or big ideas of the course and refer back to it often. If possible, make it a graphic, concept map, schematic, or other visual representation. Post it prominently in the course [LMS] site, and refer to it in lectures, activities, and assignments throughout the course. This will help students consolidate their learning.”

The use of active learning strategies aligns well with the course goals and content, enhancing the student experience and building upon their existing knowledge. Active learning strategies promote increased student learning though engagement in meaningful activities and increased student responsibility for their learning. 

The actual strategies selected can move from simple to more complex, e.g., Think-Pair-Share to Jigsaw Discussion.

Using a Course Map can assist in aligning course objectives, content pages, and activities, ensuring the redesigned course maintains coherence and rigor.

With thoughtful planning and well-organized resources like student support resources or FAQ pages, both faculty and students can thrive in an accelerated learning environment.

Delivering an accelerated course requires a focus on efficiency, engagement, and student support. Revised for the online environment from Montana State University, below are some key strategies to consider for course delivery:

• Design a Relaxed Learning Environment – Foster a sense of community through discussions, reflection, and other active learning activities to enhance critical thinking.
• Provide Reading and Study Guides to Support Student Learning – Offer tools like outlines, discussion questions, or group shared reading responsibilities to help students focus on key concepts in the course.
• Set Clear Expectations – Ensure students understand the work required outside the classroom, especially in accelerated blended formats
• Increase Assessment Frequency – Incorporate low-stakes, frequent (quizzes, polls, or surveys) to improve learning outcomes without increasing student anxiety.
• Provide Regular, Frequent, and Personalized Feedback – Research has shown that feedback leads to more engaged students and increases in intrinsic motivation, enjoyment of their work, and a sense of self-efficacy.  Timely, personalized feedback helps students stay on track and builds motivation.
• Coach Students – Use announcements, data analytics, and grade book alerts to help students manage the course’s intensity.
• Be More Available to Students – The intensity of the accelerated format makes it necessary for faculty to quickly address student questions about course content, so they do not fall behind. It also helps to diminish stress if students are aware of your involvement and availability to them. Since the accelerated formats move quickly, faculty should be aware of the need for increased student support. Faculty availability is an important factor to consider and some of this can be offered within the course itself through various study guides, discussion questions, and clear and concise course content pages. Online office hours or chats could also be offered within a consistent schedule and noted on course calendars.