Questions
to Reflect on When Developing a Syllabus
Why did you/will you develop
the syllabus for a particular course or topic?
What objectives did you/will
you have in mind when you were developing the syllabus?
[State your objectives both in terms of content and in terms of learning
skills.]
What did you/do you want
students to take away from the course?
If someone were to ask you
why they should take this course, what would you say?
Why did you/will you choose
particular texts or give particular assignments?
What instructional methods
did you/do you propose to use and why?
At what level was/will the
course be taught?
What kind of experience
and background did/will the students have in the area or topic?
Did you/will you make use
of any instructional technology?
How did you/will you get
feedback from you students?
If you have taught the course
before, what changes would you make to the course and why?
Think about the best and
worst courses that you have taken in the past. What did they do that
was good or bad?
How does this syllabus relate
to other syllabi and materials in the portfolio?
Useful further reading: Designing
& Assessing Courses & Curricula: A Practical Guide, by Robert
M. Diamond. Available at the GSI Teaching and Resource Center.
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