Craft, Collegial, or Assembly Line? How to Spot Your Institution’s Course Model
Jul 18, 2025
When faculty say “this is my course,” what do they really mean? That phrase tells us something about how courses are built—and who owns the process.
In this week's podcast episode, Vernon Smith shared a framework from his dissertation that can help us understand how faculty roles are shifting in higher education. He describes three models of course production:
• Craft Model – A single professor designs, builds, teaches, and assesses the course. It’s hand-crafted and deeply personalized—but it doesn’t scale well.
• Collegial Model – A group of faculty share the design and assessment responsibilities, often supported by instructional designers or a center for teaching and learning. This model balances academic freedom with shared quality.
• Virtual Assembly Line – A centralized design team builds a master course shell. Adjuncts or contingent instructors handle delivery at scale. It’s cost-effective, but the faculty role is more limited.
Each model has trade-offs. Craft offers autonomy, collegial fosters collaboration, and assembly lines provide scale. But only one gives you full control of the teaching experience.
So here’s the question: Where does your institution fall? Are you more “my course,” “our course,” or “the product”?
Recognizing your current model is the first step to improving it. If you lead a team or design courses, use this lens to assess your assumptions—and start a conversation about where you want to go next.
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