How To Create a Course Curriculum In 9 Simple Steps

The following guide covers:

Course outline V.S. Curriculum

Step-by-step instructions for designing a course curriculum

Key considerations for creating a curriculum successfully

Summing it up 

In online education, you must create a riveting curriculum for a high-quality learning journey. It is one of the most challenging tasks for which educators seek solutions. 

Your course curriculum outlines the learning goals. It cultivates a well-rounded understanding of the subject matter. 

In this article, we’ll review the essentials of creating a course curriculum design. It will cover where to start and how to create a curriculum aligned with students' needs. To make sure you can design your curriculum without any challenges, we have asked course creator and curriculum designer Jessica Terzakis for tips. 

Course outline V.S. Curriculum. 

If you already started creating your online course you need both outline and curriculum. What’s the difference between the two? 

When saying online course outline, we usually mean the topic and resources that you are going to cover within each module. On the other hand, the curriculum sets the framework for the student's journey from enrolling to completing the course and beyond. 

The curriculum is more about the experience they have going through the course than just strictly like what my outline of my 5 to 7 topics is. When designing the curriculum, you should think about “How am I facilitating the learning experience?” 

Jessica Terzakis,

Course Creator, Curriculum Designer, Business Consultant

That is why, when working on the curriculum, you should pay attention to other aspects of student experience beyond your modules and the content you deliver. Start thinking from your students’ perspective. 

Once they enroll in your course, what is going to be the next step? For example, do they become part of your communities? Do they get opportunities to call you directly or get a private session? Do they get “homework” via any worksheets? If so, what are these worksheets like? 

Depending on what you have to offer you will have different components to include in your curriculum. Here is what Jessica Terzakis advises should go into the curriculum. 

“Your curriculum should include the communication around your course. It's the touch points they have with you as the course creator.  This curriculum varies from person to person, depending on what they want to experience and what they want their students to experience. It sounds something like: How are they going through the portal? How are they engaging with me? Are they engaging with their peers?”

Jessica Terzakis,

Course Creator, Curriculum Designer, Business Consultant

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It’s not mandatory to have both the outline and the curriculum for all of your courses. Yet, there are several reasons why you should design the curriculum.

• When you create your curriculum, you map the educational journey for your students.
• A well-thought-out curriculum manifests your expertise, passion for the subject matter, and commitment. This produces a conducive learning environment.
• This way, you can also tailor the learning experience of your course curriculum to ensure that each module is informative and provides value to your students.

Related: How to Create a Course Outline The Easiest Way With a Template

Step-by-step instructions for designing a course curriculum

To design an online course curriculum, you should first research your students’ pain points, define the outcomes of the course, identify your main topics, and think about the additional materials and resources the students need.

Each of the following steps is crucial in the curriculum development process. They will guide you through creating a curriculum that resonates with your students.

#1 Research your student needs

Before teaching students, you must investigate who they are, what they are interested in, and what problem they are seeking solutions for. This includes prior knowledge and the objectives they aspire to achieve. 

The better you know who your course is intended for, the easier it will be to create the curriculum. And if you think, “Oh, I know my audience; they are all video creators,” let’s say. Then, you need to go down deeper. Perhaps your students are teenagers who are willing to make a career out of video creation. 

“The more narrow the problem, the more specific the problem you solve, and the hungrier people are going to be when they sign up for your course.” 

 

Jessica Terzakis,

Course Creator, Curriculum Designer, Business Consultant 

You can use formal and informal assessments to garner insights into what your students seek to gain from your course. Surveys, tests, interviews, and quizzes are useful screeners.

You should use the assessment data when creating your course curriculum. For example, if an informal mathematics assessment shows students can't factor, you need to emphasize factoring in your curriculum. 

The more aligned your curriculum is with your student’s needs, the more successful your course will be. 

#2 Define the purpose and learning objectives

A compelling curriculum has clarity and articulates achievable learning objectives. You should establish your course's “why” and “what.” 

Begin by defining the purpose that propels your course curriculum forward. 

Is it to impart a new set of skills? To nurture a deeper understanding of a subject? Or to prepare your students for a specific professional undertaking?

To develop the learning outcomes, Jessica Terzakis uses the reverse-engineering strategy. It means you should start by identifying the desired learning outcomes and goals. Then, determine the assessments that will measure these outcomes. Finally, plan the instructional activities and materials needed to help students achieve these goals. This approach ensures that every part of the course is aligned with the end objectives. 

“I think about what I want my students to be able to do by the end of the course. And then I work backward. And that becomes my goalpost. It is my northern star. I work from that. And that's  the piece that you really have to be careful about because you got to think about, am I trying to have them do way too much in this?”

 

Jessica Terzakis,

Course Creator, Curriculum Designer, Business Consultant 

Your objective can be lesson-level, module-level, and course-level.   
 

Lesson: 

• At the lesson level, learning objectives focus on particular skills or knowledge areas. 
• They guide short-term student outcomes.
• Aimed at understanding individual concepts or mastering specific skills within a narrow scope. 

Examples include learning a particular formula, understanding a concept, or mastering a technique.

Module: 

• Section-level objectives are broader compared to lesson objectives. 
• They encompass a series of lessons. 
• Provide a more comprehensive understanding or skill development within a particular unit.

Objectives at this level include mastering skills and understanding of a topic.  
 

Course: 

• Course-level objectives encompass the overarching goals of the entire course.
• They guide long-term student outcomes.
• Aim to provide a holistic understanding of a subject or the mastery of a complex skill set.

Your learning objectives should be precise, measurable, and aligned with desired learning outcomes. 

 A rubric is a fantastic tool to outline the expectations for each learning objective. 

To create a rubric, you make a simple table. The columns represent the level of competency. The rows represent the area of competency. Both students and teachers can use a rubric to align with the learning objectives.  
 

#3 Outline the topics and sections 

A well-crafted outline breaks down learning objectives into digestible topics and sections. These are used to construct your course curriculum. It serves as the skeleton of your course.

Start by listing the core topics needed to achieve the desired learning outcomes. Each topic should have a section with a clear learning objective. The objective acts as a guiding light for you and your students.

As you structure the sections, ensure a logical flow from one topic to the next. This creates a coherent narrative that builds upon previous knowledge. 

Within each section, you will break down the core topic into lessons. Lessons focus on smaller knowledge areas that support the learning of the topic. And here is where most course creators make a mistake, as they try to cover anything possible within each episode. When breaking down the course, your goal is to be as specific as possible.

“Do not give everything away․  It always backfires. This is when your students disengage, they get overwhelmed, they don't follow through. So, ultimately, they don't stick around.”

 

Jessica Terzakis,

Course Creator, Curriculum Designer, Business Consultant 

For example, if you were to create an SEO Audit course, these may be the list of topics you want to cover. 

SEO Audit Course

 Section 1 - Technical SEO

• Lesson 1.1 - XML Sitemap
• Lesson 1.2 - Site Speed
• Lesson 1.3 - Mobile Optimization

Section 2 - Onpage SEO

• Lesson 2.1- Page Titles 
• Lesson 2.2 - Meta Descriptions
• Lesson 2.3 - Thin Content 

Section 3 - Offpage SEO

• Lesson 3.1 - Domain Authority 
• Lesson 3.2 - Getting Backlinks 

#4 Create and gather the resources

It's also important to consider the materials and resources supporting the learning process. And also look at the main channels and resources you will need beyond the learning process. 

You can incorporate a variety of digital resources, such as:

• Interactive tutorials
• Newspaper articles 
• Short and long-form videos
• Academic articles
• Online learning games
• Music (especially useful for language learning) 
• Additional guides

These enrich the learning environment, providing many avenues for students to learn and engage. They also reinforce key concepts, provide practical applications, and enhance retention.

As you outline each topic and section, envisage the resources that best support the learning objectives. Use various kinds of learning resources. Doing this hits students' brain centers in different areas for better retention. 

Once you have these resources ready, think about what touchpoints your students will have with you. Will they be joining on video calls for private discussions? If so, how often? How will your students receive the additional materials? Can they interact with other students?

#5 Decide on the assessment methods

Assessments reflect both the learners' understanding and the effectiveness of your teaching methods.

Focus on crafting assessments that align with your course curriculum learning outcomes. 

“Ensuring your assessments match your learning goals is really important for online courses. It means that the tests and assignments actually measure the skills and knowledge you want students to gain. This makes it clear for students why they're doing certain assessments and how it all adds up to their overall learning. Plus, it helps teachers see if their teaching methods are working well and gives them insights to make the course even better next time”. 

Samantha Becker,

K-12 Curriculum and Project manager 

You can incorporate a mix of: 

• Formative assessments, such as quizzes and projects. 

Formative assessments help gauge the learning process in real-time. This allows for timely feedback and adjustments to the teaching approach if necessary.

• Summative assessments, like exams.  

Summative assessments test if learning objectives are met after a unit or course. They include essays, exams, self-assesments, exams, peer reviews, projects, etc. 

Remember that creating assessments for your course is not just about testing knowledge. It's about fostering a culture of continuous improvement & reflection. 

In other words, you need to guide your students to think critically. Ask questions that make them apply the knowledge in a specific situation. You can also ask more open-ended questions.  

#6 Set the timeline 

The pace at which you progress through the course impacts student outcomes. You want to ensure the pace is smooth enough to not overwhelm your students. 

 Understand your target audience, availability, and learning capabilities. It is crucial to set a timeline conducive to thoroughly understanding the material.

 Setting a timeline helps manage your students’ and your own expectations. Include an explicit schedule for lessons, assessments conducted, and objectives met.

• Start by identifying the final objectives and assessments, then work backward to schedule lessons that progressively build towards these goals. This approach ensures each lesson aligns with the end objectives and helps in pacing the content delivery effectively.
• The timeline should be flexible to accommodate unforeseen challenges. It should also allow adjustments based on students' real-time progress and feedback. This means you need to have some buffer room in your schedule.
• Integrate free slots or ‘buffer periods’ in the schedule at regular intervals. These can be used for additional explanations, revision sessions, or to cover any delays, ensuring the curriculum remains on track without overwhelming students. You should ensure that every topic is given the required time and attention. 

#7 Assemble everything

After planning and organizing, you must assemble everything in your course curriculum.

This phase is about combining and organizing all the elements you have crafted.

The whole process of curriculum development culminates at this stage. Each lesson, section, and resource finds its rightful place in the scheme.

Break down your course curriculum into sections and lessons, as mentioned in step 2. Once you have the course structure, pair the learning resources with the lectures. 

Assessments can be sprinkled in based on preference. 

• Include quizzes at the end of each lesson. 
• Use tests or presentations for each section and a final exam or paper to complete at the end of the course.

It’s about ensuring aseamless flow from one topic to the next. Ensure that the assessments need to align with the learning objectives. The resources should be positioned to support the learning process. 

#8 Get feedback 

One of the most potent sources of feedback is your students. Use such feedback to identify the strengths and areas of improvement for your course. 

Here are some techniques to gather student feedback: 

• Create surveys and questionnaires: Distribute anonymous surveys or questionnaires after key modules or lessons. Ask specific questions about the content, teaching methods, and overall learning experience. This allows students to provide honest feedback without concern for judgment. 
• Host interactive feedback sessions: Organize regular, informal group discussions or one-on-one sessions where students can share their thoughts and experiences. This direct interaction can yield more nuanced insights and encourage open communication. 
• Use digital feedback tools. For example, in-class polling, online forums, or course-specific apps. These tools can provide immediate and ongoing feedback. 

You can also participate in professional development workshops or educational conferences. This offers an opportunity to present course material to peers and receive diverse perspectives.  

#9 Get started with Uteach’s AI tools 

To make part of the process easier, Uteach offers AI tools for you to generate the topic, create the outline, and create course descriptions. 

All you need to do is type the general topic of your course, and you will get different online course ideas on the same topic. You can choose any idea you like, and the tool will then proceed to build the outline based on that topic. As the outline is ready, the tool can also generate your online course description. 

The results will serve as a starting point for you. You can, of course, customize and edit them. The greatest thing is the tool is technically free. 

Key considerations for creating a curriculum successfully 

Creating a course curriculum that fosters meaningful student learning and engagement is no small feat. 

Here are some tips that ensure your curriculum is well-rounded and beneficial:

• Curriculum Onboarding

Onboarding emails help with a smooth onboarding process into a course. They help students familiarize themselves with the course curriculum. Include an overview of the course structure and what students can expect to learn.

• Collaborate with Other Educators

Engaging with other educators brings diverse perspectives and new ideas to your curriculum. Collaboration can lead to sharing resources and feedback on your curriculum design. You can also exchange effective teaching strategies.

• Practical Application

Encourage students to apply what they’ve learned in practical, real-world scenarios. Including projects, case studies, and interactive activities enhance understanding and retention.

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Summing it up

Creating a course curriculum is more than an academic step. It's a chance to shape your learners' educational experiences and skill-acquisition journeys. 

Now, it’s your turn to channel this knowledge into creating your own course curriculum.

You can bring your course curriculum to life and organize your courses with the help of Uteach. Uteach allows educators to monetize their knowledge. We offer online courses, digital and physical products, live sessions, and coaching sessions.

Are you curious how to get started? Book your free demo and let the expert walk you through all the necessary steps.