As I approach the end of term, I try to spend some quality time with my syllabus. I may teach this course next term, or I may teach it two years from now. When I do, there’s a good chance I won’t remember everything I wanted to change. The syllabus is where I keep those thoughts.
First, every syllabus I write offers me a detailed breakdown of the course design. I can comment to myself (in a different color or font) on whether the description is still accurate (did the student experience what I said they would?). I can adjust the language of my course goals, adding or subtracting them to reflect what actually happened. I can adjust my course policies (attendance, evaluation, etc.) to take into account anything that occurred this term where I had to make up a policy on the spot, or wish I had established earlier.
I can think about the amount of time I devoted to topics: too little, too much. I can look at my project descriptions to see if changes in wording could head off questions that came from the class. I can review the texts I chose for the course. Did they actually support the goals and projects I set for the students? Should I look for better ones?
I can look at the written assignments or tests? Were they described accurately? Did any students fall into wholes that I created through faulty or ambiguous wording? I’ll know more about how they in a few weeks, after I grade the last piece of work, but at this point, explaining the assignments to them ids still fresh in my mind.
What do you do as the term is winding down to prepare for the next time you teach the class?
Sunday, May 13, 2007
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