The Academic Center for Learning and Teaching (ACLT) at the Libyan International University (LIMU) organized a specialized workshop titled “Course Design: Foundations for Constructive Alignment and Quality Teaching” for faculty members and academic staff on 18 November 2025.
The workshop addressed a core priority in higher education: designing courses that are aligned, transparent, and capable of driving meaningful student learning. Course design is a foundational step in the educational process, ensuring that teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessments are deliberately aligned with intended learning outcomes. When implemented effectively, it mitigates content-heavy instruction, enhances engagement, and promotes high-quality learning experiences.
Participants explored how structured course design supports equitable and transparent evaluation processes, ensuring that students are assessed based on clearly defined objectives and the content actually taught. The workshop also emphasized the importance of designing courses that accommodate diverse learning preferences—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic—while maintaining adherence to international and national quality standards such as WFME, the Bologna Process, NARS, and the requirements of the Libyan National Center for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Educational and Training Institutions (NCQAAETI).
During the session, attendees examined best practices in creating coherent, scholarly, and pedagogically sound course structures. Discussions highlighted how well-designed courses enhance student motivation, improve accreditation readiness, and support faculty development by offering a clear framework for instructional strategies, assessment methods, and task planning.
The main objectives of the workshop included:
– Applying the Backward Design Approach:
Participants learned to follow the backward design sequence to design or redesign courses by first identifying outcomes, then aligning assessments and teaching strategies accordingly.
– Writing Measurable Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
Faculty practiced drafting clear, precise, and measurable learning outcomes using Bloom’s taxonomy verbs to ensure clarity and assessability.
– Building Constructive Alignment Matrices:
Attendees created alignment charts that link ILOs with assessment methods and learning activities, reinforcing the principle that all course components must support one another.
– Developing Lightweight Assessment Blueprints:
The workshop guided participants in constructing basic assessment plans outlining assessment types, criteria, weighting, and timing across the semester.
– Designing a Multi-Week Teaching/Learning Plan:
Participants sketched teaching plans covering 4–6 weeks, including a concise, single-page syllabus that communicates essential course information with clarity and transparency.
By the end of the workshop, attendees were equipped with practical tools and evidence-based strategies to design courses that foster active learning, transparent assessment, and academic rigor. The session reinforced LIMU’s commitment to supporting faculty excellence, enhancing instructional quality, and promoting continuous improvement in teaching and learning practices.
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