---

Whether you’re creating online courses as a content creator, or in-person lesson plans and curriculum as a teacher, many of the same curriculum design principles apply.

Create a Plan

Creating an instructional plan is essential for organizing, guiding, and optimizing the teaching and learning process. It supports both teachers and students in achieving desired learning outcomes, managing time and resources effectively, and providing differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students.

Determine Your Learning Objectives

The most important part of creating a plan is determining your learning objectives. Many teachers balk at this because they’ve been to terrible PD sessions with too many buzz words. Just think of Learning Objectives as your GOALS for the course. What is it that you want students to learn, gain, or walk away with?

Keys to Engaging Design

Here are three of the most important elements of engaging design:

1. Small wins

Small wins are simple activities/challenges in your course that give your students a sense of accomplishment and confidence. They keep students excited about learning and refuel their motivation.

Include small wins throughout the course, and award your learners with badges and congratulatory pop-up messages every time they complete a challenge.

2. Scaffolding

Scaffolding is layering the learning experience, so students build on the concepts they already understand. Scaffolding requires that you gradually layer from simple concepts to more challenging ideas by telling students how this new information fits into what they already know. Keep in mind that scaffolding is an excellent way to prevent cognitive overload.

3. Active learning

It is not enough to include dozens of videos of yourself speaking into the camera or do a lot of screen recording. Learners must DO something to learn. Use quizzes, assignments, and interactive elements to transform learners from passive to active. Social activities like course discussions and live workshops are also incredibly effective and engaging.