Musings on Course Outline & Syllabus

Anup K. Singh, Ph.D.

What Is a Syllabus? Syllabus is a guideline for the instruction of

a subject. It is based on subject standards.

Course Outline Course outline is a blueprint for the

implementation of a subject/course. It is a bridge between the instructor and students. It covers the overview of a subject, specific contents, pedagogies and assessment methods.

Relationship between the Two Two dominant views:

There is no difference between the two They must be differentiated as they differ

conceptually and procedurally (I subscribe to this approach)

Comparison of Syllabus and Course OutlineSyllabus Course Outline It is a guideline It is universal

It is about proposed contents

It is static It is constant for all

instructors It is a determiner of

course outline

It is specific by nature It is both universal and

contextual It is about contents,

pedagogy and assessment

It is dynamic It is a creative outcome

of an instructor/area thinking

It is affected by several factors besides syllabus

Role of Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes are the fulcrum of any

course. Everything in a course revolves around them.

Success of a course hinges on the achievement of learning outcomes.

Learning outcomes of a course have to relate with the learning outcomes of a programme.

Learning outcomes at Jaipuria are developed , using RBT.

Learning Outcomes

Contents andPedagogy

Assessment

StudentProfile &Feedback

FacultyDiscussio

n

Syllabus

Resources

andTime

Industry

Needs

Drivers and Consequences of Learning Outcomes

Approaches to Course Design Use a theoretical framework Divide a course into modules on thematic

basis Content driven design Less knowledge, more thinking based design Hybrid approach

Typical Problems with Course Design

Lack of alignment among learning outcomes, contents and assessment

Incoherent and scattered contents Highly information driven course Poor overview of the course Mismatch between coverage and instructional

methods Disconnect between learning outcomes and

assessment Course outline inconsistent with course design

policy