I thought that the Nunan article was a bit dry, but overall very informative. From the overview, when Nunan outlined the four questions that curriculum developers must answer, I thought that the syllabus was the answer to the third question: “How can the educational experiences be effectively organized?” However, Nunan explains that syllabus design is concerned with choosing the educational goals and experiences that must then be organized into a lesson plan. Clearly, syllabus designers have a lot of power. Language instruction can provide only a snapshot of the entire language system, and the designers decide what aspects of the target language are contained within that snapshot. They can decide whether or not cultural instruction, grammar, slang, or conversational skills are important. They can set limits on the vocabulary and topics to be covered. In general, the students are not involved in the decision process or asked what they would like to learn. This seems to be less true with needs analysis, but it can still happen. Needs analysis also poses a problem. I think that it would be a valuable strategy in specific situations (for instance, a group of immigrant workers who only need English to function in their jobs at a large company), but problematic in, say, a college Spanish class. What are the needs of the entire group? Some may want to travel in Mexico or Spain. Some may want to communicate with their Spanish-speaking friends. Some may want to expand their business possibilities. How can you design a syllabus that meets the needs of each of these people?
I also thought that the discussion of grammar syllabuses was interesting. I think that it would be valuable to learn certain phrases and structures as an unanalyzed “chunk”. That way, the student would have an example of a correctly-used grammatical form that they could refer to when learning the grammar later in their instruction.
Regarding the objectives approach, I disagree that it would prevent teachers from taking advantage of instructional opportunities. Unless the teacher is being monitored to make sure that they adhere strictly to the lesson plan, there is no reason why he or she could not pause the class and go over, say, a different aspect of the condition or set a different standard.
I am conflicted over the standards movement. Are standards a good thing? On one hand, they (theoretically) ensure that that all students will be able to perform at an acceptable level in many different subjects. I don’t believe that it is a negative thing for students to be well rounded, but does the system ignore individual variation? It is not an issue for students to perform above the standard, but students who perform below it are penalized. But there are many reasons why someone would not attain a standard. It could be that they are not trying, so a standard might motivate them to try harder so that they can graduate. However, a student might be trying very hard but have no aptitude in math, for instance. If they still cannot reach the standard, is it fair to penalize them? One could argue that standards represent skills needed to function in society, so it would be unfair to the student to let them pass a class without making sure that they perform up to the standard. But who sets the standards? What are their priorities and biases? It is a difficult situation.
Task: Based on the reading, give your own definition of a syllabus. Now compare that definition to a syllabus from one of your non-language classes this semester. What are the similarities? The differences? Do you think that the designer of your syllabus was using a similar definition?
After reading this article and thinking about what I know about/have seen in syllabi, I believe that a syllabus should have clear expectations/requirements set out for the students. The main things that will be covered over the course of the class should be outlined so that students know what to expect are prepared to engage themselves during class. I am comparing my definition to my syllabus for an ENG class on women and literature. My ENG syllabus lists the required texts for the class (which I did not mention), Course description (which is basically what I said), Course requirements (which is exactly what I mentioned a syllabus should have), the break-down of the course grade (which I did not mention but I think it is very useful to have so that the student knows what the big assignments are), and my ENG syllabus also includes additional information such as late paper information, academic integrity information, and special needs (all of which I did not mention but are all useful information, although at this point I understand plagiarism/academic integrity so that is just redundant). And last but not least it contains a schedule for the entire semester-showing what will be covered everyday in class and what readings/homework need to be done and due dates. I sort of said that I thought should be in a syllabus when I talked about expectations/requirements - when things are due and when readings need to be done. The designer of my syllabus included more then what I included in my original definition. I am not going to change my definition for the purpose of this assignment but I do believe that my instructor's syllabus includes everything that I need to know for the course and having a tentative schedule attached is always a nice thing to have so that the student knows what it coming and what is to be expected of them.
ReplyDeleteBased on my college experiences, I would define a syllabus as an outline of the main objectives/goals/topics to be discussed during a specific class. Based on the readings, I would stick with my previous definition, but acknowledge that there are many different ways in which a syllabus can be designed, especially when taking factors such as standards and teaching style (CBI, CBLT) into account. In my psychology class, our syllabus follows the aforementioned ideas. It contains a section entitled “Student Learning Outcomes”, with goals such as “compare and contrast the major theories of human development.” This particular professor seems to agree with the general definition of a syllabus.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I liked the ideas you brought up with respects to standards. They affect all teachers and students and are a cause for great debate amongst educators. I hope we get a chance to discuss them further in class…
My own definition of a syllabus is a document that states the general topics that will be studied in the course, the goals that the teacher has for the student which are more specific learning objectives, expectations the teacher has of students and generally how the students will be assessed.
ReplyDeleteThe similarities that I encountered between my definition of a syllabus and the syllabus for my TE (Teacher Education) class is that the syllabus generally touched on all aspects that I listed in my own definition. The differences are that the syllabus for my TE class goes into a lot of detail. The syllabus also gives a detailed description of all major assignments.
I definitely think the designer of the syllabus was using a similar definition. Because it is for a TE class, my professors of TE have all studied how to make a syllabus so that they can teach it to us students. Therefore, they tend to include all important aspects in a syllabus. These professors know how important it is to have a detailed syllabus.
My personal definition of a syllabus is the course outline. It should include assignment due dates, detailed expectations of assignments, what we are doing day by day, course goals, description of the course, professor/teacher contact information, and the grading scale. In my education class the syllabus does not contain a course description, it does contain the rules of the classroom, expectations of the students, an academic honeslty contract, a small description of assignments, professor information and a grading scale. It does nto include when assignments are due, a day by day schedule, or the course goals of the class. The syllabus is similar to mine, and the desginer of the syllabus could have been using a similar definition, but expected the actual teacher of the course to add components of the syllabus.
ReplyDeleteI think my mental picture aside from the reading matches all the definitions given here. In my mental definition the emphasis is on the fact it's a course outline, not a class outline. For my non language classes I have a vague idea of what we're doing on any given day, but there usually aren't specific "tasks" or "activities" planned out and shared with me in advance. For example, my linguistics syllabus lets me know about textbooks, tells me what reading to do on what days, and when assignments are due. Each class period has a specific subject that we'll be focusing on, but usually that focus consists of a lecture, and little else. It's very different from the various activities listed under 3.1 as subsections of a lesson which frequently involve student participation in learning.
ReplyDeleteMy definition of a syllabus is basically an outline of a course that includes things that students need to know to achieve in the class. Things included would be course description, required texts, grading scale, instructor information, schedule of the course and assignments. Knowing these things help students prepare for assignments, know what readings they will do, and what the class is really about. I want to be able to look back on the syllabus whenever I want and find all that information.
ReplyDeleteIn one of my East Asian Culture classes, I had a syllabus that had most of the things that I think should be in a syllabus but it wasn't as detailed as I would have liked it to be. The syllabus included assignments we were going to have but it didn't have descriptions of what the papers were gonna be about. Also, the schedule didn't include any dates. It just had the days of the week which was really confusing.
I think the designer of the syllabus used a similar definition and included the main things that need to be in a syllabus but lacked details. I remember having to ask a lot of questions about it because it didn't include details we needed to know to get through the class.
My definition of a syllabus is a detailed, descriptive outline of a course that essentially allows students to know what to expect prior to day 1 of the course. Knowing what to expect from a class allows students to be able to indirectly understand the expectations of the course before the teacher even explains them. Even after the teacher has explained the course along with their syllabus, if properly detailed and organized, it is a good reference for students if they have questions concerning assignments or expectations before questioning the teacher. Things that I would include in a syllabus include a information about myself and contact information, class description, grading scale, daily/weekly agenda, assignments due, tests and quiz dates, and required books and/or readings of the class.
ReplyDeleteIn one of my CEP classes, the first day of class, the teacher went over a syllabus, which included expectations of the course and of the students, the grading scale, and the required readings. Essentially, it was an overview of the course with hardly any structure. Students did not receive a copy of the syllabus, which was a little frustrating specifically because I like to look back and reference dates to copy into my planner, or if I have a question about the grading scale, it's in there as well. I understand that I easily copied down the information on the first day of class, but a formal reference would have been nice. Tests and quiz dates weren't referenced simply because there is a quiz daily, and the assignments weren't addressed because they are given at the end of class. This approach is somewhat effective, however, because I'm used to formal, printed syllabi, it threw me a little off guard.
My definition of a syllabus is an outline or a summary of the main points of a text, or a lecture. A syllabus basically covers the main points of what is going to be taught in the course. I personally think that it serves as the single most vital tool of a structure in a course. A syllabus needs to be clear and concise, explaining the goals and objectives of a course in full-on detail. The things included on a successful syllabus would be a clear course description, instructor information, required text/readings/materials, a course description along with objective, a course schedule along with important due dates for assignments, course policies, academic dishonesty, and lastly, the grading scale used.
ReplyDeleteMy TE301 class greatly fits my definition of a great syllabus. When I printed off the syllabus the first day of class, I noticed that it was longer than a normal class syllabus. It is 12 pages long, and gives a thorough explanation of every assignment that we have in the course of the semester. To me, this is seen as very beneficial because if a student wants to get a head start on an assignment, they are allowed to. I think that my teacher was most likely using a similar definition to my own because every point that needs to be addressed in my definition of a syllabus, is made known in this syllabus. There is not many differences that I noticed between the relationship between my syllabus definition and what my TE301 syllabus actually provides. My TE301 syllabus actually goes above and beyond my syllabus definition. I think my professor made such a perfect syllabus in order to show us the value and importance of what being a teacher actually is supposed to mean to us. With this, we can learn how vital it is to give our students a clear and concise syllabus.
I think a syllabus is a very important part of the class. I feel that it must involve many parts. It should include dates and times when assignments are due, a clear grading scale, the expectations of the course, what the course will be covering, what the students are expected to learn, what the professor feels is A material, what the big assignments are and how much they weigh on the course, and what the grade of the class will rely on the most. This is all very important and if one piece is missing then a student can become very confused.
ReplyDeleteThis happend to me because i have a class this semester that had most of the details i have listed. However it was missing a detailed grading scale. All that was mentioned was that it was on MSU grading scale. Being worried about tests and how much they were I went to see my professor. I learned that the tests were actually curved and that the professor understood that people do bad on tests and would give extra credit on multiple occasions. I asked why this was not included in the syllabus and he stated that he did not want his students to think they could slcak off and not study as hard for the tests. While I understand that I feel that he should have included it because for people like me that struggle with tests and get worried it would have been calming to know he understood my situation and I didnt have to worry as much.
My definition of a syllabus would be a summary and outline of what the course is to be about. The syllabus would contain the teacher's information, office hours and location of class. There would be a brief description of the course and books needed. The syllabus would contain what the professor expects out of the student. There would be a rubric of the class and a grading scale. The student can then aim for a grade that they desire based on the expectations of the professor and what is attainable. There would also be a list of the class's assignments or project with a description and a percentage of how much the assignment is worth. There would be a schedule of the class's assignments, readings and exam dates. This way, the student will be able to know the assignments and have a clear understanding of what is expected of each one so that there will be no questions later. A schedule is a great idea as well so that if a student misses class, he/she knows what is due. This way there won't be a million e-mails to the teacher in regards to what the assignment is, how much it's worth, etc.
ReplyDeleteA syllabus from a class I have this semester fits this definition pretty well. The syllabus starts off with teacher information, a basic description of the class, materials needed, a grading scale and rubric, and a schedule of the class's assignments. I don't see any differences from the syllabus in my class to my own definition. The syllabus from my class hits on every point that I would have in my syllabus.
I think that a syllabus is a tool to speak to students about the goals and standards that students should aim to achieve. The syllabus should communicate the expectations of the student while in class and preparing for it. It will describe a route that the course will take: ideally the description shows a purposeful plan but is also flexible based on how the class flows.
ReplyDeleteThe syllabus for GSAH311 (Global Studies) lists goals of the class and expectations of a student, in a similar way that my ideal syllabus will look. The plan/schedule of the class seems very structured and purposeful, but it does not say that it is flexible based on how the class flows. Otherwise, this syllabus is close to my ideal syllabus.
I do think the designer of the syllabus used a similar definition and actually based on how I understand the professor now, he is somewhat flexible on certain aspects of the class. This is similar to how I feel about the syllabus of my class being flexible. I think sometimes things need to be altered and it's fair to warn students that the possibility exists.
I really liked this task and reading your responses. It showed that most of the non-language classes do not have clearly spelled out goals and objectives other than the instructions for how to get a good grade. In the German program we just recently decided to think of our entire curriculum and the goals we have for our students at the end of a BA in German. Then we worked backwords and thought about what students should be able to do at any given language. We tried to make our linguistic and liberal learning goals match with the broader context. Our language proficiency goals are aligned with the ACTFL guidelines and our liberal learning goals are aligned with the university's liberal learning goals. We are now in the process of listening these goals on our syllabi in a consistent manner, so that no matter what class you take, you will see familiar goals. What I find hard to express - though it always goes into the syllabus and course planning - is how the different assignments, readings, and tasks help fulfill the various goals. You have to make a big effort as an instructor to always make that clear to the students.
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