Article: Choosing Appropriate Instructional Content for a Course

Choosing appropriate instructional content for a course can be a complex and time-consuming task. For many subject areas, there are far more potential instructional materials that could, or should, be part of what a course will include. Because we recognize this challenge, we are providing some useful tips that can help to narrow down and select the appropriate instructional materials for any course.  

The first and, arguably, most important consideration is the learning objectives that have been stated for the course.  Learning objectives should clarify the exact skills and knowledge a learner will achieve by the end of a module or course. If they are written clearly and in measurable terms, they will help to identify the corresponding learning content that will be needed by students to achieve the objectives. The way instructional materials contribute to the achievement of learning objectives is one of the elements that Quality Matters (2020), for example, looks for when determining proper alignment within a course. Once the objectives are identified, instructional content to support each objective can then be selected.  

Learners in a course should have a clear understanding of how the learning materials support the objectives, along with what content supports which objective (Quality Matters, 2020). This can be done in several ways. A brief explanation can be added to the syllabus or module in the appropriate places. Communicate to learners how a specific resource will be used to complete a learning activity or assessment. A numbering system or course map can also be used to notate which materials align with which objectives. Students could also benefit from verbal communication that communicates the alignment.  

Instructional materials should also be up to date (Quality Matters, 2020). While it is not arguable that certain older texts and resources are important in establishing seminal and hallmark ideas, theories, and standards in any discipline, these should not be the only materials presented. It is important to also provide more recent ideas and research to students. It is important for an education major, for example, to study Gagne’s work, but also to stay current on what was learned about distance education during the pandemic. Instructors should stay up to date on developments in their respective fields and offer students current instructional content. 

A Checklist for Instructional Materials - Aligns with learning objectives - Is up-to-date - Offers variety - Is just enough... but not too much - Is accessible and inclusive - Models integrityCourses should offer a variety of instructional materials (Quality Matters, 2020). This may include textbooks and publications, but can also include websites, instructor-created resources, and multimedia presentations. While video is often useful, multimedia can also include audio formats such as podcasts or other visual aids such as infographics and charts. Research shows that students learn better from words and pictures than from words alone (Mayer, 2017). Including interactive learning materials will allow students the opportunity to engage with the content. When it comes to online learning especially, engagement is crucial for student learning and satisfaction and therefore it is important to create opportunities for students to engage with the material (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). Including these additional formats will help to present the content in a variety of ways to make the material engaging as well as interesting to students. They will also stimulate and access both visual and auditory learning. Interactive learning materials will promote active and experiential learning.  

A good principle is to not overload students with too many instructional materials. While it may be tempting to include additional valuable resources, overburdening students with too much material may have a negative effect.  Each learning objective should have supporting instructional materials, but not more than is needed to support the learning for the objectives. If additional materials may be helpful to students, they can be added in a section labeled “supplemental” or “additional” resources.  

Instructional materials should also be analyzed for accessibility and inclusiveness (Quality Matters, 2020). All learners have a right to access learning materials in a course. Texts should be formatted so that they can be read by screen readers, for example. If instructional materials include multimedia resources, they should include the appropriate alt tags or descriptions. Audio material should include an accurate transcript. Text should be easily legible in terms of fonts and color contrasts. Finances may also limit accessibility for some students. When it comes to textbooks, Open Educational Resources (OER) or online texts available through the library may be options to consider. Learning materials should also strive to be representative of the learning community. Images, for example, should reflect diversity. Texts should be presented from a diverse set of authors as well so that multiple perspectives can be represented. One study found, for example, that in looking at three major U.S. journalism programs, 20% of the syllabi analyzed included no women authors (Heckman & Homan, 2020). If students feel included and see themselves reflected in course materials, they will feel more connected to the content they are learning.  

Finally, academic integrity should be modeled in the presentation of instructional materials (Quality Matters, 2020). Appropriate citations and credit should accompany all learning materials. This includes images, audio presentations, videos, websites, texts, etc. This serves to model best practices to students who are also expected to give appropriate credit when submitting assignments and assessments. Faculty should hold themselves to the same academic honesty standards that they expect from their students (McCabe & Pavela, 2004). 

These tips will help you narrow down and choose appropriate instructional materials for a course, as well as ensure that they are presented in the most beneficial way for students. If they are followed, students will have the resources they need to be able to accomplish the stated learning objectives in a course or module. They will also, hopefully, find the materials engaging, interesting, and accessible so that they can be excited and motivated to learn. If they are motivated and engaged, they will be more successful when it comes to achieving the learning outcomes in your course.  

 

References 

Heckman, M., & Homan, M. (2020). The syllabus is a boys’ club: The paucity of woman authors in journalism course materials. https://aejmc.us/spig/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/11/TJMC-Heckman-Homan-Syllabus-Boys-Club.pdf 

Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v22i1.1092 

Mayer, R. E. (2017). Using multimedia for e-learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12197 

McCabe, D. L., & Pavela, G. (2004). Ten (updated) principles of academic integrity: How faculty can foster student honesty. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 36(3), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380409605574 

Quality Matters. (2020). Specific review standards from the QM higher education rubric, sixth edition general standards points specific review standards. https://www.qualitymatters.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/StandardsfromtheQMHigherEducationRubric.pdf