Format: Asynchronous Online Course (ungraded)

Lumen Learning Instructor:

Alyson Indrunas: indy@lumenlearning.com

Course Purpose

The purpose of this course is to build your familiarity and comfort using Waymaker courseware. We want all faculty and faculty support staff to understand the learning model that drives Waymaker and use those underlying principles to improve student learning and engagement. Another purpose of the course is to create opportunities for peer interaction and communities of practice that 1) help faculty use Waymaker effectively, and 2) drive improvements to Waymaker courses over time.

Course Learning Outcomes

Specific learning outcomes for this course include:

• Gain familiarity with the components, structures, and features of Waymaker courses
• Examine how assessments contribute to the learning experience in Waymaker
• Describe the learning model used to design Waymaker courses and why it may lead to improved student learning
• Understand the benefits of and apply Mastery Learning principles
• Define open educational resources and how they benefit the educational experience
• Identify and plan to apply strategies for personalized instruction
• Develop skills and understanding necessary to customize and configure Waymaker course content as it will be used at individual institutions
• Explain Waymaker’s continuous improvement process and the role community collaboration plays in this process

Course Format and Procedures

• This is an asynchronous online course. That means you can complete the course at your own pace over the two-week window when the course is running.

• The focus of this course is to familiarize you with the courseware, how it works, and how it can be customized and configured to fit institutional needs. It will be most effective if you work concurrently with the training course content and go hands-on into the courseware to see how it works for yourself.

• The course will provide opportunities to engage with peers participating in the pilot to share ideas, feedback, what’s working and how to address challenges. Please take advantage of these opportunities to surface questions and benefit from the share perspectives of your peers participating in the courseware pilot – as well as our knowledgeable instructors.

• We anticipate the course will take 1-3 hours to complete. Activities focus on equipping to you to teach with the courseware and shape it into the version you want to teach with this fall.

Required Course Materials

Materials required for this course are included in the digital course content. As noted above, we recommend that you go hands-on into your institution’s version of the course(s) as you progress through the material to improve your familiarity and understanding. With the exception of some videos as noted in the attributions, all training content consists of open educational resources (OER) and can therefore be reused, adapted and repurposed with proper attributions.

This course applies a similar structure and design approach as our Waymaker academic courses. Specifically:

• There is no separate textbook. Everything you need is here in your learning management system. No online access code is required.
• Learning outcomes are clear throughout the course. Learning activities are linked directly to something you need to know or do to succeed in this course.
• The more you use the course materials, the more instructors can help. When you participate, it provides information to help us help you succeed in the course.

This Waymaker course was created with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Next Generation Courseware Challenge.

How to Succeed in this Course

To take full advantage of the ways this course is different – and hopefully better – at helping you learn the subject matter effectively, you should do the following things:

1. DO pay attention to the learning outcomes listed in each module. The learning outcomes tell you exactly what you need to learn or do succeed. They are cues to help you focus your time and attention.
2. DO go through the course readings. Everything in the course is directly related to one or more specific learning outcomes. Going through the material will help you master the course content.
3. DO respond when we offer to help. The facilitator will be monitoring your performance, and from time to time she may reach out to you personally to offer help or encouragement. When you respond, we can work together to improve your understanding. And that’s the whole point of this course!
4. DO reach out when you need help. The facilitator is a resource for you in this course. Do not hesitate to reach out if you’re struggling. When you reach out, we can work together to keep you on track for success.
5. DO be respectful of others. As in any educational setting, we expect everyone in the course to be respectful of other people as well as their work. This applies in all interactions, online and/or in person.

Course Requirements

This course requires your participation in the following activities:

• Complete the readings in the eight required modules
• Submit to the Ask Lumen Learning Discussion forum when/if you have questions

Grading Procedures

Although we model select elements of the mastery design in this training, we will not assess your mastery of course content or assign grades. Points are not assigned to this course.

Accessibility and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In compliance with institutional policies and equal access laws, you can reach out to instructors at any time to discuss appropriate accommodations that may be required for learners with disabilities to help you succeed. Please make any requests for academic accommodations early in the term, so timely arrangements can be made. We will endeavor to accommodate.