outlining the class
what are some ways in which graphics could be used to enhance a syllabus?
Carmen,
This is pretty typical for most institutions. It is important to make minor alterations or provide the students with addenda that will demonstrate that the instructor has customized the course. In my experience, students can become a little "dejected" when they feel that they are not receiving a unique learning experience.
Tremayne Simpson
Hi Tremayne
The syllabus are created by a specific team in coorporate and they are standard for all the campuses. In regards to lesson plans they provide a lesson plan but I do alterations to accomodate the students needs.
Carmen,
Is the syllabus for your class standardized? Do you have the authority to create your own lesson plans or are they provided by administration?
Tremayne Simpson
I teach pharmacy technician and even though I do not get to work in the syllabi I believed that by having graphics of all the compounding and IV admixture we make it could give an idea to the students of how exciting and demanding is the course.
Scott,
Thanks for providing more insight on the course that you teach. I can definitely see how a syllabus with graphic design would benefit your course. I'm sure that the students could look at the pictures of the types of foods that they will be making and get excited about the the class topical outline. In this case, the syllabus would serve as a "teaser" for the students.
Tremayne Simpson
That's a great question. I'm a chef-instructor and I teach an international foods class. The structure of the class is divided into lectures on one day and student production on alternating days. Even though the students are familiar with the cooking techniques (grilling, poaching, sauteeing, etc ...) they really haven't used a lot of the exotic ingredients from some of the cultures we study.
I'm lucky that the school I work in gives us a little latitude with the design of the syllabus, so on the production days that are described on the syllabus, I'll put a picture of an ingredient they may not have used before. For example, when we do Caribbean food, we make a pastelle, which is essentially a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf and uses cassava instead of masa. So I include a pictur of what a banana leaf looks like, what a cassava looks like, and what the finished product should look like. These pics on the syllabus at least make them aware of what the products look like.
Michael,
Interesting questions. We use standard-formatted syllabi at my institution, however I do see the validity in adding graphic designs to the syllabus. I think that certain areas, such as the weekly outline and course guidelines, could be presented with an appealing visual that would "highlight" the importance of the information.
Tremayne Simpson
