Lesson Design

The Office of Teaching and Learning offers instruction on lesson planning for instructors and graduate students. Instructors can learn how to plan effective lessons.  One lesson planning model, adopted from the Instructional Skills Workshop, is BOPPPS.  The BOPPPS acronym stands for six unique components of a lesson that allow for student engagement and instructor feedback.  Below is a list of each of the six components and a description:  

Bridge-in:  Used to capture the audience’s attention and explains why the lesson is important.  A “hook” to build anticipation of what’s to come.

Outcomes: Providing students with a list of the lesson outcomes clarifies and specifies the intended learning that should take place.

Pre-Assessment: An opportunity for the instructor to check in with students and answer the question “What do the learners already know about the subject of the lesson?”  The answers will allow you to adjust your lesson to meet the learning needs.

Participatory Learning: This is the body of lesson where learners are involved as active members in the learning process.  Active learning strategies and techniques play a key role in this portion of your lesson plan.

Post-Assessment: The second check in point for instructors to answer the question “Did my students successfully meet the intended learning outcomes?”  The answer to this question can help plan your next lesson.

Summary:  The concluding summary provides an opportunity for learners to reflect on the lesson and its content.  This step will allow students to formulate questions and clarify any points of confusion.

If you are interested in learning more about BOPPPS and practicing designing a BOPPPS lesson, please see our Programs and Certificates.