Instructor: Multiple 3 Graduate Credits / 67.5 Massachusetts PDPs
Andrews Course #EDCI 639-092 / Colorado State Course #501
Important: Both Andrews University and CSU Pueblo limit transcript processing to 15 credits per semester. At Andrews, your transcript will indicate the semester in which you finish the course.
Are you ready to transform your classroom from a space of passive compliance to one of active, rigorous cognitive engagement? Rigor by Design is a dynamic, hands-on course built specifically for K-12 educators who want to maximize their students' thinking without burning themselves out. Moving far beyond theory, this course bridges the gap between high-level cognitive research and everyday classroom reality. You will learn to differentiate between a task that is merely "difficult" and one that is truly "complex," and you will leave with a robust toolkit of strategies to guarantee the latter.
Why This Course Matters: True rigor isn't an accident; it is the result of intentional architecture. You will explore powerful pedagogical frameworks—including Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK), the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Project-Based Learning (PBL)—and learn exactly how to weave them together to support student autonomy and deep learning.
User-Friendly Organization: Designed with the busy educator in mind, this course follows a highly structured, predictable rhythm to keep you focused on application rather than navigation. Across 6 core modules, you will experience a repeating, three-part cycle of learning:
Unpack the Research: Utilize cutting-edge AI tools (like NotebookLM) as your research assistant to synthesize foundational texts and analyze core concepts.
Adapt a Strategy: Use structured templates and AI "instructional coaching" prompts to adapt a high-level pedagogical strategy specifically for your grade level and subject area.
Design for Impact: Apply the Backward Design framework to instantly integrate your adapted strategy into a targeted, ready-to-use classroom activity.
Immediate Classroom Impact: You won't leave this course with just a notebook full of ideas; you will leave with tangible, classroom-ready assets. By the end of the course, you will have curated a personalized menu of instructional strategies (from Philosophical Chairs to Low Floor, High Ceiling tasks), built multiple formative assessment loops, and developed a complete, multi-day Culminating Unit Plan (or a turnkey Professional Development presentation) customized entirely for your unique educational setting.
| Andrews University 3-Credit Graduate Fee | $379.00 |
| Colorado State 3-Credit Graduate Fee | $429.00 |
| 3 NY Inservice Credits, 45 CTLE hours (non-grad) | $229.00 |
| 67.5 Massachusetts PDPs (non-grad) | $229.00 |