Tài liệu Thiết kế đề cương môn học doc

Các hoạt động và nội dung chính: Nội dung Hoạt động Thời lượng Thiết kế đề cương môn học Các câu hỏi - Tầm quan trọng của việc thiết kế đề cương; - Các nội dung chính của đề cương

Thiết kế đề cương môn học

Phương pháp giảng dạy

ĐỀ CƯƠNG

CHỦ ĐỀ: THIẾT KẾ ĐỀ CƯƠNG CHI TIẾT MÔN HỌC

 Giảng viên:

o TS Phùng Thúy Phượng ptphuong@hcmuns.edu.vn

 Số tiết: 12 tiết (3 buổi)

 Mục tiêu:

Sau phần này, học viên có thể

o Xác định tầm quan trọng/ vai trò của đề cương

o Liệt kê những nội dung cần phải có trong một đề cương

o Thiết kế đề cương môn học

o Đánh giá một đề cương môn học

 Đánh giá:

o Thảo luận

o Bài tập

 Tài liệu tham khảo:

o Preparing a course: course design

o Preparing a course: building a syllabus

o Example course syllabus-guide for course outlines in the Faculty of Science

o Syllabus components - What you might include in your syllabi

o Write the syllabus

o Evaluation Rubric for Peer Review of Course syllabi

o Fink’s Five Principles of Good Course Design

o Syllabus rubric

o Rubric to Evaluate Syllabus

 Tài liệu tham khảo đọc thêm:

o http://www.cte.ku.edu/teachingQuestions/preparingCourse/courseDesign.shtml

o http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/prepcors.htm

o http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/finks5.htm

o http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/lesspln1.htm

o http://www.mtnhomesd.org/Classrooms/Brantley/physics%20stuff/physics_syllabus.htm

o http://www.starsandseas.com/Agenda/BioSyllabus.htm

o Creating a syllabus

Các hoạt động và nội dung chính:

Nội dung Hoạt động Thời lượng Thiết kế đề cương môn học

Các câu hỏi

- Tầm quan trọng của việc

thiết kế đề cương;

- Các nội dung chính của đề cương

- Làm thế nào để thiết kế một đề cương môn học

Preparing a course: course design

Preparing a course: building a syllabus

Example course syllabus-guide for course outlines in the Faculty of Science

Syllabus components- What you might include in your syllabi

Write the syllabus

Nội dung Hoạt động Thời lượng

Thiết kế đề cương môn học

Câu hỏi

Trình tự thiết kế đề cương môn học

Đánh gía đề cương môn học

 Học viên xác định tầm quan trọng của việc thiết kế đề cương;

 Học viên liệt kê được các nội dung chính của đề cương

Mục tiêu:

 Học viên có thể thiết kế đề cương môn học

 Học viên có thể xây dựng các tiêu chí đánh gíá một đề cương môn học

- Sử dụng và quản lý thời gian trên lớp có hiệu quả

Buổi 1:

Buổi 2:

Câu hỏi

Những tiêu chí đánh gía đề cương môn học?

Bài tập: Xây dựng tiêu chí đánh giá đề cương

Syllabus rubric Rubric to Evaluate Syllabus

Nội dung Hoạt động Thời lượng

Đánh giá đề cương môn học

Tổng kết các tiêu chí đánh giá 45’ Đánh giá chéo đề cương 30’

Mục tiêu:

 Học viên có thể đánh giá đề cương môn học

- Sử dụng và quản lý thời gian trên lớp có hiệu quả

Buổi 3:

PREPARING A COURSE: COURSE DESIGN

Course design involves the planning of curriculum, assessments, and opportunities for learning which attempt to meet the goals of the course and evaluate whether those goals are indeed being met The designing of a course can be adeptly performed through the use of backwards design, which is based on the principle of working first from the material and concepts you want students to master, in order to plan how you will assess whether this learning has occurred, and this information thus guides which resources and methods of teaching are employed in order to enact learning of this material

Four questions from Wiggins & McTighe (1998) are suggested as a guide for condensing the course’s material into a few key topics:

• To what extent does the idea, topic, or process represent a “big idea” having enduring value beyond the classroom?

• To what extent does the idea, topic, or process reside at the heart of the discipline?

• To what extent does the idea, topic, or process require uncoverage?

• To what extent does the idea, topic, or process offer potential for engaging students?

Also consider the goals and characteristics of your future students Some reasons that students may be taking your course include: to develop a philosophy of life, to learn

to interpret numerical data, to understand scientific principles or concepts, to learn to effectively communicate, to learn to organize ideas, or to understand how researchers gain knowledge As the instructor, you can use this information, along with your own goals for the course, to guide your course structure and teaching pace

After having determined which material will guide the course design, the next step in backwards design is to establish the criteria you will employ to evidence student learning Instead of using a lone cumulative exam to assess learning, however, backwards design is guided by the concept that understanding increases across time,

as students process, reassess, and connect information Therefore, assessments to measure this increasing level of understanding should be conducted throughout the semester, using a variety of methodologies such as discussions, tests and quizzes, projects, and assessments in which students analyze their own level of understanding Once key concepts and assessment criteria have been decided upon, you can then focus on which teaching methodologies and activities you will use to help students

crucial to the course, rather than the course being driven by the teaching methodology itself

Resources: Wiggins, G & McTighe, J (1998) Understanding by Design Merrill Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

http://www.cte.ku.edu/teachingQuestions/preparingCourse/courseDesign.shtml

PREPARING A COURSE: BUILDING A SYLLABUS

Start with the basic information of the course, including the year and semester of the course, the course title and number, number of credits, and the meeting time/place Provide your name, office address (and a map if it’s hard to find), and your contact information Indicate whether students need to make appointments or may just stop in

If you list a home number, be specific about any restrictions for its use Next, clarify what prerequisites, knowledge, skills, or experience you expect students to have or courses they should have completed Suggest ways they might refresh skills if they’re uncertain about their readiness

When discussing the course, outline the course purpose(s); what is the course about and why would students want to learn the material? Outline the three to five general goals or

you’ve arranged topics in a given order and the logic of themes or concepts you’ve selected When discussing the course format and activities, tell students whether the class involves fieldwork, research projects, lectures, and/or discussion, and indicate which activities are optional, if any

In regard to the textbooks & readings, include information about why the readings were selected Show the relationship between the readings and the course objectives Let students know whether they are required to read before class meetings Also detail any additional materials or equipment that will be needed

Specify the nature and format of the assignments, and their deadlines Give the exam dates and indicate the nature of the tests (essay, short–answer, take–home, other) Explain how the assignments relate to the course objectives Describe the grading procedures, including the components of the final grade and weights for each component Explain whether you will grade on a curve or use an absolute scale, if you accept extra credit work, and if any of the grades can be dropped Also explain any other course requirements, such as study groups or office hour attendance Clearly state your policies regarding class attendance, late work, missing homework, tests or exams, makeups, extra credit, requesting extensions, reporting illnesses, cheating and plagiarism You might also list acceptable and unacceptable classroom behavior Let students know that if they need an accommodation for any type of disability, they should meet with you to discuss what modifications are necessary

Include a course calendar with the sequence of course topics, readings, and assignments Exam dates should be firmly fixed, while dates for topics and activities may be tentative

Also list on the course calendar the last day students can withdraw without penalty Give students a sense of how much preparation and work the course will take

Finally, a syllabus is a written contract between you and your students End with a caveat

to protect yourself if changes must be made once the course begins; e.g., “The schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating

Resources: Appleby, Drew C “How to improve your teaching with the course syllabus.” APS Observer, May/June 1994 Davis, Barbara Gross Tools for teaching San Francisco: Jossey–Bass, 1993 “Syllabus Checklist.” (2002) Teaching Matters, 6 (1), 8 This material is drawn from Eddy, Judy (2001) Creating a Syllabus Handout

http://www.cte.ku.edu/teachingQuestions/preparingCourse/syllabus.shtml

Example Course Syllabus

Guide for Course Outlines in the Faculty of Science

Introduction

A typical, informative course outline will range anywhere from 3 to 6 pages, or perhaps more in some cases, for example where week-by-week or lecture-by-lecture descriptions are included

Course outlines may be provided on the web (e.g., ACE) or in hard copy Note that if

a course outline is made available only on-line and a student requests a hard copy, an instructor is obliged to provide the hard copy

A good course outline should include most or all of the following elements Note that some items below marked with an asterix (*) indicate that specific types of information are mandatory – these are related to student assessment, discipline and grievances

Course description

Include an informative course description Minimally, this could be the official calendar description, or an enhanced version (preferred) Other details that might be presented are where the course fits into a discipline, who the course might appeal to, how or where knowledge gained from the course may be applied, or how the course draws from and relates to other courses in the program/plan

Also be sure to indicate how the course is delivered – lectures with chalkboard, PowerPoint, or seminars, etc If this course has a web presence, include relevant details

You might also consider indicating the nature of teaching and learning activities students might expect – will there be small group discussions, collaborative labs, or special projects? Is there anything else that is especially unique about your course?

Course learning objectives

Describe these from the students’ perspective – what will they learn, be able to do, or better appreciate

Learning objectives can be broad or they can be narrow and focused on course details

A course may have several learning objectives that reflect one or more overarching institutional philosophies like learning to think critically, communicating clearly or looking at issues in a global context

Objectives should be measurable, where possible, and specific More focused learning objectives could be at the departmental or discipline-level Examples include:

x For a course in molecular biology – “Explain techniques used to monitor DNA, RNA or protein abundance, recognizing the benefits and limitations of each technique”;

x For a course in computational chemistry – “Calculate potential energy surfaces for chemical reactions”;

x For a course in solid state physics – “Explain the operation and use of several modern electronic devices, including the p-n junction, transistors, opto-electronic devices, etc.”;

x For a course in Earth history – “Examine the concepts and approaches used in the stratigraphic analysis of rocks and sediments”

Contact information

Identify instructor(s), teaching assistants; indicate office or help locations, telephone numbers, email addresses Some of these details, particularly those pertaining to TAs, might not be available if the outline is prepared far ahead of time, of course Also include office hours (if any), and the preferred way for students to contact either instructor(s) or TAs If you have a preference for how students should contact you by email, provide a clear example (e.g., using course-identifying subject lines such as

“BIOL 130 query”)

You may also want to indicate what kinds of email will be responded to If your class

is large and email communication concerning course material could be overwhelming, you may decide to emphasize that no emails about course content will be answered via email and students must instead must use office hours, class or tutorial time

Also useful is an indication whether you will respond to emails on weekends You might want to provide an indication of when a student might expect to hear back (e.g., mornings) or the expected length of time that students might wait for a response (e.g., within 24 hours)

Resources

Include full details regarding course texts (required, recommended), course notes, laboratory manuals, other materials required (e.g., clickers, calculators – programmable or not), library reserves, relevant URLs, etc

Course topics

Provide the full list of primary and secondary topics – more detailed outlines may do this on a week-by-week or lecture-by-lecture basis

Expectation of student commitment to the course

Estimate the number of hours, on average, that a student should devote to your course each week Consider all aspects – lectures, labs, tutorial, reading, assignments, etc and break them out individually if this might be useful If there is an uneven work load, indicate when those times are

*Student assessment

Indicate clearly how grade assessment will be done – this information must be

included in any course outline (see section below for other mandatory statements) What are the values of exams, assignments, essays and other tools used for grade assessment? If there is a participation element, including attendance, to the grading scheme, explain precisely the expectation

Indicate unambiguously the penalties for late submissions and course policy for missed course elements, including exams Indicate if accommodations of any sort will

be considered and whether this will occur only with verified Verification of Illness Forms (VIF), counseling letters, etc Indicate if there is opportunity to make up missed grading elements, such as mid-terms, or whether the grading scheme will be modified, for example the missing assignment or mid-term weight assigned to the final exam instead You might also include a statement encouraging students to bring their VIFs to the Science Undergraduate Office for verification and filing

Also be sure to include due dates for their assignments and essays, as well as the scheduled dates for quizzes and mid-terms Indicate that students are expected to check the appropriate UW websites for details concerning final examinations and various course drop deadlines

Statement for students with disabilities

Although not mandatory, instructors should consider incorporating the following statement into their course outlines:

“Note for students with disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.”

Statement regarding travel and the final examination period

It may be useful to include the statement that “Student travel plans are not considered

acceptable grounds for granting an alternative examination time.” (see

http://www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/exams/finalexams.html) Instructors should include here the exact dates of the exam period for that term The final exam schedule is usually posted about 5 or 6 weeks into the term, so a reminder in the outline encouraging students when to check may be useful:

x for Fall exams “…start checking toward the end of October”

x for Winter exams “…start checking in the middle of February”

x for Spring exams “…start checking in the middle of June”

Changes to Course Outlines

If appropriate, include a statement that some types of course details may be revised (e.g., topics treated, emphasis on certain topics, etc.)

When circumstances do arise such that it becomes necessary to change some aspect of

a course, students need to be informed of this as soon as possible so they have ample opportunity to respond This applies to outlines in hard copy as well as on-line

While it is reasonable in some situations that certain elements of a course outline might “evolve” over the term (e.g., range of topics to be treated in course), the grading

scheme and other elements related to evaluation cannot change If minor changes

are made to non-grading elements of the outline, the new outline should draw attention to these changes If changes are made, an instructor has to be able to show

an archive of the outline from the time it was first made available to students at the beginning of a course

Other special considerations or rules

If there are other rules or policies that you want your students to know about (e.g.,

protocols for participating in course chat rooms or e-submission of assignments), explain clearly what they need to know If a student has a concern related to how a lab

assignment was graded, who should be contacted – the TA? Lab instructor? Course

instructor? If you have a policy about recording (audio, video) lectures, indicate it If

there you have a preference for a particular citation style for assignments or essays,

this should also be conveyed, and perhaps you could point to a source of guidance for

this information

Also consider how you wish to handle unclaimed student submissions (e.g., assignments, quizzes) You must hold on to these for a year, unless you notify students otherwise that you intend to keep them only for a shorter length of time and

after that time the material in question will be securely destroyed

*Expectation of Academic Integrity

Instructors should be very clear about their expectation of Academic Integrity in their

courses You are encouraged to include the following optional statement in your course outline:

“To create and promote a culture of academic integrity, the behaviour of all members of the University of Waterloo should be based on honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.”

The statement below regarding Academic Integrity must be included in course

in learning what constitutes an academic offence; how to avoid offences such

as plagiarism, cheating, and unauthorized resubmission of work; how to follow appropriate rules with respect to “group work” and collaboration; or

if you need clarification of aspects of the discipline policy, ask your TA and/or your course instructor for guidance Other resources regarding the discipline policy are your academic advisor and the Undergraduate Associate Dean.”

Courses that include group work should have clear statements of what an acceptable

amount of collaboration is and what is unacceptable; relevant examples might help student avoid problems It might also be a good idea to remind students that the same

level of academic integrity is expected on an assignment worth 2% as one worth 50%

The Faculty of Arts has an excellent website on “Avoiding Academic Offences” – (http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html) Refer students to this site as most of it is very applicable to Science students as well, regardless of the

courses they are in

The following URL is a useful one to refer students to concerning citation styles: http://tinyurl.com/29s5tj

SYLLABUS COMPONENTS WHAT YOU MIGHT INCLUDE IN YOUR SYLLABI Basic Identifying Information

x Course title and number, section number, crn, number of units

x Term (e.g., Fall 2001)

x Meeting time and location

x Your name, office address, telephone number, fax number, email address

x URLs for course and faculty member

x Your office hours

x Teaching assistant and hours

Prerequisites

x Prerequisite courses, knowledge, skills, etc

x Suggestions for refreshing knowledge, skills, etc

Course Purpose and Objectives

x Overview of course purpose

x Explanation of what course is about and why students would want to learn the material

x List of student learning goals or objectives

x Ties to program learning goals or objectives

Course Structure

x Conceptual structure used to organize the course

x Format of activities for the course

x Readings and Web assignments

x Projects, papers, exams, etc

x Nature and format of assignments, expected lengths, deadlines

x Nature of tests

x Relationship of assignments to learning objectives

x Expectations for written work (e.g., style, length, word processing requirements, etc.)

x Role of technology in the course

x Extra credit policy

x Exam dates and coverage

Other Course Policies

x Attendance

x Student and faculty responsibilities in the learning process

x Accommodations for physical or learning disabilities

x Classroom civility guidelines

x Estimated student workload

x Study hints or guides

x Glossary

x References, recommended readings or URLs, library materials on reserve

x Campus resources (e.g., tutors)

x Handouts, lecture outlines, etc

Campus Expectations for Syllabi

The University Handbook (Section 303.1) states that:

Faculty members shall provide a course syllabus to students in each of their

classes which, in addition to standard information (e.g., instructor name, course name, date, etc.) contains at least the following information:

a) course objectives

b) assignment and exam due dates

c) grading policy

d) campus policy on academic dishonesty

e) other - in accordance with departmental guidelines

CSUB Catalog and Class Schedule Information

Academic Freedom Page 53 of the 1999-2001 Catalog or page 47 of the Fall

Academic Calendar Page 5 of the Fall Schedule (Note last day to withdraw without

a “W”; last day to withdraw for serious and compelling reason; holidays; SOCI week; last day of classes; and final exam day

Final Exam Schedule Page 97 of the Fall schedule Use this to determine your

official final exam day and time

Other Resources

Online syllabi examples (e.g., the World Lecture Hall at

http://www.utexas.edu/world/lecture/ provides links to Web pages created by faculty from a variety of disciplines worldwide.) Or, contact the Web pages of faculty in your discipline at other campuses

TLC Books on Teaching (e.g., McKeachie’s Teaching Tips; Preparing Instructional

Objectives; Designing & Assessing Courses & Curricula) Browse the TLC library at http://www.csub edu/~tlc/library.html

TLC Handouts: Handouts from the TLC that deal with a variety of teaching/learning

issues, such as “Integrating Learning Objectives into Courses and Course Syllabi.”

Most can be downloaded from the site (http://www.csub.edu/~tlc/tlchandouts.htm), or copies can be provided by contacting the TLC

TLC Online Links: Links to a variety of pedagogical sites

(http://www.csub.edu/~tlc/links.htm)

Your syllabus is a university commitment to students to teach the course according to

the guidelines you set It also is a reflection of you, your teaching philosophy, and

your attitudes towards students—take time to make it an accurate reflection

Syllabiȱserveȱseveralȱimportantȱpurposes,ȱtheȱmostȱbasicȱofȱwhichȱisȱtoȱcommunicateȱtheȱ instructor’sȱcourseȱdesignȱ(e.g.,ȱgoals,ȱorganization,ȱpolicies,ȱexpectations,ȱrequirements)ȱ toȱstudents.ȱOtherȱfunctionsȱcommonlyȱservedȱbyȱaȱsyllabusȱinclude:ȱ

x Toȱhelpȱstudentsȱmanageȱtheirȱlearningȱbyȱidentifyingȱoutsideȱresourcesȱand/orȱ providingȱadviceȱȱ

Titleȱpageȱ

Courseȱ numberȱ andȱ title,ȱ semesterȱ andȱ year,ȱ numberȱ ofȱ units,ȱ meetingȱ timesȱ andȱ location,ȱ instructorȱ andȱ TAȱ informationȱ (e.g.,ȱ name,ȱ office,ȱ officeȱ hours,ȱ contactȱ information)ȱ

PrerequisitesȱandȱcoȬrequisitesȱ

Coursesȱ studentsȱ needȱ toȱ haveȱ takenȱ beforeȱ yoursȱ (orȱ atȱ theȱ sameȱ time);ȱ prerequisiteȱ skillȱ setsȱ (e.g.,ȱ programmingȱ languages,ȱ familiarityȱ withȱ software).ȱ Provideȱ adviceȱ onȱ whatȱ studentsȱ shouldȱ

course;ȱ getȱ outsideȱ help;ȱ studyȱ supplementaryȱmaterialȱyouȱwillȱprovide)

Courseȱrequirementsȱ

Whatȱ studentsȱ willȱ haveȱ toȱ doȱ inȱ theȱ course:ȱ assignments,ȱ exams,ȱ projects,ȱ performances,ȱ attendance,ȱ participation,ȱ etc.ȱ Describeȱ theȱ natureȱ andȱ formatȱ ofȱ assignmentsȱ andȱ theȱ expectedȱ lengthȱ ofȱ writtenȱ work.ȱȱ Provideȱ dueȱ datesȱ forȱ assignmentsȱandȱdatesȱforȱexams.ȱ

Evaluationȱandȱgradingȱpolicy ȱ

Whatȱ willȱ theȱ finalȱ gradeȱ beȱ basedȱ on?ȱ Provideȱ aȱ breakdownȱ ofȱ componentsȱ andȱ anȱ explanationȱ ofȱ yourȱ gradingȱ policiesȱ (e.g.,ȱ weightingȱ ofȱ grades,ȱ curves,ȱ extraȬ creditȱoptions,ȱtheȱpossibilityȱofȱdroppingȱ theȱlowestȱgrade)ȱ

Courseȱpoliciesȱandȱexpectations ȱ

Policiesȱ concerningȱ attendance,ȱ participation,ȱ tardiness,ȱ academicȱ integrity,ȱ missingȱ homework,ȱ missedȱ exams,ȱ recordingȱ classroomȱ activities,ȱ foodȱ inȱ class,ȱ laptopȱ use,ȱ etc.ȱ Describeȱ yourȱ expectationsȱ forȱ studentȱ behaviorȱ (e.g.,ȱ respectfulȱ considerationȱ ofȱ oneȱ another’sȱ perspectives,ȱ openȬmindedness,ȱ creativeȱ riskȬtaking).ȱ Letȱ studentsȱ knowȱ whatȱtheyȱcanȱexpectȱfromȱyouȱ(e.g.,ȱyourȱ availabilityȱ forȱ meetingsȱ orȱ eȬmailȱ communication).ȱ

Courseȱcalendarȱ

Aȱ dayȬtoȬdayȱ breakdownȱ ofȱ topicsȱ andȱ assignmentsȱ(readings,ȱhomework,ȱprojectȱ dueȬdates)ȱ

Advice ȱ

Howȱtoȱuseȱtheȱsyllabus;ȱhowȱtoȱstudyȱforȱ theȱ courseȱ (howȱ toȱ readȱ efficientlyȱ andȱ effectively,ȱ whetherȱ readingsȱ areȱ toȱ beȱ doneȱbeforeȱorȱafterȱtheȱclassȱtheyȱpertainȱ to,ȱ whenȱ toȱ startȱ assignments,ȱ approvedȱ formsȱ ofȱ collaboration,ȱ etc.);ȱ howȱ toȱ seekȱ help.ȱ

ȱ Whenȱshouldȱyouȱwriteȱyourȱsyllabus?ȱ

Writingȱyourȱsyllabusȱshouldȱcomeȱlateȱinȱtheȱprocessȱofȱcourseȱdesign,ȱafterȱtheȱ courseȱisȱessentiallyȱplanned,ȱbutȱwellȱbeforeȱtheȱfirstȱdayȱofȱclass.ȱYou’llȱnoticeȱ thatȱ ofȱ Fink’sȱ 12ȱ questionsȱ toȱ askȱ oneselfȱ whenȱ designingȱ aȱ courseȱ (below),ȱ theȱ questionȱpertainingȱtoȱtheȱsyllabusȱcomesȱinȱ#11!ȱ(Fink,ȱ2003)ȱ

o Howȱareȱyouȱgoingȱtoȱgrade?ȱȱ

o Whatȱcouldȱgoȱwrong?ȱ(debuggingȱdesign)ȱȱ

o Howȱwillȱyouȱletȱstudentsȱknowȱwhatȱyouȱareȱplanning?ȱ(syllabus)ȱȱ

o Howȱwillȱyouȱknowȱhowȱtheȱcourseȱisȱgoing,ȱandȱhowȱitȱwent?ȱ(planningȱ feedback)ȱȱ

Generalȱadviceȱonȱwritingȱaȱsyllabus:ȱ

o Ifȱyouȱareȱnewȱtoȱteaching,ȱorȱtoȱaȱdepartment,ȱlookȱatȱtheȱsyllabusȱofȱaȱ colleagueȱ–ȱpreferablyȱsomeoneȱknownȱtoȱbeȱanȱexcellentȱinstructorȱȬȬȱasȱaȱ roughȱ modelȱ ofȱ formatȱ andȱ style.ȱ Syllabiȱ varyȱ accordingȱ toȱ disciplinaryȱ andȱ departmentalȱ conventions,ȱ andȱ whileȱ thereȱ isȱ plentyȱ ofȱ roomȱ forȱ individualȱvariationȱandȱcreativityȱinȱsyllabusȱdesign,ȱit’sȱaȱgoodȱideaȱtoȱ seeȱwhatȱtheȱnormȱisȱbeforeȱyouȱbegin.ȱȱ

o Anticipateȱ studentȱ questionsȱ andȱ concernsȱ andȱ tryȱ toȱ addressȱ themȱ inȱ yourȱsyllabus.ȱResearchȱindicatesȱthatȱtheȱpressingȱconcernsȱforȱstudentsȱ whenȱbeginningȱaȱcourseȱare:ȱȱ

ƒ WillȱIȱbeȱableȱtoȱdoȱtheȱwork?ȱȱ

ƒ WillȱIȱlikeȱtheȱprofessor?ȱȱ

ƒ Willȱtheȱsubjectȱmatterȱinterestȱme?ȱIsȱitȱrelevantȱtoȱwhatȱIȱwantȱtoȱ do?ȱȱ

Addressingȱ studentȱ concernsȱ willȱ helpȱ themȱ toȱ alignȱ theirȱ expectationsȱ withȱyours,ȱgiveȱthemȱaȱsenseȱofȱyourȱteachingȱstylesȱandȱpriorities,ȱandȱ allowȱ themȱ toȱ makeȱ moreȱ informedȱ decisionsȱ aboutȱ whetherȱ orȱ notȱ toȱ takeȱtheȱcourse.ȱȱ

o Distributeȱ theȱ syllabusȱ onȱ theȱ firstȱ dayȱ ofȱ classȱ andȱ goȱ overȱ keyȱ pointsȱ withȱ students.ȱ Makeȱ itȱ clearȱ toȱ themȱ thatȱ theyȱ areȱ responsibleȱ forȱ everythingȱinȱtheȱsyllabus,ȱandȱreferenceȱtheȱsyllabusȱinȱclassȱperiodicallyȱ toȱremindȱthemȱofȱitsȱcontent.ȱToȱencourageȱstudentsȱtoȱreadȱtheȱsyllabusȱ carefully,ȱsomeȱinstructorsȱactuallyȱgiveȱstudentsȱaȱshortȱquizȱviaȱanȱonȬ