🎥 Video resource: Design a High-Impact Course Syllabus

Think of modules as the chapters in your course story—each one should lead your students toward a specific "aha!" moment. When you organize modules around clear learning outcomes, you're not just creating neat categories—you're building a roadmap that shows students exactly how they'll transform by the end of your course.

Start by asking: "What specific skill or knowledge will students gain from this section?" Then, share these objectives right in your module descriptions. When students see "After this module, you'll be able to create your first AI-powered design" instead of just "AI Design Basics," they'll immediately understand the value and get excited about what's coming next.

Maven makes this organization even easier by automatically dividing your content into pre-course, during-course, and post-course sections based on the dates you set. You'll also get a ready-made welcome module that helps new students get oriented before diving in. This welcome module is fully customizable to match your teaching style and course needs, giving students a friendly introduction to both Maven and your unique content.

Well-structured modules don't just make your course look organized—they create momentum that keeps students engaged and helps them connect each lesson to their bigger learning goals.

📚 Resource guide: Course lessons (asynchronous content)

Lessons are powerful tools that amplify and extend the learning from your live sessions. Each one gives students a chance to absorb your expertise through carefully selected readings, videos, templates, and resources that reinforce key concepts and deepen understanding.

Create a seamless learning experience by building your content directly within Maven. When everything lives in one place, students spend less time searching —plus, they're more likely to revisit important materials throughout the course.

The number of lessons you'll create depends on your teaching approach. Running a workshop-focused course? You might need just a few key resources to prepare students for each live session. Teaching a hybrid course? Your lessons become even more crucial, forming the backbone of the student experience and significantly impacting how students perceive your course's value. The most successful hybrid courses feature rich, thoughtful lessons that students can engage with deeply between live interactions.

👉 Want guidance on structuring your specific course type? Explore Maven's recommended course structures here.

📚 Resource guide: Projects

Practical exercises and applied projects are what students value most from live learning. Design projects to help students apply new skills or ideas - application is the most impactful way to learn. Map a project/deliverable to each outcome of your course, or stack smaller projects and discussion opportunities to build a Capstone project. For example, if students are building a portfolio (Capstone), guide them to completing each item of the portfolio with smaller projects along the way. To provide accountability and guidance as they complete projects, give time during live session or office hours for students to begin working with your guidance.

In Maven, you'll build projects directly in your Syllabus. We'll send automated nudges to complete projects and students will submit their work to public project channels where you and their peers will provide feedback.

🎥 Video resource: Building Blocks of an Effective Lesson

Events are you cohort's live sessions. They might be workshops, office hours, Q&A, project review, or cohort networking events.

Your students' live time is super valuable, so design each session as a high-impact learning experience with less presenting and more doing. Rather than sharing elaborate slides packed with information, focus on interactive workshops, well-structured Q&A time, live project reviews, or student demos.

For each type of session, use the "I do, We do, You do" framework:

Here's a timing breakdown with teaching ideas:

👉 Read more about how to create your Events here.

📚 Resource guide: Course Reflections

Reflections are powerful tools that prompt students to engage in active learning at three key moments in your course: pre-course goals, mid-course takeaways, and post-course wrap-up. These structured reflection points aren't just beneficial for students—they provide you with valuable insights to tailor your teaching approach and understand what's resonating with your cohort. Maven automatically adds these reflections to your syllabus based on your course dates and sends email reminders to students when they're due.

Beyond individual learning, reflections build community by allowing students to share their insights with peers, creating opportunities for deeper connections and collaborative growth. For instructors, the post-course reflection is especially valuable as it connects directly to public reviews, helping students articulate their transformation journey.

Pro tip: Reserve time during your final live session for students to complete their post-course reflection to increase completion rates and capture authentic testimonials about your course's impact.