People sometimes ask me, so what is up with the Post-it notes? You know, they are such an integral part of what I do, and how I do it, sometimes I forget not everyone works this way. So I thought I’d give you a little peek behind the curtain, on how I plan out a course!
Coming from a tech background, I have been heavily influenced by the Agile project management methodology. Agile project planning often uses a Scrum Board or a Kanban Board to track work in progress, and teams often write their tasks on sticky notes and move them around and ultimately across the columns of the board as the work progresses to a completed state.
Over the years, in addition to using this method for managing the work, I have incorporated this concept into my course design process. When working with a client, we dig down deep into the concepts they want to convey to the learner, any tools or processes, stories that help illustrate the idea, and more. I write these components on sticky notes and use a Story Board (columns of modules or lessons, etc.) to organize what component goes where, pairing it with the corresponding tool, process, or story. I can instantly see what is missing or if there is too much information going into a module.
So you might say that sticky notes are my secret weapon of course design.
How do you plan for your course design?
