Course and Syllabus Development

Presented by

Claire Major

Assistant Professor,

Higher Education Administration

Using a theoretical framework

What are some of the most recent conceptions of teaching?

“Scholarship of teaching”

We should expand our notion of scholarship to include four areas: discovery, application, teaching, and integration (Boyer, 1990)

Scholarship Assessed Clear goals Adequate preparation Appropriate methods Significant results Effective presentation Reflective critique

(Glassick, Huber, Maeroff, 1997)

Doing your homework

What’s already out there that can help you develop your course?

Gather materials and syllabi from as many sources as possible:

Your department and other professors,

Your peers (GTA’s with more experience),

Books about teaching and curriculum design,

Websites for similar courses. 

Deciding what students need to learn 

How do you develop your ideas?

Think about what you want to accomplish

Check out Teaching Goals Inventory Online:

http://www.uiowa.edu/~centeach/tgi/

For your specific course, obtain a copy of the teaching goals from your department.

Write goals and objectives

Objectives (or competencies) are statements that describe the specific measurable and observable behaviors that the student is expected to exhibit after completion of an instructional activity. A series of objectives will help the students become competent in key concepts, definitions, skills that they should know after completing the course.

Goals and objectives help instructors

Focus on main points, and keep to the point, Determine what students should already know, Evaluate effectiveness of teaching methods, Construct tests and give feedback to students.

Goals and objectives help students

Break course into manageable sections. Evaluate their own progress in course. Develop guidelines for studying. Feel less threatened during an evaluation because

criteria are specified.

Written objectives should

Contain a statement of what the student will be able to do using action verbs

Form a framework for instructional programs Help to organize and sequence subject matter Indicate type and extent of teaching and learning

activities Provide a basis for evaluation of students

Work toward higher order thinking skills

Bloom’s Taxonomy EvaluationSynthesisAnalysisApplicationComprehensionKnowledge

Deciding how your students will learn it

What will your educational materials and methods be?

Choose your course materials

Your choice of course materials implies your expectations of your students.

Choose reading materials that are appropriate to the reading ability-level of your students.

Assign the amount of reading appropriate to your students’ course load and departmental expectations.

Consider the cost and availability of materials.

Choose your course materials, cont.

Use multimedia to appeal to the whole student and to accommodate different learning styles.

Use the web to point to supplementary materials and to post outlines, notes, or assignments.

Contact representatives of educational publishers for catalogues and desk copies of new books.

Prepare your handout packets for the bookstore and become aware of copyright issues.

Use traditional teaching methods

Lecture Discussion

Use alternative methods

Collaborative learning Technology-based learning Problem-based learning Service Learning

Knowing when they know it

How will you evaluate your students?

Think about assessment

Informal methods used to gather information about how well your students are doing

Classroom Assessment Techniques

Minute Paper Muddiest Point Application Cards Focused Listing RSQC2 (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect,

and Comment)

Angelo & Cross (1994)

Consider how you will grade

Norm-referenced grading Criterion-referenced grading

Products Traditional

Multiple choice True False Word Completion

Alternative Essays/Formal Papers Portfolios Concept Maps Journals

Creating Your Syllabus

How do you put it all on paper

Keep syllabus functions in mind

Establishes an early point of contact and connection between student and instructor

Helps set the tone for your course Describes your beliefs about educational purposes Sets the course in a broader context for learning Provides a conceptual framework Describes instructional methods

Keep syllabus functions in mind, cont.

Describes available learning resources Can expand to provide difficult-to-obtain reading

materials Can include material that supports learning outside

the classroom Contains collected handouts Communicates the role of technology in the course

Keep syllabus functions in mind, cont.

Can improve the effectiveness of student note-taking Can serve as a learning contract Acquaints students with the logistics and policies of the

course Defines student responsibilities for successful course

work Helps students to assess their readiness for your course

Start with the basics

Go back to your list of course objectives and decide on the number and types of tests, projects, assignments, and activities that need to be assessed in order to demonstrate mastery of learning.

Consider the thematic structure of your course. Chronological theme Topical theme Theoretical theme Methodological theme

Start with the basics, cont.

Working backwards from the final exam, insert the due dates for your major tests and projects, scheduling enough time to present and synthesize material.

Construct a calendar for the term with all of your scheduled teaching days, the scheduled holidays and breaks, the date and time of the final exam, and any relevant administrative deadlines.

Construct your policies and procedures pages. 

Introducing the Course and Syllabus

How do you get started?

First day of class suggestions

Introduce your course and yourself Introduce students and break the ice Set tone and expectations “Syllabus Review” Go over most important parts of the syllabus Get started on content