Course and Syllabus Design

Dr. Marie NormanTeaching Consultant and Research AssociateEberly Center for Teaching Excellencehttp://www.cmu.edu/teaching

ObjectivesWhen you leave today, you should be able to:• Describe audience/purpose/components of a syllabus.• Identify issues to consider when designing a course.• Discuss the course design triangle.• Delineate features of effective learning objectives.

Show of handsWho has...• TAed?• Taught a class?• Designed a course from scratch?

What’s in a syllabus?Audience: Who the syllabus for? Purpose: When and how is it used?Components: What are the parts of a typical

syllabus?

AudienceStudentsColleaguesDepartmentYour future self

PurposeTo provide basic course info.To generate motivation/curiosity about the

subject.To convey your expectations.To delineate your own and students’ roles.To serve as a contract between you and students.To set the tone for the course.To help students assess their readiness for the

course.To provide resources and advice for students.

Contents: a checklist

Course name/numberRoom numberClass times Office hoursInstructor contact infoCourse descriptionCourse objectivesPrerequisites

Textbooks and readingsCourse requirementsBreakdown of gradesGrading policiesCourse policiesResources for help/supportAdviceCourse calendar

Others?

Syllabus analysisWhat aspects of these syllabi help to facilitate

student learning and motivation?

Ability to generate curiosity/establish relevanceClear expectationsA logical organizational structureApproachable, supportive tone

When do you write your syllabus?At the end of a long process of thoughtful course

design!

Determine situational

factors Consider your students

Create basic

components Select content

Organize and sequence

Write your syllabus

Determine situational factorsClass sizeLength/unitsUp/downstream

courses??

#1

#2 Consider your studentsMajorsGoalsPrior knowledge??

#3 Create the 3 basic components

The Course Design Triangle

Where do you want students to get?

How will you know if they get there?

How will you help them get there?

The Course Design Triangle (cont’d)

What students should know or be able to do by the end of the course.

Assignments, problem sets,

exams (high and low stakes)

Lectures, discussions, readings, in-class practice opportunities

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Understanding By Design (2005)

To ensure alignment: backward design

Determine

acceptable

evidence

Design learning

experiences

Identify desired results

objectivesinstruction assessment

Everything hinges on course objectivesEffective course objectives are...• Student-centered• Active• Measurable

Why is B preferable to A? A B

Learn about the French Revolution

Explain the political, economic, and social factors that led to the French Revolution.

ExerciseWhat’s wrong with these learning objectives,

and how could they be improved?1. Give students a firm foundation in linear

algebra.2. Understand random vectors.

Understanding is invisible. What should students be able to do that would demonstrate understanding?

#4 Select contentTopicsThemesUnitsTexts

#5 Organize and sequenceHow can you organize the material most logically?How can assignments build from simple to complex?What scheduling issues must you consider?

#6 Write your syllabus!

Conclusions: When designing a course...

1. Determine situational factors2. Consider your students3. Create the three basic components:4. Select content5. Organize and sequence6. Write your syllabus

We can help! The Eberly Center offers:• Graduate teaching seminars • One-on-one consultations• Web resources: www.cmu.edu/teaching

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