Intel® Software Network

Course Design Document Template

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1.      Course Name

The expected or working name of the course or module.

2.      Writer

The names of the writers who are responsible for the course content

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3.      Targeted availability

Date of the expected availability of the materials for downloading

4.      Brief Course Description

A one or two paragraph description of the course itself

5.      Needs Analysis

The Needs Analysis is an upper level description of the business case which best informs the need for the described course or module.  Typically a Needs Analysis will contain a description of some current, imperfect condition and, a desired, yet as not attained more perfect condition. The difference between these two is the “need,” in the strictest definition of the world. (This section might fit well into any common “executive overview” of a course.)

6.      Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

This section lists out the SMEs who contributed materials, topics, review cycles, or good old fashioned editing to the course or module.

SMEs differentiate material that MUST be taught, that SHOULD be taught, and that COULD be taught. SMEs provide the essential core of learning objectives for any course or module.

Further, SMEs define what is necessary and sufficient to reach mastery of the material. They pinpoint deficiencies, they articulate the importance of any task or topic, and moreover, the can demonstrate mastery and coach any other performance to a mastery level.

7.      Learner Analysis

For Intel Software College course materials, there are two kinds of learners: the student, and the “train the trainer” attendee. This section of the design document covers both.

The characteristics of adult learners surely plays a role here, but more, every important detail of the target audience for the materials must be explicitly listed here including prerequisite kno wledge, skills and motivations.

The Learner Analysis informs every course or module detail that follows.

8.      Context Analysis

The purpose of a Context Analysis is to identify and describe the environmental factors that inform the design of this module.  Environmental factors include:

a.      Learning Activities

b.      Media Selection

c.      Participant Materials and Instructor Guides

d.      Packaging and production of training materials, and their mode of availability

e.      Training Schedule

Further, the role of the Context Analysis helps curriculum planners determine where new coursewares, objectives, and materials may intermix best with current class materials.

9.      Task Analysis

The Task Analysis (or Job Task Analysis) specifies the goals of the course or module in terms of tasks, and breaks those down into their subparts.  Tasks include new behaviors as well as sub-skills that the learner may already have mastery over.

Tasks are defined most often by observation, but, for cognitive tasks, their definition is highly reliant on SME input.

10.  Concept Analysis

The Concept Analysis is used to identify and clarify important concept definitions and to pinpoint in a systematic way examples of those concepts; and perhaps further to identify suggested exemplars (and nonexemplars) during instruction.

11.  Le arning Objectives

The Learning Objectives for the course or module are listed herein.

As is always the case with objectives, they must be attainable, realistic, specific, measurable, and testable.  They are routinely formed from the following domains and levels:

n       Cognitive: evaluation, synthesis, knowledge, application, comprehension, analysis

n       Affective: valuing, characterization, receiving, responding, organization

n       Psychomotor: production, formation, coordination, action

n       Interpersonal: summarizing, disagreeing, building and supporting, proposing, seeking information, giving information, etc.

12.  Criterion Items

The Criterion Items will match the final objectives of the course or module. A criterion item is an activity or question that requires the learner to show in a clear and direct way their attainment of that learning objective. During development of the course material, the Criterion items provide a great deal of focus for the writer. Note that Criterion items are written BEFORE the writing on the course materials begins.

13.  Expert Appraisal

The plan for getting expert opinion regarding the materials, from experts who were not functioning as SMEs for the development cycle, and as such may have alternative opinions about both the structure and the language of the content.

14.  Developmental Testing

Planned alpha and beta tests for the materials.

15.  Production

How and when the finished materials are made available.