Case studies · College teaching
Redesigning a course as a blended format
Making sure students know how to intervene in a crisis, not just describe it, in person as well as remotely.
The challenge
The course relied on lectures and a final exam. Students mastered the theory but struggled to apply an intervention protocol under pressure during their internships. The shift to remote teaching in 2020 made the redesign urgent.
The approach
- Analysis. Ministry program specifications and target competencies, internship supervisors' feedback on common mistakes, survey of previous cohorts.
- Design. Objectives rewritten with observable verbs (Bloom's taxonomy), each objective linked to an activity and an assessment. Flipped classroom: theory in capsules, class time for practice.
- Development. 10 capsules and guided readings, 6 progressive case studies drawn from anonymized real situations, small-group role plays and an observation grid for peer feedback.
- Assessment. The single exam replaced with continuous assessment: recorded simulations, a reflective journal and a final practical exam, with rubrics shared from day one.
- Continuous improvement. Adjustments every term based on results and feedback.
Before and after
| Element | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Theory | Lectures in class | Capsules and guided readings, at one's own pace |
| Class time | Listening | Simulations, role plays, peer feedback |
| Objectives | Written as content to cover | Written as observable behaviours |
| Assessment | One written final exam | Recorded simulations, reflective journal, practical exam |
| Mode | In person only | In person, remote or blended |
Results
- Pass rate: from 82% to 91%
- Internship supervisors: students more structured and more confident in interventions
- Approach adopted by 2 colleagues in the department
What this project shows
I can modernize existing training without losing its rigour, which is the most common contract in the workplace. I design assessments that measure competence in action, not memorization. And I have already moved a course from in-person to blended, under time pressure.
Do you have training to design or modernize?
Let's talk about your project for 20 minutes. You'll leave with a first idea, whether we work together or not.