What do you most want your students to remember five years from now?
How do you decide what to keep or cut when designing a course?
What is it like to experience new teaching strategies as a student before using them yourself?
These are just a few of the big questions explored during the Center for Teaching’s (CFT) Course Design Institute, a five-day, in-person program for instructors looking to design or revise a course they teach. Through hands-on support, active learning, and collaboration with educational developers, campus partners, and colleagues from across disciplines, the institute offers a structured, student-centered approach to course design.
Since 2016, more than 150 instructors from 12 different colleges across campus have participated in the Course Design Institute. Faculty and staff participants describe leaving with well-aligned course plans, fresh perspectives, and renewed motivation.
What happened at the Course Design Institute this year?
The 2025 Course Design Institute took place from May 19–23 and included 18 instructors representing 14 departments across 6 colleges and units. Throughout the week, participants engaged in a student-centered, backward design process, beginning with identifying what they wanted students to remember long after the course ended, then aligning learning objectives, assignments, and activities to support those goals.
The institute featured a blend of interactive sessions, collaborative discussions, and dedicated work time, giving instructors the opportunity to:
- develop a well-aligned course plan
- reflect on their teaching values, goals, and impact
- experience learner-centered teaching strategies firsthand
- gain new insights through cross-disciplinary conversations
- increase awareness of campus teaching resources and support
- create a course design poster to organize and share their ideas
Throughout the week, participants grappled with big questions, like What do I most want students to remember five years from now? How do I make space for this learning? Through guided activities and peer conversations, they identified core disciplinary concepts and articulated clear, specific, and measurable learning objectives.
As part of the Course Design Institute, instructors stepped into the role of a student by experiencing active learning strategies firsthand. These experiences helped them better understand how students engage, reflect, and learn in collaborative environments, as well as how they might implement these in their own teaching.
Each instructor created a course design roadmap, which is a visual planning tool they refined throughout the week as they developed and organized their course ideas. These roadmaps were transformed into posters, which participants shared in a culminating public poster session. The showcase offered a space for cross-campus dialogue, allowing instructors to present their evolving course ideas and spark meaningful conversations about teaching and learning at UIowa.
Additionally, participants heard from campus partners on topics including AI, accessibility, instructional technology, institutional teaching priorities, and the new Framework for Teaching Assessment. We’re grateful to all of our campus partners who contributed their expertise to the Course Design Institute experience!
What did the participants have to say?
“I had no idea what I would get out of this workshop, and I got gold – that was pretty special. So thank you. I also did not appreciate how many resources were available to me through the Center for Teaching, and I am grateful I discovered this gem at the University of Iowa.”
- Martine Dunnwald, Research Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, 2025 Course Design Institute Participant
Post-event feedback showed that many instructors valued the clarity gained from intentionally aligning course components. By focusing on what matters most, such as clear learning objectives and supportive assignments, they felt more purposeful, less overwhelmed, and more confident in their course design.
Participants also valued the chance to connect with colleagues across campus. Through small group discussions and informal conversations, they exchanged ideas, gained new perspectives, and were reminded that they weren’t alone in navigating complex teaching decisions.
By the end of the week, participants didn’t just have course design plans; some also felt a renewed sense of energy. Taking time away from their usual routines to focus on thoughtful, student-centered teaching inspired a shared momentum.
What’s Next?
We want to close by expressing our immense gratitude to the faculty and staff who have participated in the Course Design Institute this year and in years past. Each year, the insights and ideas shared by participants inspire us as much as they enrich the experience.
Until the next Course Design Institute in the summer of 2026, CFT offers a variety of events, workshops, learning communities, and individual consultations to promote teaching excellence at UIowa. To explore course design in the meantime, visit our website for upcoming events, browse our Course Design Resources or Handbook for Teaching Excellence, or schedule an individual consultation with our team.