Start from the outcomes, not the content. A unit plan built from a list of topics tends to become a tour of the textbook. Decide first what students should be able to do by the end, then choose the weeks and tasks that get them there. Four to seven outcomes is plenty for most units; more than that and they’re hard to teach and assess well.
Write outcomes you can see. Each outcome should start with a verb you could observe or mark, such as explain, apply, analyse, evaluate or design, and say what students do it with. “Understand” and “appreciate” are hard to assess because nobody can see understanding directly. Match the verbs to the level: first-year units lean on explaining and applying, final-year and postgraduate units on evaluating and creating.
Check the alignment both ways. Every outcome should be taught in at least one week and assessed by at least one task, and every task should assess the outcomes it claims to. The alignment view shows this at a glance. A gap usually means an outcome you care about but never practise, or a task that tests something the outcomes never mention.
Space the assessment out. Put a small, early task in the first few weeks so students get feedback before anything big is due, and avoid two major tasks in the same week. Check the assessment load table against the other units your students take in the same semester, because their busiest week is rarely yours alone.
Make class time active. Students can read and watch before class; class time is for doing something with it. Plan each week around discussion, problem solving, cases, practice and peer feedback, and use the “before class” tasks to make that possible. In online units, the same principle applies to live sessions and discussion boards.
Build, then integrate. Early weeks lay foundations; later weeks should use them, not just add new topics. Leave a week near the end for consolidation or revision before the final task, and say in each week’s summary how it connects to what came before.
Check it against your rules. The plan is written by AI. It’s a strong first draft, but check the outcomes, weightings, workload, due dates and any accreditation requirements against your institution’s policies and teaching calendar before you publish the unit or submit it for approval.