Open course design focuses on making the structure, purpose, and flow of a course clear and easily navigable for learners. It emphasizes transparency in learning outcomes, assessments, timelines, and communication, reducing uncertainty and helping students understand how to succeed.

In this context we are not advocating for making the courses themselves publicly open as opposed to making them legible. When students can see how the pieces of a course fit together, they are better able to plan, engage, and focus their energy on learning rather than guessing about what to do and how to do it.

At Trent, open course design aligns with accessibility, universal design for learning, and student-centered teaching.

Examples from Practice

• A course outline includes a plain-language overview of how assessments connect to learning outcomes.

• Weekly modules follow a consistent structure/rhythm (e.g., overview → engage → connect → reflect).

• Assignment instructions explicitly state purpose, audience, and criteria for success.

These design choices support all learners and particularly benefit those new to university learning.

Looking Ahead: Connecting to the Next Chapter

This chapter focused on structure and transparency; opening the pathway. The next chapter will explore Open Learning Communities as opposed to repositories. Open community supports belonging, interaction, and meaningful engagement among learners and educators. Community brings people together on the (hopefully open!) learning pathways that we designed for them.