From Assignments to Ecosystems: Designing Coursework That Builds Lasting Knowledge

Many courses still rely on “one-and-done” assignments that disappear after grading, missing opportunities for deeper learning and durable student work. This session introduces a model for designing learning ecosystems where assignments accumulate over time into meaningful, public-facing artifacts rather than isolated submissions. Participants will explore how a course can be structured so that weekly work builds toward individual student portfolios, collaborative research publications, and openly available course resources. The session focuses on the instructional design decisions that make this possible—including scaffolding, iterative revision, and open publishing practices—while showing how relatively simple digital workflows can support reproducible learning across a semester. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for redesigning coursework so that student work becomes lasting knowledge, rather than disposable assignments.