Why does Coursetune have two course (level-4 object) design layers?

Also answers: 

• Why is there a c-layer and bundle layer?
• What is the difference between the c-layer and bundle layer?

“Coursetune provided me with the framework that I needed. I really don't think I would have been able to accomplish what I did had I not been introduced to this product because it liberated me from a mindset and a way of thinking about education. It helped me to visualize how you can design a course. I mean, it was life-changing.”

-Michele Pistone, Professor of Law, Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law

In Coursetune, we have two parallel design layers that hold the same learning objectives for a course (level-4 object).

The C-layer holds the big-picture learning goals for the course that (most often) thread throughout the course. Organizations (level 1) different names for this type of goal: Course Goals, Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs), Competencies, Course Objectives, Clusters, etc.

Bundles (short for the "bundle of learning") hold the learning delivery organization: units, sections, chapters, weeks, modules, etc. This kind of “topic” organization is typically the way the course is organized in the syllabus, LMS, textbook, or courseware. In CourseTune we call this layer “Bundles” until you designate what it really should be called for each course.

For example, for a College Algebra course, here are some sample competencies (the C-layer name):

• Solve Equations: Solve a variety of equation types so that you are prepared for mathematics you might encounter in other courses and career.
• Interpret Graphs: Show how the key features of graphs relate to the mathematics of their equations to wisely use math in other contexts.
• Applications Involving Math: Apply mathematical principles to solving real-world problems to enhance transferability of skills to problem solving in other subjects.
• Reasonability: Show how to validate mathematical work for correctness and reasonability to identify when procedures have gone wrong.

And here are the units (then bundles of learning):

• Unit 1: Linear Functions and Inequalities
• Unit 2: Systems of Equations and Inequalities
• Unit 3: Quadratic and Radical Functions
• Unit 4: Polynomial and Rational Functions
• Unit 5: Exponential and Log Functions

If a course is only designed around topics, the designer and the instructor can lose sight of the big-picture learning goals. We often find organizations asking “Why didn’t our learners seem to get [something] from this course?” The “something” is usually some kind of big-picture understanding. 

Ideally, a the c-layer goals end up interleaved throughout the bundles. This creates spaced repetition and scaffolding through a variety of topics, which is best for learning and for the future transfer of learning to novel problems and other subject areas.

The learning objectives tie the two layers together. Every learning objective lives in both the C-layer and the Bundle-layer. In the image below, you can see that the same learning objective lives in both layers, just categorized differently. When the learning objective is changed, the change is reflected in both layers.

Want to learn more about how the elements in Coursetune fit together? Check out this article: Coursetune Answers What, When, Why, and How of Learning