Our Philosophy

XanEdu FlexEd follows our own version of the “backwards design” (BD) philosophy. This philosophy is rooted in results from cognitive psychology research as well as student achievement studies. Our philosophy borrows from these and incorporates Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy as well as some of our own elements which includes extensive feedback from faculty and students. This blended approach does not depend on the amount of material covered, as is generally the case in a typical syllabus. Instead it takes a focused approach to ensure that all learning activities and instruction are guiding the student to the final outcomes.

Our philosophy is based on five key tenets:

1. Minimize Distractions:
   A holistic approach to course design enhances learning, course focus and minimizes distraction from unnecessary or extraneous content. Backwards design focuses on creating a deeper understanding of the content.
   
   
2. Build Understanding:
   Backwards design focuses on creating a deeper understanding of the content and materials through a multi-modal approach combining video, text, self assessments and supplemental materials.
   
   
3. Avoid the Firehose:
   Presenting content and material in small digestible ‘chunks’ keeps students motivated. Presenting materials, self assessments, and supplementary information in a logically sequenced path keeps students focused and lessens the possibility of overwhelming them with information overload.
   
   
4. Focus on Outcomes, Not Inputs:
   The most effective courses are designed with the end goal in mind. By beginning with the final desired results, often a comprehensive summative assessment, backwards design establishes clear goals and guides learning objectives to align to those goals.
   
   
5. Always Improving:
   Data has to be part of the process. Metrics, rooted in student engagement and learning performance, are combined with regular instructor and student feedback to guide our course design and development decisions and inform continuous improvement.

XanEdu FlexEd courseware is used by thousands of students across colleges and universities large and small. It is an effective mix of blended/hybrid and fully online settings.  All of our courseware is editable for your needs and can be used with, or in place of, a traditional textbook – at substantially lower cost – supporting affordability initiatives while improving engagement and student performance. We invite you to schedule a short consultation and demo with us, to help you determine if FlexEd is right for your course!