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In any effective design process, step one is to identify desired results. Unfortunately, we often get so caught up in planning assignments and making sure all the material gets covered that we lose sight of the "why" of the course.

Learning outcomes are similar to product specifications; they are critical to the design process. However, just as critical to the design process is the question about the purpose of a product; why is it needed? If you don't start with the purpose, it is easy to get distracted by specifications and overlook solutions that would better support the purpose. Some might say you can't see the forest through the trees.

During the workshop this week we will be using peer-to-peer interviews to tease out what you really need your course to do. Getting back to the root reasons for your course is hard - nearly impossible - to do by yourself. That's why we will be working together. Once you've articulated your main takeaways - meaning the things you really hope the students will retain - it will be easier to frame all of your course design choices. Keeping focused on your main takeaways will also help you resist designing the dreaded "Course-and-a-Half" that is caused by the tendency to stuff everything into an online format.