SIDLIT 2026

Ever feel like your classroom assessments and your course learning objectives are speaking two entirely different languages? It’s a common trap: we plan fascinating weekly lectures and activities, only to realize at midterms that our exams don't quite match what we actually expected students to master.


In this hands-on, 90-minute workshop, participants will use the framework of backwards design to build courses where every assignment, quiz, and lecture serves a distinct purpose. You will learn how to align your course with the spectrum of broad institutional goals and program standards down to measurable, daily course competencies. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as our compass, we will analyze the cognitive levels of our objectives to ensure our summative assessments actually measure higher-order thinking (applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating) rather than just rote memorization. Providing clear evidence of student learning is essential for instructional improvement and accountability.


This is not a passive lecture. Come with a course in mind to create a concrete learning plan. You will walk away not just with theoretical knowledge, but with an actionable blueprint for a course unit that guarantees alignment and drives student success.