Instructions for Participants of the e-Course Developing Digital Teaching Content

Course Unit Overview and Structure

This unit introduces participants to the fundamental principles of planning and designing digital teaching content. It focuses on understanding the pedagogical, design, and technological foundations required for creating effective, relevant, and accessible materials that promote learning and engagement. Particular emphasis is placed on defining clear and measurable learning outcomes, and structuring teaching content in accordance with the needs of the target users. The unit also covers the concept of constructive alignment, highlighting the importance of consistency between learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessment methods.

Unit 1: Teaching Units and Learning Outcomes

Theoretical Component
In this section, participants become familiar with the core concepts and principles of planning teaching units and defining learning outcomes. Emphasis is placed on understanding the structure of the teaching process—from topics and units to activities—and the importance of linking these levels clearly and purposefully to ensure effective instructional planning and delivery. The distinction between learning objectives and learning outcomes is explained in detail, with a particular focus on formulating measurable, clear, and achievable outcomes based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. The concept of constructive alignment is also introduced, ensuring consistency between outcomes, activities, and assessment, thereby increasing the relevance and quality of the teaching process.

Practical Component
In the practical part, participants apply the acquired knowledge by creating a plan for an online e-course with a clearly defined structure of teaching units and corresponding learning outcomes. Using a template, participants organise the sequence of topics and units, define outcomes for each instructional segment, and ensure their alignment with the planned learning activities and assessment methods. The completed document is submitted through the LMS and serves as the foundation for further development of digital teaching content in the course.

Unit 2: Fundamentals of Digital Teaching Content

Theoretical Component
In this unit, participants are introduced to fundamental concepts related to digital teaching content—its definition, purpose, and structure. The difference between teaching content (what is learned) and teaching materials (with what/through what learning occurs) is explained, helping participants more clearly plan and design instructional resources. Emphasis is placed on aligning content with learning outcomes (constructive alignment) and balancing pedagogical requirements with technical implementation. Participants also analyse criteria for evaluating digital content quality, including clarity, interactivity, accessibility, and adaptability.

Practical Component
In the practical part, participants apply theoretical knowledge through activities that promote reflection, analysis, and evaluation of digital teaching content. The unit begins with a discussion in which participants exchange experiences and debate what constitutes high-quality digital content from the learner’s perspective. This is followed by an analysis of specific content (either their own or externally sourced), where participants assess the alignment with learning outcomes, propose suitable assessment methods and improvements, and document their findings for submission via the LMS. Participants then conduct a self-assessment of their own work and and peer assessment of their colleagues’ work based on predefined criteria. The unit concludes with a short knowledge test covering key concepts—including types of content, pedagogical foundations, learning outcomes, and constructive alignment.

Unit 3: Developing an Educational Message

Theoretical Component
In this section, participants are introduced to the concept of the educational message as a crucial communication bridge between the teacher and the student. A well-designed message not only conveys information but also guides attention, encourages engagement, and supports deeper understanding. Principles of creating effective educational messages are explored, including clarity and conciseness, adapting language and tone to the target audience, structural organisation, readability, authenticity, and pedagogical relevance. Supported by cognitive load theory and principles of visual hierarchy, participants learn how to formulate messages that are outcome-oriented, motivating, and grounded in real educational goals. The unit concludes with specific guidelines and examples that help distinguish well-constructed from poorly designed educational messages in digital contexts.

Practical Component
The practical part develops the participants’ ability to design effective educational messages through a sequence of interconnected activities. First, participants engage in a discussion reflecting on successes and challenges in communicating with students, identifying factors that influence message comprehension. Next, they analyse two examples of educational messages—one effective and one less effective—applying theoretical criteria such as clarity, structure, tone, and alignment with learning outcomes. Participants then create their own educational message for a segment of their digital teaching content, paying careful attention to clarity, audience adaptation, and the message’s purpose within the content. The unit concludes with peer evaluation, where participants review and assess one another’s messages based on defined criteria, including clarity, outcome alignment, pedagogical value, and linguistic accuracy.