How should I handle syllabus adjustments?
I've created one course from scratch, and had another shortened by two weeks due to snow closings recently. In both cases, what I believed was going to work up front was not working, either due to poor planning and inexperience on my part or due to external factors beyond my control.
Are there any general rules of thumb for handling such adjustments?
Thanks much,
Rob
Nancy,
Mini-lectures are a great way to engage students just as you have mentioned. They keep the class moving forward without overwhelming the students with content before they get to make application.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I love the idea of mini lectures! I know from personal expereience that after 15 min I start zoning out and getting sleepy during a lecture. Especially, like most students, I was up late the previous night studying. We have to wake them up and wake their interest back up.
Cesia,
You are going to like the results you get with mini-lectures and the increased student engagement that results. I wish you continued teaching success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I really like the mini lecture ideas...Lately I've been thinking get through the power point lecture and then focus on lab stuff. I am lucky to have great students who don't mind the long lecture time, but it would be nice to give them a break from lecture and allow them to get some hands on in between and cover the topics previously addressed. Thank you!
Diane,
There really aren't any set guidelines but the most common best practice is to notify all students of the changes via an email and if the course is onsite the a handout would be provided as well. Take a little time in class to talk about the changes so that everyone understands what has been changed and how it impacts them in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Dr. Meers,
What are the guidelines for changing the syllabus regarding reposting the edited document?
Thanks, Diane Osso
Greg,
Not sure what this comment means. Can you expand on this thought? Thanks.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Right no par, in my opinion.
Laura,
I think you are going to like the results you get with this approach.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This is a great idea! Even though my class is only 75 min long, if I break it into thrirds with the activity falling in the middle as aposed to the beginning or end I will have their attention longer.
Thanks!
Richard,
Good point and something to consider as we select the content we are going to share with our students. We need to make the selected content have value and application for our students if we are going to take the time and effort to teach it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I often try to think about what I would like my students to be able to remember or do 6 months or a year after my course has ended. That helps me to focus on the most important aspects on the course, which can be particularly beneficial when you find yourself in a time crunch.
Cheers,
Richard Plate
Awesome. this answer had insight in to my situation too.
I had a question similar to this. Thank you for answering!
Rob,
I don't have any specific rules for you to follow in situations like this. What I would offer is when you read that what you are doing does not work then you need to start introducing different delivery methods to see which ones will work. For example if you are lecturing for 2-3 hours at a time and your students are drifting away then it is time to introduce the mini-lecture approach of 15-20 lecture over content and then an activity where the students use the content that has been covered. Then you can go back to the next mini-lecture and then activity. The activities can be small group discussions, role playing, case studies, guest speakers, etc.. Students like change of pace and variety in their instructional delivery so the more of both you can offer the better.
As for the shorten course this is a challenge but when I have done this I look at what has not been covered and select the key concepts that my students need to have at the end of the course. These concepts are where I concentrate my efforts. What I find is that when I do this I am actually more focused and my students gain a lot of information and I haven't short changed them in what I did not cover. This effort makes me more effective and efficient in my delivery.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
