From Doctrine to Design: Rigor and Access Online

Asynchronous courses provide flexibility for students who balance school with full-time work or caregiving responsibilities, yet they are often perceived as less rigorous than in-person classes. This session demonstrates how backward design and Bloom’s taxonomy can preserve quality while widening access. Drawing from a redesigned Administrative Law course, the session highlights outcomes aligned with higher-order learning, assessments that demand application and analysis, and innovations such as HTML-based Blackboard modules created with the assistance of AI, Panopto lectures with guiding questions, and structured hypotheticals. The approach shows how intentional course design can sustain rigor, foster engagement, and promote equity across disciplines.