Course Design That Works Like a Good Business Plan: Alignment, Course Maps, and AI

by Debby Marindin, EdD, Educational Practices and Innovation

In business, we don’t launch a product without clear outcomes, measures of success, and a plan that connects the two. Course design benefits from the same mindset. When course objectives, module objectives, and assessments align, students waste less time guessing what matters, and faculty spend less time re-explaining expectations (or grading work that doesn’t actually demonstrate the intended learning).

Start with the end in mind (Backward Design)

A fast way to strengthen alignment is Backward Design:

1. Define what students should be able to do by the end of the course (course objectives).
2. Decide what “proof” looks like (assessments, projects, cases, presentations, exams).
3. Build modules and activities that prepare students to succeed on that proof.

This approach is especially helpful in business courses because it naturally supports applied learning: if the outcome is “analyze,” “recommend,” or “create,” then students need practice opportunities that mirror real decision-making—not just recall.

Use ADDIE as your project workflow

If Backward Design is the logic, ADDIE is the process for building and improving: Analyze → Design → Develop → Implement → Evaluate. Many of us already do this informally. The win is making the cycle visible so revisions are easier term to term (and not a total rebuild every time).

The power move: a simple course map

A course map is a one-page view that connects:

• Course Objective → Module Objective(s) → Learning Activities → Assessment Evidence

This is useful for faculty planning, and it can also be student-facing (a roadmap that reduces “What am I supposed to do?” questions). When you map the course, misalignment jumps out quickly—like an assignment that doesn’t support any objective, or an objective that never gets assessed.

AI as an alignment auditor (not the designer)

AI can help you quality-check your map in minutes. For example, paste your objectives and major assessments and ask:

“Create a table mapping each course objective to module objectives and assessments. Identify objectives with no assessment evidence, and any assignments not clearly aligned. Use only the text provided.”

AI won’t replace your expertise, but it’s great at spotting gaps, redundancy, and wording issues—especially when you’re busy.

Quick self-check

Before the semester starts, confirm:

• Every course objective is assessed at least once
• Every major assessment maps to one or more course objectives
• Every module objective supports a course objective
• Students can see the “why” in module overviews and assignment directions

Good alignment is good teaching—and good management. It creates a course that feels intentional, efficient, and easier to learn (and teach) in.