High-Impact Design for Online Courses (HIDOC) Framework

Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences

Assessments and activities help students practice skills, gauge understanding, and demonstrate mastery. A well-designed course includes formative and summative assessments, structured learning activities, and social presence elements to foster engagement and deeper learning. 

Key Considerations 

• Design assessments with purpose. Assessments should align with course learning outcomes (CLOs) and serve as meaningful opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and application of course concepts. 
• Balance formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments provide ongoing feedback and opportunities for improvement, while summative assessments evaluate overall mastery and achievement. Both types play a critical role in student success. 
• Integrate engaging learning activities. Activities that encourage active learning, collaboration, and problem-solving help students deepen their understanding. Consider digital tools, interactive exercises, and real-world applications to reinforce course concepts. 
• Foster social presence. Structured discussions, peer interactions, and collaborative assignments build a sense of community, keeping students engaged and motivated in the learning process. Include an appropriate combination of student-instructor, student-content, and student-student interactions. 
• Offer flexibility with voice and choice. Providing students with options for how they demonstrate their learning enhances engagement, supports diverse learning preferences, and allows for creative expression. Consider Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. 
• Ensure assessment clarity and alignment. Clearly outline expectations, grading criteria, and submission instructions. Regularly review assessments to ensure alignment with CLOs, maintaining consistency between learning outcomes and evaluation methods. 
• Address generative AI use. Decide whether and how students may use generative AI tools and clearly communicate expectations in the syllabus and assignment instructions. View generative AI statements in the CTE syllabus templates. 

Why It Matters 

Formative assessments support learning through feedback, while summative assessments measure mastery of course outcomes. Engaging activities build skills and promote knowledge application. A strong social presence fosters collaboration, motivation, and active participation. 

Action Steps 

• Review course learning outcomes. 
  • Learning outcomes serve as the foundation for your assessments. Reviewing them ensures they clearly describe what students should be able to do by the end of the course. 
• Identify summative assessments (high-stakes, mastery-oriented).  
  • Summative assessments are typically larger assignments that occur within courses that are used to evaluate learning outcomes and overall achievement at the end of a unit, module, or course. 

Example Summative Assessments 

• • • Final research paper or analytical essay 
    • Capstone project or digital portfolio submission 
    • Case study analysis 
    • Recorded presentations or digital storytelling 
    • Timed exams assessments 
    • Simulation-based final assessment 
    • Collaborative group project with peer & self-evaluations 
    • Authentic task-based assessment 
    • Oral exams, live interviews, or panel discussions 
    • Comprehensive reflection paper or multimedia reflection 
• Identify formative assessments (low-stakes, feedback-oriented). 
  • Formative assessments are used to check progress, provide feedback, and support learning before final assessments.

Example Formative Assessments 

• • • Weekly low-stakes quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, short answer) 
    • Discussion board prompts with structured peer responses 
    • Concept mapping or mind mapping (using digital tools) 
    • Annotated bibliography submission 
    • Self-reflection journals (written or video-based) 
    • Interactive polls or live Q&A sessions (Zoom, Mentimeter) 
    • Peer review assignments (structured with guided criteria) 
    • Ungraded draft submissions with instructor feedback 
    • Practice simulations or virtual labs (STEM, business, healthcare, etc.)
    • Brief reflection posts (short responses at the end of a module) 
• Include learning activities. 
  • Reflect on your assessments or course concepts where students struggle or may struggle. Include learning activities to provide guidance and instruction. Consider activities that encourage active learning, collaboration, and engagement. 

Example Learning Activities 

• • • Asynchronous or synchronous class discussions 
    • Digital concept maps 
    • Student presentations (live via Zoom or pre-recorded) 
    • Creating outlines (structured scaffolding for major assignments) 
    • Debates in discussion forums or live sessions 
    • Free writing exercises (e.g., quick writing, reflections) 
    • Conducting interviews and sharing insights 
    • Journaling (written, audio, or video reflections) 
    • Musical composition or digital creative projects  
    • Service learning through virtual engagement 
    • Practicing a speech or presentation via recorded submission 
    • Virtual field trips (museum tours, cultural experiences, industry visits) 
    • Virtual labs or interactive case studies 
    • Writing reflections (structured prompts for deeper learning) 
• Consider choice and voice.  
  • Identify assessments and assignments where students have options in how they demonstrate their learning (choice) and opportunities to express their authentic perspectives and experiences (voice). 
• Identify the assignment that can be interactive. 
  • Look for opportunities to incorporate elements such as discussions, peer collaboration, real-world problem-solving, multimedia integration, or activities that encourage student engagement and participation. 
• Check alignment. 
  • Alignment between summative assessments and course learning outcomes (CLOs) ensures that each CLO is assessed by at least one summative assessment and each summative assessment corresponds to at least one CLO. 

You Try It 

Use the Step 4 - Assessments & Activities document from the HIDOC library to structure your course effectively by designing assessments and learning activities that align with Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs). Guidance is provided on selecting summative and formative assessments, with additional focus on creating opportunities for feedback and interaction and integrating learning activities that support student engagement. The document also includes a checklist to verify CLO alignment and strategies for incorporating voice, choice, and interactivity into assignments.