Example Six-Week Immersive Course: Group Project

This example course is framed around a group project and presentation as the primary summative assessments. Other common summative assessments for immersive courses are case study analyses (typically completed with a team), research papers, presentations, video/media projects, or other assessments that help students develop key disciplinary skills (e.g., conducting an interview, creating an argument based in textual analysis, designing a technological solution to a real-world problem).

 

Week 0 – Before the semester starts

Goals: Introduce students to instructor and/or TA(s) and set the tone for community building

Content and Activities: (optional)

• Watch course “trailer”
• Read instructor’s welcome message within CourseWorks

Assessment(s):

• Fill out pre-class survey/reflection (e.g., student goals for the course, time zone, preferred pronouns, learning preferences, major [if applicable])
  • Tip: You can use the student reflections to create student groups for projects or team-based learning (e.g., based on common goals, to ensure groups are diverse).

 

Week 1

Goals: Build community, lay content foundation, and introduce students to their groups/teams

Learning Objectives Categories: Knowledge and collaboration/teamwork

Content and Activities:

• Read and watch online content
• Attend 90 minute live class session on Zoom

Assessment(s):

• By Monday: Respond to discussion board prompt to introduce yourself 
• By Wednesday: Take quiz within the online modules
• By Sunday: Complete group exercise (e.g., case study, problem set, practice work to build skills for project)

Feedback:

• Quiz grade
• TA/instructor comments on the pre-class reflection

 

Week 2

Goals: Dig deeper into content and begin group projects

Learning Objective Categories: Understanding, collaboration/teamwork, and evaluation

Content and Activities:

• Read and watch online content (asynchronous)
• Attend 90 minute live class session on Zoom (synchronous)
• Work with group to draft project proposal (synchronous or asynchronous)

Assessment(s):

• By Wednesday: Respond to discussion board questions (asynchronous)
• By Friday: Submit group project proposals (synchronous or asynchronous)

Feedback:

• TA or instructor feedback on discussion board
• Peer feedback on project proposals
  • Tip: Consider using synchronous time to lead effective peer review sessions. Be sure to give students direction on how to give appropriate and useful feedback by modeling, practicing in class, or giving them rubrics and/or checklists.

 

Week 3

Goals: Introduce new content and hold group conferences

Learning Objective Categories: Knowledge, teamwork, and evaluation

Content and Activities:

• All week: Attend group conference with instructor and/or TA (synchronous)
• Read and watch online content (asynchronous)

Assessment(s):

• By Wednesday: Take quiz in online module (asynchronous)
• Before group conference: Presentation of project materials within conference (e.g., annotated sources, draft of interview questions) (asynchronous)

Feedback:

• Grade on quiz
• Instructor and/or TA feedback on group project materials during conference
  • Tip: Ask students to come prepared with specific questions for the conference and ask them to take ample notes, reminding them that this is their opportunity for feedback.

 

Week 4

Goals: Dig deeper into content, make progress on group projects, and scaffold final individual assignment

Learning Objective Categories: Understanding and collaboration/teamwork 

Content and Activities:

• Read & watch online content (asynchronous)
• Monday: Attend 90 minute live class session on Zoom (synchronous)
• All week: Collaborate with group on project (synchronous or asynchronous)

Assessment(s):

• By Friday: Complete low-stakes individual assignment (e.g., short essay, mini video explaining a concept, concept map, problem sets) (asynchronous)

Feedback:

• Grade and feedback on individual assignment

 

Week 5

Goals for the week: Complete drafts of group projects

Learning Objective Categories: Teamwork/collaboration

Activities:

• Attend 90 minute live class session on Zoom (synchronous)
• All week: Collaborate with group on project (synchronous or asynchronous)

Assessment(s):

• Night before synchronous class session: Submit draft of group project

Feedback:

• Instructor and/or TA feedback on group project draft

 

Week 6

Goals for the week: Wrap up course content and support student synthesis and reflection

Learning Objective Categories: Synthesis and metacognition

Activities:

• Read and watch online content (asynchronous)
  • Tip: Consider using the last asynchronous module to model for students how to synthesize content from the semester. 
• Attend 90 minute live class session on Zoom (synchronous)

Assessment(s):

• By Friday: Submit final individual assignments (e.g., essay building on concept from earlier individual assignment, presentation/slidecast)

Feedback:

• Grade and feedback on individual assignment

 

Week 7 – “Finals” Week

Goals for the week: Complete summative assessments (e.g., exam, presentations, projects)

Learning Objective Categories: Communication and evaluation

Activities:

• Attend live Zoom sessions (e.g., with student presentations)

Assessment(s):

• By Friday: Submit and/or present on final group projects
• By Friday: Submit group/team evaluations
• By Friday: Submit individual course reflection (e.g., how well they met their goals for the course)

Feedback:

• Grade on group assignment