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📚 Course Map Builder

High-Quality Course Design Tool for Subject Matter Experts

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Course Setup

👋 Welcome! This tool helps you design high-quality courses with clear alignment from outcomes through assessments.

✨ Quick Start: Import Your Syllabus

Upload your PDF/Word syllabus or paste text to auto-populate course structure. We'll extract CLOs, modules, and assessments for you!

Note: Review and edit the auto-populated fields below before proceeding.

📤 Continue Previous Work

Upload a previously saved file to restore your course map and continue where you left off.

Or Start a New Course Map

▶️ Forward Design

Best if: You know your learning outcomes first

Starts at: Tab 1 - Course Setup

Flow: Outcomes → Content → Activities → Assessments

◀️ Backward Design

Best if: You know the final project/exam

Starts at: Tab 4 - Graded Work

Flow: Assessment → What skills needed → Content to teach

🔄 Flexible

Best if: You want to build in any order

Starts at: Tab 5 - Full Overview

Flow: Add what you know, we'll help fill gaps

Finding Your NCCCS Course Description

  1. Visit the NC Combined Course Library
  2. Search for your course code (e.g., BUS-115)
  3. Copy the complete course description
  4. If numbered "Outcomes" are listed below the description, note that NCCCS requires YES above
  5. Paste the entire description here without modifications
📝 Best Practice: Create 3-6 CLOs. If NCCCS provides outcomes, use them exactly as written. Otherwise, break down the course description into measurable pieces.

Course Modules

💡 Module Structure: Most courses have 8 modules (one per week in an 8-week course, or two weeks per module in 16-week). You can add or remove modules as needed.
Most courses: 8 modules (can be 4-16)

✏️ Writing Strong Module Learning Outcomes

  • Start with an action verb: analyze, create, evaluate, apply, design
  • Be specific: What exactly will students DO?
  • Make it measurable: You should be able to assess it
  • Typical count: 2-4 MLOs per module
  • Each MLO needs: Content to teach it, activities to practice it, assessment to measure it

Example: "Analyze the legal implications of contract breaches in business scenarios"

Content & Learning Activities

💡 Building the Learning Experience (STAGE): For each module, structure content around the STAGE framework — Transform (instructional content that builds new knowledge), Gauge (knowledge checks for formative feedback), and Apply (activities where students practice skills). Graded assessments (Evaluate) are added in the next tab.

📚 Instructional Content (IC) ℹ️

📚 About Instructional Content

What is it? Any resource that teaches your MLOs - videos, readings, lectures, notes, simulations.

Key principle: INTENTIONALITY. Every IC should clearly connect to at least one MLO.

Ask yourself: How does this resource address the MLO? Does it enhance learning? Is it necessary?

✅ Knowledge Checks (KC) ℹ️

✅ About Knowledge Checks

Purpose: Verify students reviewed and understood the instructional content.

Format: Usually short quizzes (5-10 questions), matching, true/false, fill-in-blank.

Bloom's Level: Knowledge and Comprehension (recall facts, understand concepts).

Grading: Often auto-graded with multiple attempts allowed.

🏃 Learning Activities (LA) ℹ️

🏃 About Learning Activities

Purpose: Practice applying skills, not just recalling facts. Provides student/instructor choices while maintaining alignment.

Bloom's Level: Application and Analysis (apply concepts, analyze situations).

Examples: Case study analysis, practice problems, role-play scenarios, discussion prompts.

Grading: Often low-stakes or ungraded - focus is on practice, not perfection.

Key: Each LA should clearly build on IC and prepare for Assignments.

Assessments (Graded Work)

💡 Assessments: These are graded assignments that demonstrate mastery of learning objectives. Include tests, projects, essays, presentations, and other summative work. Always use rubrics aligned to MLOs.

🎯 Assessments ℹ️

🎯 About Assessments

Purpose: Demonstrate mastery of MLOs through graded work. Major milestone in learning progression.

Bloom's Level: Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create (Bloom's Levels 3-6).

Examples: Tests, exams, essays, projects, portfolios, presentations, discussions, lab reports.

Grading: All weighted according to your grading scheme. MUST have rubrics from learner's perspective. Should address multiple MLOs.

Best Practice: Quality over quantity. Each assessment should be meaningful and aligned to MLOs. Build on Learning Activities from Tab 3.

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Review & Export

✅ Almost Done! Review your course alignment, check for gaps, then export your course map.

🔍 Alignment Check

📊 Course Summary

📥 Export Your Work

📄 Course Map Document

Professional Word document formatted for internal review and HQ evaluation.

💾 Save Your Progress

Excel file to continue working later. You can upload this file to restore everything.

📦 JSON Export

Save as JSON to share data or import into other tools.

🤖 RSI Compliance Analysis

Analyze your course for Regular & Substantive Interaction compliance. Get AI-powered recommendations!

🖨️ Print / Save as PDF

Open a print-ready version of your course map. Use your browser's Print → Save as PDF to create a shareable PDF document.

📋 Start from Excel Template

Download an Excel template with instructions. Fill it out offline, then upload it back here.

💡 Need to upload a saved file? Go to the Setup tab (top navigation) to upload Excel or JSON files.

Quality Review & AI Assistance

📊 Quality Analysis: Get automated quality checks plus AI-powered feedback to improve your course design.

🔍 Automatic Quality Checks

Run instant analysis of your objectives, content, and assessments. No AI required—works 100% in your browser.

🤖 AI-Powered Deep Review

Export formatted prompts to use with ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI assistant (requires your own AI account).

💡 How It Works: Click any button above to generate a comprehensive prompt. Copy it, paste into ChatGPT/Claude (your own account), and get detailed feedback on quality, alignment, and improvements.

📚 Quality Reference Guides

Quick-reference charts and checklists for quality course design.