ON DEMAND: Course Coordination: Balancing Instructor Autonomy & Content Standardization Across Multiple Sections

Abstract

Being a course coordinator comes with many responsibilities including ensuring content consistency, defining learning objectives, establishing competency benchmarks, assuring instructor leeway, and preparing for seamless continuity during instructor absences / disasters across all sections. Ensuring content consistency is important so that any student taking the course will receive at a minimum the baseline knowledge. To ensure content consistency, we'll look at the Master Syllabus and the Baseline Lecture Content. Defining learning objectives and establishing competency benchmarks are also important so that students passing through the course are measured consistently, similarly, and fairly - across different sections. To ensure this, we'll look at common assignment requirements and exams. To assure instructor leeway, we'll look at how the course coordinator can encourage instructors and adjuncts to add their spin, knowledge, and experience to their specific sections - all while maintaining and delivering the baseline content for consistency and standardization. And finally, we'll look at the benefits of effective course coordination which can ensure seamless course continuity during times of disaster like COVID-19 and when instructors call in sick.