Designing a Learning-Centered
Syllabus
Learning-Centered Syllabus W6
http://www.udel.edu/cte/syllabus.htm
For additional hints on syllabus design,
see also the tipsheet,
"Components of a Learning-Centered Syllabus".
"How to Integrate Students' Learning Objectives into the
Syllabus Design" describes how a faculty member has incorporated
syllabus discussion into his class.
Highlights from: Grunert, Judith (1997)
The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach. Bolton, Massachusetts: Anker Publishing Company,
Inc.
This book is available in the CTE Library, 212 Gore Hall.
Your syllabus can be an important point of interaction between you and your students, both in and out of class. The traditional syllabus is primarily a source of information for your students. While including basic information, the learning-centered syllabus can be an important learning tool that will reinforce the intentions, roles, attitudes, and strategies that you will use to promote active, purposeful, effective learning.
Suggested
Steps for Planning Your Syllabus:
Develop
a well-grounded rationale for your course
Decide what you want students to be able to do as a result
of taking your course, and how their work will be appropriately
assessed
Define and delimit course
Structure your students' active involvement in learning
Identify and develop resources
Compose your syllabus with a focus on student learning
Suggested
Principles for Designing a Course that Fosters Critical Thinking*
:
1.Critical thinking is a learnable
skill; the instructor and peers are resources in developing critical
thinking skills.
2.Problems, questions, or issues are the point of entry into the
subject and a source of motivation for sustained inquiry.
3.Successful courses balance the challenge to think critically
with support tailored to students''developmental needs.
4.Courses are assignment centered rather than text and lecture
centered. Goals, methods and evaluation emphasize using content
rather than simply acquiring it.
5.Students are required to formulate their ideas in writing or
other appropriate means.
6.Students collaborate to learn and to stretch their thinking,
for example, in pair problem solving and small group work.
7.Courses that teach problem-solving skills nurture students'
metacognitive abilities.
8.The developmental needs of students are acknowledged and used
as information in the design of the course. Teachers in these
courses make standards explicit and then help students learn how
to achieve them.
Syllabus
Functions:
1.Establishes an early point of
contact and connection between student and instructor
2.Helps set the tone for your course
3.Describes your beliefs about educational purposes
4.Acquaints students with the logistics of the course
5.Contains collected handouts
6.Defines student responsibilities for successful course work
7.Describes active learning
8.Helps students to assess their readiness for your course
9.Sets the course in a broader context for learning
10.Provides a conceptual
11.Describes available learning resources
12.Communicates the role of technology in the course
13.Can expand to provide difficult-to-obtain reading materials
14.Can improve the effectiveness of student note-taking
15.Can include material that supports learning outside the classroom
16.Can serve as a learning contract
Checklist
for a learning-centered syllabus:
Title Page
Table of Contents
Instructor Information
Letter to the Student
Purpose of the Course
Course Description
Course and Unit Objectives
Resources Readings
Course Calendar
Course Requirements
Evaluation Grading Procedures
How to Use the Syllabus
How to Study for This Course
Content Information
Learning Tools
*Cited in Kurfiss, J. G. (1988) Critical thinking: Theory, research, practice and possibilities. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 2. Washington, DC: Association for the Study of Higher Education.
Components
of a Learning-Centered Syllabus
Highlights from:
Altman & Cashin. (1992).
Writing a syllabus. IDEA Paper No. 27. Kansas State University. Graeber/Harris
Communications & Productions, Inc. (1995). First day.
Grunert, J. (1997). The course syllabus. A learning-centered approach.
Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.
Course Information: What do students need and/or want to know about the course? What pre-requisites exist?
Instructor Information: What do I want students to know about myself? My interest in the discipline? My teaching philosophy? How can I convey my enthusiasm for teaching, for the course? Other instructors in the course (e.g., graduate TAs, peer tutors, team teacher)?
Course Description: What content will the course address? How does the course fit in with other courses in the discipline? Why is the course valuable to the students? How is the course structured? Large lecture with discussion sessions? Large lecture with laboratory and discussion sessions? Seminar? How are the major topics organized?
Course Objectives: What will the students know and be able to do as a result of having taken this course? What levels of cognitive thinking do I want my students to engage in? What learning skills will the students develop in the course?
Instructional Approaches:
Given the kind of learning I'd like
to encourage and foster, what kinds of instructional interactions
need to occur?
Teacher-student, student-student, student-peer tutor?
What kinds of instructional approaches are most conducive to helping
students accomplish set learning objectives?
How will classroom interactions be facilitated? In-class? Out-of-class?
Online? Electronic discussion? Newsgroups? Chatroom?
Course Requirements, Assignments:
What will students be expected
to do in the course?What kinds of assignments, tests do most appropriately
reflect the course objectives?
Do assignments and tests elicit the kind of learning I want to
foster? Assignments (frequency, timing, sequence)? Tests? Quizzes?
Exams? Papers? Special projects? Laboratories? Field trips? Learning
logs? Journals? Oral presentations? Research on the web? Web publishing?
Electronic databases?
What kinds of skills do the students need to have in order to
be successful in the course? Computer literacy? Research skills?
Writing skills? Communication skills? Conflict resolution skills?
Familiarity with software?
Course Policies:
What is expected of the student?
Attendance? Participation? Student responsibility in their learning?
Contribution to groupwork? Missed assignments? Late work? Extra
credit? Academic dishonesty? Makeup policy? Classroom management
issues? Laboratory safety?
Grading, Evaluation:
How will the students' work be graded
and evaluated? Number of tests? In-class? Take-home? Point value?
Proportion of each test toward final grade? Grading scale
How is the final grade determined? Drop lowest grade?
How do students receive timely feedback on their performance?
Instructor? Self-assessment? Peer review? Peer tutors? Opportunities
for improvement? Ungraded assignments?
Texts/Resources/Readings/Supplies:
What kinds of materials will be used during the course? Electronic
databases? Electronic Course Reserve? Course Webpage? Software?
Simulations? Laboratory equipment?
What kinds of instructional technologies will be used?
Course Calendar:
In what sequence will the
content be taught? When are major assignments due? Fieldtrips?
Guestspeaker?
Study Tips/Learning Resources:
How will the student be most successful
in the course?
What resources are available? Online quiz generator? Study
guides? Lecture notes online? Lecture notes on reserve in library?
Guestspeaker to explain/demonstrate online resources? TA? Peer
tutors? Study groups? Academic Services Center? Writing Center?
Evaluation of online resources? Citation of web resources?
Student Feedback on Instruction:
Anonymous suggestion box on the web? E-mail?
Student feedback at midterm for instructional improvement purposes?
End-of-term student feedback? Supplement to departmental student
feedback form?
Miscellaneous Information:
Instructor biography? Instructor personal statement? Student information form? Other instructor information (e.g., TA)?
Additional questions to consider:
How detailed,
explicit should the syllabus be?
Will there be some flexibility built into the syllabus?
How to word the syllabus so that it is user-friendly?
Integrating Students' Learning Objectives
into Syllabus Design
by William H. Johnson Jr., College
of Health and Nursing Sciences
I teach HPER 167 (New Student Connections) and HPER 235 (Professional Transitions) which are small classes (between 15 and 25 students) that incorporate active learning strategies into teaching. One technique that I find valuable is to distribute the syllabus during the second class period.
The first class period is used as an identification period, that is, students (and myself) are asked to present a little background information about themselves. Questions can be as routine as identifying name, hometown, and birthdate, to more in-depth questions in attempts to get the students to think about themselves by sharing their favorite music, hobbies and activities, favorite TV shows and movies.
I found that this ice-breaker activity allows students to learn more about themselves, about others in the class, and promotes an open exchange of information. I then take the next few minutes to describe the course, general objectives I'd like the students to achieve, and any basic information they may need for the next class meeting. During the second half of our first class meeting, the students work on the following assignment:
Name at least three topics--related to the course description and objectives--that you would like to see addressed in this class, then explain why these topics are important to you in pursuing your future goals.
By having the students work on this assignment, I can get a sense of the depth of their thinking as well as topics that they perceive are important to them (in addition to the topics I have already planned), thus providing them with the opportunity to contribute to the development and content of the course.
I tried this approach in the '98 Fall semester with freshmen students enrolled in the HPER 167 course and the vast majority of the students felt satisfied or extremely satisfied with the work required of them in class. I will be implementing the same process in the HPER 235 course which mostly consists of junior and senior students.
For more
information on this instructional practice, contact William H.
Johnson, Jr. The Center for Teaching Effectiveness can assist
you in designing your course syllabus. For information or to schedule
an appointment, call (302) 831-2027, e-mail cte-reg@udel.edu or
visit CTE at 212 Gore Hall.
http://www.unc.edu/courses/newchalk/archive/ncv1n4.html
A Bi-Weekly Featuring Instructors' Use of Networked Technologies January 6, 1997 (vol. 1, issue 4)
Building the Syllabus
The traditional course syllabus is moving to the World Wide Web, and it is picking up a few new tricks along the way. In a digital, networked environment, course syllabi are more dynamic and more responsive to the pedagogical needs of instruc tors. At the same time, online syllabi serve a wider variety of purposes, evolving as instructors rethink and retool their approaches to building the course syllabus.
Subject to Change....
Many instructors are discovering that syllabi on the web offer flexibility and breadth which is not possible with their static, self-contained print counterparts.
The ability to edit and instanteously "republish" the online syllabus is transforming the traditional course outline into a living, breathing document which reflects scheduling changes and shifts in student and faculty objectives and interests. Examples abound on the UNC-CH campus. In their information management course (http://ils.unc.edu/daniel/131/131syl96.html) last fall, Evelyn Daniel and Anne Parker incorporated notes from class lectures ba ck into the online syllabus schedule to serve as study aids.
In his Western Civilization course (http://www.unc.edu/~rvanwyk/hist12/), History professor Russ Van Wyk began adding links to other useful Wor ld Wide Web sites to supplement his lectures. Rather than attempt to decide on all his supplemental material before the semester, he explored Web sites throughout the semester and would usually incorporate them into his online syllabus a couple of weeks before each lecture. Journalism professor Deb Aikat's course page is regularly updated, and includes this reminder for students:
"Watch the online edition of this schedule, http://www.unc.edu/courses/jomc050/ for new notes or links every week, especially before lab sessions...".
The utility of the online course syllabus transcends the information which resides on the syllabus pages. Increasingly, the web-based syllabus resembles Grand Central Station, with students accessing the course home page in order to link to a host of oth er online resources. A short list of resources UNC-CH faculty members are linking to from their course pages includes discussion forums, course-related web sites, the honor code, personal home pages, the UNC-CH library system, departmental home pages, on line periodicals, practice exams, Internet tutorials and search engines.
I Saw Your Web Page....
There exists a growing expectation among students for varying degrees of technological enhancement in the courses they take. Students quickly apprehend the benefits that a course webpage or electronic mailing list bring to their learning in and enjoyment of a class. Putting the course policies, description, and syllabus online gives students the kind of access to information that they too often misplace, forget, or mismanage.
Beyond the present semester, though, the online syllabus can become an effective marketing and outreach tool. Students shop around for courses that fit both their personal needs and their degree requirements. As student expectations for technology continue to rise, they will increasingly turn to the web to give them a sense of what a course will offer. This ability to "preview" a course well ahead of the first day of class also extends to allowing prospective students (both undergraduate and graduate), legislators, and benefactors a chance to access the kinds of work being done in our classes. Given this secondary use as a means of outreach, placing a course syllabus online can be a two-edged sword, so you should be careful enough to make your course syllabus is suitable for a wide variety of audiences. You never know what search engine will index your homepage's URL or which state legislator will surf by on her free 50 hours from AOL.
Professor James Lee's Communications 14 (Introduction to Media Production) course homepage is a prime example of a syllabus that is both a strong practical tool, marketing commodity, and outreach resource. Check it out at http://www.unc.edu/~jimlee/14page01.htm. Thinking Outside the 8.5'' X 11'' Box....
While working on a project to help medical and nursing faculty move their courses onto the Web, IAT Fellow Doug Short also encouraged them to rethink the traditional syllabus structure arranged only by date and class length. Rather than using the class period (50 minutes, 90 minutes, etc.) as the basis for dividing up the semester, faculty were encouraged to think in terms of learning events (a "logical increment of knowledge"). This rethinking resulted in retooling the traditional syllabus, using a 10 point form for each learning event. Some of the points were: time and place, instructor, expected outcomes of the learning event, how success would be evaluated, necessary pre-assignments, and additional references.
Publishing on the web allowed faculty to break the syllabus into modules, any of which could easily be reused in other courses. The resulting syllabi were more informative for the students, and the faculty saved time by having materials that could be used again in other syllabi. Share your ideas about this topic in the New Chalk Discussion Forum
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