Peer Consulting:
Navigating the (sometimes) rocky shores
of teaching and consulting
Consulting Guides
Classroom Asssessment Techniques
Reviewing the Use of Small Groups
Small Group Instructional Diagnosis
Using Student Ratings to Evaluate Teaching
Teaching Guides
Using small groups effectively
Using Classroom Assessment Techniques
Creating a Student Rating Instrument
Useful Links
Peer Consulting:
Navigating the (sometimes) rocky shores
of teaching and consulting
Going Beyond the Basic Syllabus
A syllabus can become much more than a list of expectations and due dates. If you wish to consider moving your syllabus beyond the basics here are some ideas:
- Syllabus as a contract - this type of syllabus becomes a learning contract signed by both the instructor and the students. It may contain expectations about behavior, achievement etc.
- Syllabus as a joint construction - students, especially upper level students, have some ideas about what they want/need to learn and about how they learn best, consider allowing students to have a voice in some or all aspects of the course (with your guidance, of course). This may range from having students choose between particular activities; allowing students to help organize the due dates for the course, or allowing them to help find and/or choose reading selections.
- Syllabus as a living document - syullabi do not need to be "written in stone"; syllabi on the web can be living documents which allow you (and your students) to add richness and complexity as the semester continues.