Two Course (Re)Design participants discussing

Course (Re)Design Institute

Bringing instructors together to design or redesign a course 

Overview

The Course (Re)Design Institute is a 3-day intensive teaching program that is held the Tuesday to Thursday after graduation each year, meant to support instructors designing or redesigning a course. Through the institute, participants will: 

  • Join a community of Yale instructors and Poorvu Center staff for interactive workshops and structured work time
  • Explore pedagogical approaches aligned with teaching values and course goals
  • Become aware of Poorvu Center and university resources to support instructors and students

Course (Re)Design 2026 will be May 19-21. Register by April 17.

Melissa Scheve facilitating a session in Course (Re)Design with faculty at round tables
Register

Important Dates

Any Yale instructor of record is welcome to join. For new Yale College faculty, this counts toward the Faculty Teaching Academy.

  • Registration will be open until April 17
  • Pre-program consultations to meet facilitators and set goals for the institute will happen early to mid-May
  • Course (Re)Design Institute will be held May 19-21, 2026

Program Components

The Course (Re)Design Institute will consist of five core sessions, introducing pedagogical concepts and practices outlined below, followed by work time and a Yale Resource session in the afternoon each day. 

Course (Re)Design 2026 Schedule

Tuesday, May 20 Wednesday, May 21 Thursday, May 22
9:00am Breakfast 9:00am Breakfast 9:00am Breakfast
Core Session #1: Leading with Pedagogical Values Core Session #3: Assessing What Matters Core Session #5: Communicating and Reflecting on our Values
Faculty Panel Course Design Work Time and Canvas/AI Office Hours Course Design Work Time and Sharing
Lunch Lunch Lunch- Instructor supports
Course Design Work Time and Canvas Office Hours Core Session #4: Building an Equitable & Engaging Course Structure 1:30pm end of Day 3
Core Session #2: Centering Our Students Course Design Work Time  
Course Design Work Time and Canvas Office Hours Teaching with Yale’s Collections (rotation 1)  
Student Support and Resources OR Canvas Lightning Round Teaching with Yale’s Collections (rotation 2)  
4:30pm end of Day 1 4:30pm end of Day 2  

Core Sessions Goals:

  • Critically self-reflect on our pedagogical values and how our positionalities influence them.
  • Reexamine our pedagogical values using an equity-minded teaching framework.
  • Develop a self-reflection plan to ensure these values consistently guide our course design process.

  • Understand the pedagogical benefits of student-centered teaching practices
  • Identify teaching strategies to activate and build on students’ prior knowledge
  • Apply “backward design”  to a course’s unit/module to develop student-centered goals & practices

  • Identify the multiple purposes of assessment in your course
  • Consider new approaches and options to common assessments, particularly in the age of AI
  • Generate and share ideas for how to integrate meaningful assessment into the educational experience

  • Instructors will be able to develop instructional activities into their course structure that
    • integrate principles of engagement and equity
    • answer the question of “How do you want your students to be different by the end of this course?”
    • align with their assessments
    • develop students’ mental models in the discipline

  • Connect the pieces of backward design and your teaching values to envision a rhythm for your class that supports course goals and promotes belonging
  • Determine how to communicate course design and values to students

Can’t make it? 

Consider registering for our August events to support course design:

  • Syllabus (Re)Design. This one-day interactive workshop provides an opportunity to consider the overall course design process through the lens of the syllabus. It will be held August 12, 2026.
  • Blank Canvas: Create Your Course Site. This one-day workshop will demonstrate instructional design, provide templates, and leave time for building course sites. 

Save the date for next year’s Course (Re)Design Institute, which will be May 25-27, 2027. 

Questions?

Please email the Faculty Teaching Initiatives team.