The WHAT in course brainstorming is the subject\/topic of interest. As a specific example of course development, I will dive into my experience brainstorming a course topic for the Honors College at Ball State University. The course topic, the philosophical approach, everything was open for grabs. I was given complete creative freedom. For me, this was really exciting and the best scenario for me to work, but I know that others may prefer to have more course design guardrails. In those instances, don\u2019t be afraid to ask for more guidance. Leadership in your area may point you to specific gaps in existing curriculum. They may be able to provide examples of previous syllabi and course content that can spark compelling extensions of previous topics, or a new twist on a content area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I began brainstorming the Honors College course by leaning into my professional expertise in the fine arts. As a prior art and photography teacher, I wanted to present an opportunity for students to look at historical and contemporary photography while also tapping into their own creativity with some studio assignments. With a 1-credit course design though, I really needed to focus on a sub-topic quickly. I settled on female self-portraiture as an initial working topic, but knew I would need an additional hook that would be engaging for today\u2019s students. What do today\u2019s students do all the time? They take selfies. This would be the hook that would help humanize the self-portrait work I had in mind for this class. <\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/10\/22085948\/How-I-brainstorm-1-3-724x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nI put together a working title and course description and presented it to leadership as a temperature check. They loved the idea and said run with it. They also suggested that I present the course topic and description to leaders in the Women\u2019s and Gender Studies program for possible cross promotion given the focus on female photographers, in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read a text transcript for all course materials in this post.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Who am I bringing with me on the journey?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The WHO in course brainstorming are your students. In my case, the students I was planning for were decided pretty quickly \u2013 students in the Honors College. The identification of audience doesn\u2019t always happen in warp speed though. To be candid with you, I hadn\u2019t really thought about teaching in the Honors College until I was personally approached by their leadership. Use my experience as a reminder to keep your mind open to potential student audiences outside of your current subject area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At Ball State University, there are multiple pathways to providing a dynamic course offering to students. Most often, it will probably happen in your home department, but there may be some cross-departmental opportunities with another academic unit. Is there an adult education program that may be interested in your course topic? Or perhaps a dual credit approach that could invite high school students in to achieve university experience and credit? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you aren\u2019t quite sure who your core student audience will be at the start of your course planning process, that\u2019s okay. At the very least, tap into resources that can begin to paint a picture of who your students might be as you continue to develop your class. The following Teaching Innovation Blog articles are a great start, not only for Ball State University faculty members, but for those outside of our institution committed to understanding more about today\u2019s learners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I imagine the diverse group of students that might enroll in my course. I started thinking about this a little bit during step one of my course brainstorming process, when I thought about the hook for my class, but this is the phase where I really dive deep. I keep resources, like the blog articles linked above, nearby throughout this stage of my process, because they help keep me in check as the course author. As the content expert, I will, no doubt, bring my enthusiasm and passion to the topics, but that doesn\u2019t ensure that the course content will automatically feel authentic and meaningful to my students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For \u201cThe Originals: A Look at Female Photographers in a Pre-Selfie Era,\u201d I thought deeply about the world university students are living in today, which is hyper connected through social media and networked systems. I would attempt to draw my Ball State learners in via selfie culture, invite them to look at a variety of professionals, and also ask them to share some selfies of their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/10\/03142838\/How-I-brainstorm-2-2-1024x832.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 2: The WHO <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n