Initial Publication Date: February 20, 2026

Structuring a Module

This content is derived from material developed for the InTeGrate project.

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What's a Module?

For DAISE, a module refers to a set of web pages that describes the activities that go on over a period of time less than a full academic term, generally about two weeks of a typical semester. The web pages include descriptions for how a faculty member could conduct the module: what to do and why to do it. They also include any additional elements a faculty member might need to support the students: materials that could substitute or augment a textbook and support the core activities. This might include textbook-like written background materials, classroom or lab handouts, datasets, visualizations, videos etc. A given module will be tested within courses at 3 different institutions (by the original developers), but the courses themselves may be unique (beyond their use of the common module). Thus, writing the description of the module in a general way helps ensure that the core of the module as described reflects the elements that are transportable/adaptable to different institutional contexts. In addition, a set of case studies will describe the actual experiences and local modifications made at each of the institutions that taught a version of the module.

The other sort of module

In the context of the tools we're using to build the website there is a different sort of module. In SERCkit, pages are grouped into collections the same way you use folders or directories to group files on your computer. In the context of SERCkit, we refer to these collections as modules. So you'll want to be cognizant about when module means collection of webpages and when it means a unit of curriculum (which may be described in a set of webpages that span several SERCkit modules). If you are confused, just ask!

How Materials are Organized and Used

All DAISE modules follow a common structure. There is a central backbone of web pages containing information aimed at faculty. These pages introduce faculty to the materials, provide a step-by-step description of the content of the module, and end with case studies of how the module has been implemented at specific institutions. Throughout this backbone of pages, we link to various supporting materials: descriptions of specific student activities, and pages designed to be used directly by students during the course or module.

DAISE modules are not stand-alone online learning tools for students to use independently. They are designed to support faculty in delivering their own version of the course or module to their students in their own classroom. It's assumed that the faculty member will need to adapt the materials to fit their own context.

Module Structure

Each module starts with a standard page which introduces the module, talks about the context in which it might be useful, and its particular strengths. Following that is an overview page that describes the overall pedagogy and flow of the module as subdivided into a series of Units. The individual Units are then described on separate pages using a format called the Activity Sheet. This format is purposefully designed to allow the individual Units to make sense as an independent resource. The units are followed by a page that describes the Assessment strategies used in the module, both overarching assessments and unit/activity level assessments. The module concludes with a series of instructor stories about how the module was implemented at several institutions. (Additional detail on this structuring is available from InTeGrate.)

The main audience for the backbone of the module is faculty members interested in teaching the module (or some variant or derivative thereof). These pages are represented in blue in the diagram. Supporting these pages are materials directed at students The main 'Student Materials' page acts as a syllabus style overview of the module; outlining the overall sequence and providing links to the core student materials and supplementary readings. This includes both separate files that may live as downloads 'in' the Units (e.g. student handouts, datasets) as well as self-contained sets of pages with background materials or other supporting information intended for students and represented in green in the diagram.

These student materials will be available in three formats: (1) within the main module in the context of the faculty-oriented material, (2) as stand-alone downloads, which faculty can post in their local LMS (such as Blackboard or Moodle) or other class website, and (3) as isolated web pages within a separate area of the DAISE site to which faculty can direct their students. (Additional detail on this structuring is available from InTeGrate.)