A Syllabus of Questions
Instructor
- Who is in charge here, and why?
- What do we need to know about the instructor?
- What is the instructor's role in the course?
Overview
- What did I think I was signing up for?
- Why did I sign up for this course?
- What is the story being told?
- Where are we headed? By which route?
- What will it take to get there?
Objectives
- What do we hope to come out of the course with?
- Are there applications for future careers?
- What further study should this course prepare us for?
- What skills will we develop?
- What kind of class community do we hope to foster?
Expectations
- What kinds of activities will help us learn and demonstrate that we have done so?
- Is there a final project? What would be most constructive and appropriate to the material?
- Are there other major projects throughout the course?
- What kinds of habits should we be practicing on a daily or weekly basis?
- What do we expect of ourselves in class time?
Evaluation
- What are the activities that our grades should reflect?
- What activities should not be graded?
- How can we break each activity down to ensure it is graded fairly?
- Is there a process of revision or repetition?
- What happens if there is a dispute about a grade?
Agreements
- How do we commit to carrying ourselves, and how do we expect to be treated?
- What happens when conflict arises?
- What do we need to do to ensure the course is accessible for all participants?
- Do we understand and accept the expectations for our conduct set out by the university?
- How do we change these agreements and this syllabus when necessary?
Schedule
- Who determines what happens when?
- What is a reasonable expectation for what can be accomplished each week?
- If the pace isn't working, how do we know and what do we do?