Course design at UDC turns into everyday care

At the University of the District of Columbia, a team of learning designers is framing online course design as an act of care—built through templates, weekly coaching, accessibility support, and flexible collaboration that starts with faculty well-being and en

For many instructors. designing a course can feel like a treadmill: move the content online. check the accessibility boxes. align outcomes to rubrics. repeat. Annette Miles. PhD. Helen Krauthamer. PhD. and Uzma Amir argue that this way of thinking turns design into a transaction—something to complete. not something to live.

At the Center for the Advancement of Learning at the University of the District of Columbia, the message is different. Here, course design is treated as an act of care: meeting people where they are, anticipating needs, and reducing barriers so both faculty and students feel seen and supported.

The result is not just a better workflow. It is a relationship—between designers and faculty—and a classroom experience that can change how students show up.

Care shows up first where the stress is

The CAL team works with 3.5 designers who serve as builders and coaches to support more than 200 faculty. The work is practical, not philosophical. With deadlines looming and busy lives in the way, care becomes workload reduction.

Templates for courses, modules, syllabi, and course maps help streamline the process while content takes shape. As courses near completion, the team assists with formatting, making PDFs and videos accessible, and filling in gaps—pushing courses over the finish line.

Care also shows up in the way meetings are structured. CAL offers flexible weekly or biweekly sessions described as reflective and non-judgmental spaces. In those sessions. instructors pause to think beyond daily pressure: working through design challenges. exploring engagement strategies. rethinking assessment. and refining assignments.

Faculty use the time to integrate pedagogical best practices and bring in tools that support interactive and inclusive learning. The sessions are framed as collaborative and creative, with the stated aim of producing stronger courses and more confident instructors.

There is another layer, too—check-ins that reach beyond course content. CAL meetings often include conversations about life outside the university: milestones, responsibilities, and timelines that may affect progress. Empathy here means adjusting expectations and timelines when needed. The team says focusing only on outputs can be counterproductive, because faculty who feel overstretched and unsupported can lose motivation.

So care starts with faculty first and course design second. Progress is encouraged, supported, and celebrated—whether that means completing an assessment or meeting certification standards.

And the reason is simple: faculty care about their students

Design decisions, the team says, are shaped by the learners faculty are trying to reach. The article describes partnerships aimed at diverse students, including nontraditional, multilingual, first-generation, dual enrollment, and traditional students.

That perspective informs step-by-step guides for varying levels of technological fluency. consistent course structures designed to reduce cognitive load. and flexibility in assignments and deadlines. It also includes support for discussion prompts, submission guidelines, and integrating student voice and choice.

The work is described as barrier-focused: anticipate obstacles and center care and support around students as whole people.

When feedback is framed around learning, design changes

That shift—from compliance to collaboration—shows up in how instructors talk about their design decisions.

Uzma Amir. Prof. describes how a constructive and formative feedback process emphasizes student learning. accessibility. and clarity rather than procedural compliance. In her words, it reinforces an understanding that high-quality course design is continuous and collaborative, centered on student success.

That reframing changes what alignment, structure, and accessibility are for. Instead of treating them like boxes to complete, faculty approach them with greater intentionality for learners with diverse backgrounds and different levels of preparedness.

The work is also described as less isolating once it becomes shared. Krauthamer. Dr. recalls that meetings were invaluable: the parts of the course that would take her hours were often completed when they met. She says the experience reinforced her belief that teamwork is essential even in academia.

Miles, Dr., describes how care is distributed across a team with different expertise, always open to faculty input. She tells a personal turning point: support helped her move from being “a former Online phobic person” to someone with three Quality Matters-certified courses and preparing to submit two more for review.

Care becomes visible in the student experience

The article argues that when care is embedded in design, students feel it in ways that shape both confidence and engagement.

Amir says students commented that the clear, consistent module structure and built-in supports reduced their stress and made the course feel manageable. She adds that this helped foster a strong sense of belonging.

Krauthamer describes the care extending beyond the course itself. Several students approached her about continuing their “special projects” after the course concluded. In a class of 10 students. she reports that 40% cared enough about their projects to commit to them beyond the scope of the course. She says the projects reflect how students transmit that care to others.

Miles connects student-focused instructional choices to employment reality. She emphasizes that her instructional decisions can make a difference in whether students stand out for job skills that meet current job demands—or whether they end up just another applicant.

Care, the article insists, doesn’t end when the course ends. It remains iterative, with faculty identifying areas for refinement and recognizing that supporting students is an ongoing process. In this view, care evolves—shaping academic experience and future trajectories.

Concrete ways to embed care—without redesigning everything

The article ends with practical strategies aimed at immediate implementation. It begins with starting with people. not tasks: intentional check-ins in meetings or courses that ask what faculty or students need. what is working. and what challenges they’re facing. then using that information to guide design decisions.

It also calls for designing in partnership instead of isolation—treating course design as a collaborative process with space for dialogue, reflection, and shared problem-solving.

Structure is recommended to reduce stress without constraining learning: consistent templates and navigation to lower cognitive load, alongside flexibility in how students engage with content and demonstrate learning.

Flexibility is framed as intentional support, including revised deadlines, varied assignment formats, or opportunities for revision, with students told clearly that options are built into the course.

Expectations should be transparent and supportive. Step-by-step instructions, examples, and checklists are presented as scaffolds to help students succeed with confidence rather than compliance tools.

Finally, the article urges space for reflection and iteration—setting aside time for faculty (and students) to reflect on what is working and what needs adjustment, treating course design as evolving practice shaped by feedback and experience.

The people behind the work

Julian King. MEd. is a Quality Matters Manager and a Learning Experience Designer at the Center for the Advancement of Learning (CAL) at the University of the District of Columbia. He supports faculty in designing high-quality. accessible. and evidence-based online courses. leads the Quality Matters certification process for distance learning courses. and provides coaching on learning science. course design. and data-informed instructional practices. He has a background in secondary mathematics education and instructional coaching across DC. Maryland. and Virginia schools. with over a decade of experience supporting educators and fostering inclusive. student-centered learning environments. He holds an MEd in Instructional Technology from the University of Maryland Global Campus and a BA in Mathematics: Secondary Education from Virginia Union University.

Catherine “Kit” Patterson serves as a Learning Experience Designer at CAL. She partners with UDC faculty to design engaging, accessible, evidence-based courses that support student success. Her background includes teaching multilingual and adult learners across institutions including Northeastern University, Bunker Hill Community College, and Bellevue College. She brings a foundation in learning science and inclusive pedagogy. holds an EdM in Learning and Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. and is committed to helping instructors create meaningful learning experiences that promote engagement. retention. and mastery.

course design act of care accessibility learning experience design Quality Matters faculty support student engagement University of the District of Columbia instructional coaching