1. Course Design/Creating Syllabi
Engineering Teaching Excellence Institute
Kathryn Dimiduk

2. Course Context Place in curriculum Prior year’s content Textbook
prerequisites
follow-on courses
co-requisites
Prior year’s content
Textbook
Professor’s list of major topics (by name not textbook chapter)
Math, computer, other skills students have or need

3. Course Content Outline of course by topics Skills to be learned
Novice to Expert Thinking

4. Schedule/Calendar University Calendar Exams Lectures
How many, in class or evening
Lectures
How many
Length
Events (using class time)

5. Schedule/Calendar
Assignments
Type
How often
How many

6. Master Plan for Course Class organization Teaching methods
Content grid
Topics
Skills – spread out across course
Thinking – guide towards more expert patterns

7. Course Planning Spreadsheet
Main topic
Sub topics
Needed skills
Skills to be taught
Notes:
Lab, HW demo, readings, active learning

8. Course Planning Spreadsheet Example
Main topic
Subtopic
Needed skills
Skills to be taught
Notes
Electro-statics
30% of course
Charges,
Conductors insulators,
background
Demo: electroscope, action at a distance, charging by induction
Coulomb’s Law
Electric Forces
Calculus
Superposition
Superposition activity
Gauss’ law
Vector Calculus
Symmetry to simplify
Colored chalk to show structure of examples
Electric potential
Divergence
Demo: van der graaf generator

9. Course Planning Spreadsheet cont.
Main Topic
Subtopic
Skills needed
Skills to be taught
Notes
Capacitors
Capacitor energy storage - bang
Circuits
10% of course
Series, parallel
Kirchoff
Algebra
Linear algebra
Calculator matrix sol
Error checking
Group hard algebraic problem: how to check work
Capacitors, resistors, inductors
Conceptual checks of answers,
Conceptual understanding
Clicker Q

10. Master Plan for Course Detailed Schedule on Calendar Days for lectures
Fit grid on calendar
“adjustment days” expand or contract content so fits as semester progresses
Exams

11. Course Calendar Example
Week
Date
Lecture
Reading HW 1
Jan 19, 2009
Intro
Charges
materials
Ch 1: 1-3
Jan 21
Charging
Coulomb’s Law,
Ch 1: 4-5
Jan 23
Superposition & activity
Ch 1:6-8 2
Jan 26
Gauss’ law
Ch 2: 1-2
HW 1 due
Ch 1: p 4, 17, 23 and …
See blackboard

12. Comments on Calendar Plan whole semester in advance
Hand out one of following
Entire calendar
One month at a time
Until the next test
A less detailed version
Shock absorber days to adjusting timing
Less important material
Applications that can be added or omitted
Label calendar Tentative

13. Aids on CD Blank and sample course planning spreadsheet
Course calendar for spring 2009 for MWF course and for TR course
Detailed outline of this talk
University information
Exams
Rooms
Services ….

14. Master Plan for Course Lets you do the planning just once
Keep on track, less worry
Adjust content to fit schedule chapter by chapter
Don’t skip last chapter(s) due to poor planning
Take Notes on schedule for next time

15. Using Clickers Clickers Real time feedback
Easy to collect teaching data
Students learn more effectively
Questions get easier to write with practice

16. Active Learning Possibilities
Clickers
Think Pair Share
Minute Papers
Clear – Muddy
Simulations
Worksheets
Hands-on activities
Attend active learning talk for more information

17. Balancing your total workload, how long should you spend creating 1 lecture?
(A) 1 hour or less (B) About 2 hours (C) 3-5 hours (D) 6 or more hours (E) Just wing it

18. How much time will it take you to design a course?
(A) About a day (B) About a week (C) At least a month (D) All available time and more (E) Why didn’t someone tell me I was teaching before the course started?

19. How much time outside of class should students spent on a 4 credit course?
(A) 1 hour or less (B) 2-3 hours (C) 4-6 hours (D) 7-9 hours (E) 10 or more hours

20. Creating a Syllabus Course description or content or goals
What are you teaching
How are you teaching it
Why is it important

21. Syllabus content: logistics
Basic course information
Course name and number
Class time and location
Prerequisites
Credit hours
Grading options if available

22. Syllabus content: logistics
Instructor information
Your name (and rank?)
Your
Your office or dept. office
Phone number – yours or dept. office
Any contact encouragement or rules
Office hours

23. Syllabus content: Logistics
Other teaching staff
Team teachers
TA(s)
Grader(s)
Lab TA(s)
For each give name and appropriate contact info

24. Syllabus content: logistics
Required materials
Textbook
Course packet
Lab manual
Calculator or computer or programs
Other required materials

25. Syllabus content: policies
Course Policies
What do the students need to know right away
What needs to be in writing
Attendance rules
No cheating
How to hand in work

26. Syllabus content: policies - grading
How will the course be graded
What will be graded?
What weight will be given to each component?
Will any grades be dropped
Late policy
Excused and unexcused absences
What is allowed
What will happen
What documentation is needed

27. Syllabus content: teaching
How will the course be taught
Lectures
Active Learning
Homework
Reading
Papers or reports
Labs
…..

28. Syllabus content: Support Services
Verified Disabilities will be accommodated
Tutoring through ….
Extra help available through ….
Office hours
other

29. Syllabus content: logistics
Technology
Blackboard
Class website
Wiki
Clickers
etc

30. Syllabus content: course content and schedule
What material will be covered in the course
Tentative schedule for covering material
or approximately how much of the course is on each topic
When will exams be given
When are major assignments due
Any special events

31. Syllabus - finishing Components - select and add as needed
Reread for tone – does the syllabus welcome the students and share the excitement of learning?
Proof read – first contact with students– Errors make a poor first impression
Have someone else proof read
Make enough copies or post to website

32. Questions?