• Course content focuses on depth over breadth of learning.
• Course content delves into fewer areas in detail and instead concentrates on major concepts rather than covering large amounts of information to reduce overwhelming students with content and enable retention of knowledge.
• Course readings, materials, and activities encourage deeper engagement and higher-order learning—synthesizing, analyzing and problem solving—over content acquisition.
• Additional content is marked as optional, and/or students are given the option to choose from among a larger selection of readings, videos, or other materials.

• Clear presentation of course learning goals that are appropriate for the pace of an immersive course (distilled and most relevant learning goals).
• Clear alignment and consistency between learning goals, course content, learning activities, and assessments.
• Course is well-organized and the syllabus offers a clear presentation of material that will be covered in an easy-to-follow format.
• Course/syllabus offers students guidance on workload and expectations. The course may also provide guides to assigned readings that outline must-reads (i.e., those of primary importance), and/or a list of discussion/reflection questions to help students focus on key issues each week.
• Major assessments and assignments of the course are introduced in week one.
• Clear channels and expectations of communication between the student and the instructor are established.

• Class sessions plan for appropriate water and/or stretch breaks (5-10 min long).
• Course offers mixed methods of delivery to vary pace and stimulate interest, including activity-oriented and discussion-focused instruction.

• Course implements mixed methods of delivery to vary pace and stimulate interest, including activity-oriented and discussion-focused instruction. 
• Lectures are divided into shorter chunks. Lectures may also engage students in an activity that complements the lecture content. 
• Students are offered modes of demonstrating their understanding of the material through check-in activities such as a quick quiz, a poll, a contribution to a Canvas discussion thread, and/ or a short, written reflection.

• Class time is utilized to contextualize the readings beforehand and prepares students for the readings through questions or pre-reading activities/reflections.
• Readings are excerpted to help students focus on key concepts.
• Readings may be curated to focus on depth (fewer texts that are addressed more thoroughly).

• Course assigns frequent, shorter assessments to accommodate the shortened time frame and potentially faster pace of an immersive format course. 
• Course offers ongoing assessments that incorporate a mixture of low and high-stakes tasks to enhance student motivation and engagement and create opportunities for students to demonstrate learning throughout the course. 
• Shorter, more frequent assessments provide students with consistent feedback early on in the course.

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• Opportunities for assessment and feedback begin no later than week two and consist of frequent, low-stakes quizzes, reflection papers, etc. so that students have a clear idea of what is needed to succeed in the course. 
• Instructor may include rubrics and peer feedback to diversify channels for feedback and decrease turnaround time for feedback.
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• Substantial assessments are divided into shorter, more frequent tasks in lieu of or alongside substantive assessment. 
  • For example, weekly quizzes are implemented instead of conventional midterm and final exams. Or, formative assessments are used in addition to a substantive final exam. 
  • Other options include implementing daily reviews, pre- or post-lecture  short quizzes, and short writing assignments. 
• Assessments that facilitate immediate feedback or faster turnaround for feedback like self-scored pre-and post-tests, class presentations, graded class participation or discussion facilitation, and oral exams are offered.

• Larger assignments like long essays and papers, group assignments, and research papers involving primary research are scaffolded into smaller assignments due throughout the course. 
• Expectations and assignments are discussed and clarified in the first week of class.

• Course offers opportunities for reflection on material through the use of check-ins, feedback surveys, journals, small group breakout sessions, online discussion forums, and/or informal individual assignments that require feedback from the larger group.

• Course design and learning activities facilitate community building, teamwork skills, and meaningful student-instructor connections and student-student relationships.
• Course may assign group projects, form learning groups for the entire duration of course, or create opportunities for sharing and receiving peer feedback.
• Students are offered opportunities to share feedback on how the course is going and how they feel they are progressing in the course either in individual surveys or in-class check-ins.

Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning. “Seven Strategies for Success in Six-Week Immersive Courses.”

Boyd, Drick. "Effective Teaching in Accelerated Learning Programs." Adult Learning 15.1-2 (2004): 40-43.

Chen, Sue-Jen. "Instructional Design Strategies for Intensive Online Courses: An Objectivist-Constructivist Blended Approach." Journal of Interactive Online Learning 13.1 (2014).

Freeman, T. Fedesco, H., & Cavin, D. “Teaching Compressed Format Courses: Colorado College’s Block Plan.” With Heather Fedesco and Drew Cavin. The National Teaching & Learning Forum. (Accepted, January 2018, forthcoming). 

Hesterman, Dianne. "Intensive Mode Delivery Of Courses In Engineering, Computer Science And Mathematics." Faculty of Engineering, Computer & Mathematics: The University of Western Australia (2015). 

Kops, William J. "Teaching Compressed-format Courses: Teacher-based Best Practices." Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education 40.1 (2014). 

Sampson, Kaylene, Erik Brogt, and Keith Comer. "Guidelines For Teaching In Time-Shortened, Intensive, Or Summer School Settings." University of Cantebury (2011).

Scott, Patricia A. “Attributes of High-Quality Intensive Courses.” New Directions For Adult and Continuing Education. 2003.97: 29-38