What is instructional planning?

Many consider teaching to be an art, and while this may be so, it should also be grounded in evidence-based approaches in order to ensure student success.

Instructional planning is not just about planning in-class lessons; it includes the architecture of your entire course – the instruction and practice you need to provide, the work students need to do in and out of class, and the blueprint for how it all fits together. The planning of instruction is the link between learning outcomes and assessment of learning, which makes it an integral part of course alignment.

Careful instructional planning will support students as they acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes articulated in your learning outcomes, while your assessments will help demonstrate what they have learned successfully and potentially how well they have mastered it.