2026 Summer Course Design Institute (CDI)

An opportunity for faculty and instructional staff of all departments to collaboratively revise and revitalize an existing course or design an entirely new course. Participants in the Course Design Institute (CDI) practice backward design, an educational planning framework described by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book Understanding By Design (1998, rev. eds. 2001 and 2005). Rather than beginning with content to be delivered or articles to be read, backward design “begins with the end in mind and designs toward that end” (Wiggins and McTighe, p. 338).

Monday, August 3 to Thursday, August 6, 2026 from 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. each day.

About the CDI

The Office of Educational Innovation and Assessment and the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning invited Lehigh faculty and instructional staff of all levels to join the 2026 OEIA/CITL Summer Course Design Institute (CDI). The institute will take place in the Clayton University Center Living Room Monday, August 3 to Thursday, August 6 from 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. each day.

The CDI creates a space for faculty and instructional staff of all departments to collaboratively revise and revitalize an existing course or design an entirely new course. Participants will practice backward design, an educational planning framework described by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book Understanding By Design (1998, rev. eds. 2001 and 2005). Rather than beginning with content to be delivered or articles to be read, backward design “begins with the end in mind and designs toward that end” (Wiggins and McTighe, p. 338).

  • On Monday (8/3), you will write Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for a course you will teach in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. 
  • On Tuesday, you will draft assignment instructions, assessments, and rubrics that contribute to your SLOs. 
  • On Wednesday, you will create a day by day schedule on Course Site with activities that culminate in assessments. 
  • On Thursday (8/6), you will revise your course design and present your work in progress to the group. 

The OEIA/CITL Summer Course Design Institute is built on a community of inquiry model and a series of big questions we will pursue over four days. Big questions include:

  • What are effective SLOs for my course and curriculum? Are those SLOs measurable?
  • How do I connect my SLOs to newly-designed assignments, assessments, and rubrics?
  • How does my course design change when I emphasize active learning and what students do in and outside of class?

A community of inquiry model means that a faculty member's experience in the CDI is most powerfully shaped by their collaboration with other peers in the institute. Each day will begin with a brief presentation from OEIA/CITL facilitators that sets a theme and structure for the day. Faculty will then work alone, in pairs, or in small groups on designated tasks throughout the morning and early afternoon. There will be time to think, write, receive peer feedback, and talk as a group. We will also take breaks to enjoy our beautiful Lehigh campus in the summertime!