Whether you're starting a course from scratch or revamping something you've taught many times before, careful planning is key to successful teaching. CRLT offers many resources to support U-M instructors in their course planning as the beginning of the semester draws near.

• The resources on this Course Design and Planning page focus on course design. Do you tend to begin your course planning by asking, "What material do I want to cover?" or "What do I want my students to learn?" Research shows that instructors best promote student learning when they start with the second question, organizing course content, class activities, and assignments around a clear set of learning objectives. The Course Design and Planning resources explain this research and walk you through the process of applying it to your courses.
• The resources on this Strategies for Effective Lesson Design page focus on preparing individual class meetings. This page outlines steps for developing learning objectives, structuring relevant learning activities, and checking student understanding along the way.  
• CRLT Consultations are available for U-M instructors at any point in the course planning process, whether you want to explore new approaches to teaching the subject matter, brainstorm about integrating technology into a course, or apply principles of course design.   

Even small changes can produce big impacts on student engagement and learning. And whether it's enhancing a key assignment, tweaking a class activity, or introducing active learning into one lecture session, a well-planned shift can also fuel your own excitement about the new semester.