Contributed by:
It focuses on the learner-centered approach. It also highlights how this approach is better than the traditional teaching methods.
1.
Designing a Course
and Preparing a Syllabus
Dr. Jackie Cason & Dr. Genie Babb
Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence
New Faculty Orientation
Fall 2009
*Adapted from the UAF Center for Distance Education and Distance Learning
Systems based on the work of Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe, 1998,
Understanding by Design and from A Self-Directed Guide to Designing
Courses for Significant Learning, by L. Dee Fink, PhD, Director, Instructional
Development Program University of Oklahoma.
2.
Situational factors are important
• How familiar is everyone with the
Blackboard course management system?
• How far along is everyone in developing
their syllabi?
• What is your familiarity with the larger
curriculum? Do you know where your
courses fit within your department, the
college, the university, your students’
educational goals?
3.
We can begin by reflecting on our
current practices of course design
What ‘planning process’ do
you currently use when
developing a course and
preparing your syllabus?
Take a moment to generate a response.
You can jot notes, create a diagram or flowchart,
or write a descriptive paragraph.
Just capture your current process!
4.
Many begin by identifying
course goals
• Traditional Process
– Curriculum Content Guides
http://www.curric.uaa.alaska.edu/curric/courses
– Previous Syllabi
• Backward Design
– Learning Goals
– Feedback and Assessment
– Teaching and Learning Activities
5.
Traditional Process:
Lessons and activities lead to goals
Teach, Test, Hope for the Best
Learning
Goals
Assessments & Feedback
Activities and Assignments
Lesson Plans, Units, Textbook Chapters
6.
Backward Design:
Lessons and activities follow from goals
Teaching with the end in mind
Lesson
Plans
Activities &
Assignments
Assessments & Feedback
Learning Goals
7.
Backward Design
Stages of the Backward Design Process
8.
Why “Backward”?
The stages are logical,
but they go against habits!
• We’re used to jumping to lesson and activity
ideas first before clarifying learning and
performance goals for our students.
• By thinking through feedback and assessment
up front, we can better align our goals with the
means, and focus our teacher-student
interactions on achieving desired outcomes.
9.
A learner-centered approach
is goal-oriented
Instead of beginning with a content-centered
approach that covers topic X, topic Y, and
topic Z, we can begin with the following
question:
What would I like the impact of this course to
be on students, 2-3 years after the course is
over? What kind of thinking or application
abilities do I want them to develop through the
term? In what ways do I want them to keep on
learning after the course is over?”
Take a moment to write a response.
10.
Sample Learning Goals
Composition Studies
• Communication is social and contextual and occurs at the
intersection of writer, audience, and publication forum.
• Genres evolve, and are always evolving, as a matter of
practice; therefore, the “rules” of good writing are
descriptive rather than prescriptive.
• Citation practices in academic writing are the means of
joining an ongoing intellectual conversation and a way of
contributing new knowledge to that conversation.
• Writing styles arise out of a community’s particular ways
of knowing and being.
11.
A learner-centered approach
integrates goals, assessment, and
teaching/learning activities
Learning
Goals
Teaching & Feedback &
Learning Assessment
Activities
12.
Integrating Backward Design:
Avoiding Disconnects
Learning
Goals
Teaching & Feedback &
Learning Assessment
Activities
13.
Integrating Backward Design:
Avoiding Disconnects
Learning
Goals
Teaching & Feedback &
Learning Assessment
Activities
14.
Significant Learning Goals
Significant
Learning
Goals
Teaching &
Feedback &
Learning
Assessment
Activities
15.
Significant learning is multidimensional,
interactive, and mutually reinforcing
LEARNING
HOW TO FOUNDATIONAL
LEARN KNOWLEDGE
CARING APPLICATION
HUMAN INTEGRATION
DIMENSION
16.
Feedback and Assessment
Significant
Learning
Goals
Teaching &
Feedback &
Learning
Assessment
Activities
17.
Educative feedback and assessment
strategies privilege learning over grading
As students work to learn how to perform well,
teachers need to provide feedback. High quality
feedback will have the characteristics of
“FIDeLity” feedback:
Frequent: Give feedback daily, weekly, or as
frequently as possible.
Immediate: Get the feedback to students as soon
as possible.
Discriminating: Make clear what the difference is
between poor, acceptable, and exceptional work.
Loving: Be empathetic in the way you deliver your
feedback.
18.
Procedures for Educative Assessment
• Forward-looking assessment
• Criteria and standards
• Self-assessment
• FIDeLity feedback
Activity: See worksheet on educative
assessment
19.
Audit-ive & Educative Assessment
Audit-ive Assessment Educative Assessment
Forward-Looking Self-Assessment
Backward-Looking Assessment (by learners)
Assessment
Criteria & “FIDeLity”
Standards Feedback
(Traditional) Grading
Better Learning
(more authentic grading)
20.
Teaching & Learning Activities
Significant
Learning
Goals
Teaching &
Feedback &
Learning
Assessment
Activities
21.
Active teaching and learning are
experiential and reflective
Passive vs. Active Learning
Passive Learning Active Learning
Experience Reflective
Receiving Dialogue w/
Information Doing Self
& Ideas
Observing Others
22.
Active teaching and learning are
experiential and reflective
A holistic view of active learning:
Experience
•Doing, Observing
•Actual, Simulated
•Rich-learning exp.
Reflective Dialogue
Information & Ideas
• Primary, secondary •Reflective writing
• In class, out of class, •Focused on subject
online access or learning process
23.
Significant
Learning
Learning
Goals
Teaching/ Feedback &
Learning Assessment
Activities
Active Learning Educative
Assessment
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
25.
Traditional Definition of a Syllabus
The Oxford English Dictionary
defines syllabus as “a
statement of the subjects
covered by a course of
instruction or by an examination,
in a school, college, etc.; a
programme of study” [1889].
26.
Three Functions of a Syllabus
1. Contract
2. Communication device
a. Plan of action
b. Cognitive map
3. Reference guide
27.
1. A Contract
The syllabus is an
important quasi-legal
document that
represents an
agreement between you
and your students (and
UAA).
• Give students a complete
syllabus the first day of
class.
• By remaining in your class, a
student consents to be
governed by the syllabus.
28.
At UAA, a syllabus is a student
right…
“Students have the right
to be informed at the
beginning of each
term of the
1. nature of the course,
2. course expectations,
3. evaluation standards,
4. and the grading
system.” 2009-2010
Catalog, Chapter 5, p. 37
29.
…and a student responsibility
“SYLLABUS AND COURSE PROCEDURES
The course syllabus is the student guide to the course.
Students should receive a syllabus at the beginning
of each course that describes the course, policies
within the course, and procedures that govern the
delivery of the course.
Students are responsible for obtaining the syllabus, or
for having access to it electronically, and
understanding the course policies in the syllabus.
Any questions regarding information in the syllabus
should be directed to the instructor for clarification.”
2009-2010 Catalog, Chapter 7, p. 61
30.
The nature of the course
• The syllabus must
reflect the purpose,
content, and level of
the course as stated
in the Catalog.
• It should alert
students to
controversial
content.*
31.
*When using “controversial”
material, please note the rights and
responsibilities of Academic Freedom
• As a faculty member, it is your
right to use any material, even if
it is controversial, if you deem it
germane to the subject being
studied.
• It is your responsibility to warn
students about controversial
material at the beginning, so
that they can make an informed
choice as to whether to stay in
the course.
32.
Examples of ways to alert students
to material that might be offensive.
• “The texts studied in this
course are intended for
adults and may include
some disturbing language
or situations.”
• “The writings of the past
are filled with ideas,
images, and words that
contemporary readers may
find offensive.”
33.
Course expectations
• List all required textbooks
and course materials.
• Indicate all required
assignments and tests.
• Provide a calendar for the
whole semester.
• Give your contact information
(2 ways to contact you, office
location, office hours).*
34.
*It helps to clarify your boundaries
as a faculty member by indicating
non-academic resources on campus.
• Your role is to teach your subject—don’t try to be
all things to all students!
• List student services that are available for non-
academic needs, such as
– Disability Support Services
– Information Technology Call Center
– Enrollment Services
– Counseling
35.
Course expectations, cont.
• State policies explicitly &
precisely. *
– Attendance & participation
– Late work
– Make-up exams
– Incompletes
36.
*Course policies must be stated
explicitly to be enforceable.
Interpret the following policy statement:
“Papers must submitted in class on the day
they are due; no late papers will be
accepted.”
37.
Course expectations, cont.
• Set standards for proper classroom etiquette
or online netiquette.
38.
*If a student behaves disruptively, he or
she can be sanctioned based on the
Student Code of Conduct in the UAA
Catalog.
Disruptive behavior: “Conduct that
unreasonably interferes with the
learning environment or that violates
the rights of others . . .” 2009-2010
Catalog, Chapter 5, p. 37
39.
Making classroom etiquette explicit
in the syllabus can help foster a
positive learning environment.
Sample language “Class discussion should be
governed by appropriate behavior that
exhibits respect for the individual
contributions of students and professor, as
well as for the learning process itself. Optimal
learning can occur only within an atmosphere
of collegiality and trust; any behavior which
disrespects others or disrupts the learning
process will not be tolerated.”
40.
Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to,
the following (adapted from the Institute for
Teaching and Learning website at CSU
http://tilt.colostate.edu/mti/tips/tip.cfm?tipid=44 ):
• Arriving late and leaving early
• Chit-chat (verbal or written) during lecture or
other meaningful classroom dialogue
• Ringing cell phones and cell phone
conversations during class
• Interruptive questioning during classroom
presentations
• Classroom discussions hijacked and
monopolized by one student
41.
Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to,
the following (adapted from the Institute for
Teaching and Learning website at CSU
http://tilt.colostate.edu/mti/tips/tip.cfm?tipid=44 ):
• Disrespecting other student viewpoints
• Ridiculing the instructor's presentation
• Sleeping in class, reading newspapers, non-
class related laptop use
• Harassment (“hostile” or “offensive” words
and/or behavior) directed toward other
students or the professor during class or
outside class (creating a hostile “learning,
living, or working environment”). (See 2009-
2010 Catalog, Chapter 5, p. 37-38)
42.
Course expectations, cont.
• Remind students of the
standard of academic
integrity.
43.
*If a student behaves unethically, he
or she can be sanctioned based on
the Student Code of Conduct in the
UAA Catalog.
It doesn’t hurt to remind students of the standards of
academic honesty and integrity in the syllabus:
• Some students don’t understand what plagiarism is
(or will claim they don’t understand), so it’s good to
spell it out.
• You put your students on notice that you won’t
tolerate academic dishonesty.
• Your department may have a standard statement
that you can use.
44.
Evaluation standards/methods
• Types of tests
• Types of papers
• Group work
• Field trips
• Grading on the
curve
45.
Grading system
• Indicate all assignments that will be graded.
• Indicate what individual assignments are
worth.
• Specify “hidden” points or deductions (for
lateness, extra credit, etc.).
• Specify the grading scale. (for example 90%-
100%=A, 80%-89%=B, etc.)
46.
Ensure that your grading system
makes sense and adds up.
Interpret the following grading scale:
Attendance
A in the class 1-3 absences
B in the class 4-6 absences
C in the class 7-9 absences
D in the class 10-12 absences
F in the class – more than 12 absences
Paper #1 = 250 points
Paper #2 = 250 points
Paper #3 = 500 points
Total points possible = 1000
47.
A few more generally applicable
words of advice….
• Assignments and policies
should be realistic.
• Policies should be worth
the trouble to enforce.
• Policies and grading
should give room for
(fairly) exercising your
discretion in unexpected
situations.
48.
Evaluate the following attendance
and grading policy:
“If you are 15-29 minutes late, you will
receive half of the attendance grade
for the day. If you are more than 30
minutes late, you will receive no
credit for attendance for the day.”
49.
Three Functions of a Syllabus
1. Contract
2. Communication device
a. Plan of action
b. Cognitive map
3. Reference guide
50.
2. A Communication Device
The syllabus provides the opportunity to
anticipate and respond to student questions
and to establish a tone for the course.
51.
a. Plan of action
The syllabus should
represent the overall plan
of action for the semester
– Course mission
http://curric.uaa.alaska.edu/
curric/courses/
– Educational philosophy
– Course strategy
– Course goals
– Course calendar
52.
A calendar should be more than
dates and topics
Organization of Course, BLAH 300:
“Something I Gotta Take to Graduate”
• Week 1: Overview of Course
• Week 2: From Compasses to GPS Technology
• Week 3: Equipment
• Week 4: Encountering wildlife
• Week 5: Bird-watching
• Week 7: Fur Rendezvous
• Week 7: Iditarod
• Week 8: How to Cure a Hangover and Prevent Pregnancy
• Week 9: Cabin Fever and S.A.D.
53.
b. Cognitive map
Because students need to engage
actively in creating their own
cognitive maps, you can facilitate
active learning by modeling the
mapping process.
54.
Three Functions of a Syllabus
1. Contract
2. Communication device
a. Plan of action
b. Cognitive map
3. Reference guide
55.
3. Reference guide
• The syllabus is a
reference for your
colleagues
• The syllabus is a
reference for you
56.
Keep a copy of every syllabus
for your records
• Hard or electronic
copy
• For Annual Activity
Reports
• For Review Files
• For reference when
you teach the course
again
• Course designation =
easy identification
57.
Rolling with the Punches
• Expect to make mistakes
—the perfect syllabus is • If you have to make a
an ideal to strive for. major change in mid-
semester, go about it in
• When students misread the appropriate way.
your syllabus, give them
the benefit of the doubt.
• Be aware of the
process and timeline for
• Choose your battles, student grievances.
always keeping your
overall goals in mind.
+1-315-636-4485
+91 98151-74050 
