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Most educators in higher education will find themselves at one point or another involved in the process of course design. Designing Courses for Higher Education (Buckingham, UK: Open University Press, 1999) by Susan Toohey is an essential resource for educators to consult when making fundamental decisions before the beginning of a new course. The book covers key aspects of course design and implementation. Throughout the ten chapters, Toohey writes in a clear, practical manner while including examples of research, philosophical views, interviews, short cases, and models to illustrate the course design process in action.
In the first chapter, Toohey cites a variety of reasons for change in course design and suggests that an understanding of effective learning is basic to designing a course. Biggs's SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) taxonomy and work on deep and surface learning are highlighted. The rest of the chapter discusses designing courses around a deep approach to learning.
Chapter 2 presents a course design overview that is divided into two stages: (a) determining the framework and the people involved in the development, and (b) developing a single unit or groups of units by individuals or teams. Two central questions that should be considered throughout the design process are pinpointed: "What is most important for the student to know?" and "What are the best ways for the student to learn it?" Reference to Fullan's work on the success factors of curriculum change and suggestions for handling issues encountered during the design process are features...