Syllabus Construction

 

Writing can facilitate your students' learning; it can be a means by which you assess your students' learning; and it can allow students to develop documents that represent their work in your course.  Writing is also a means by which you can structure your course.  How do you want, and need to, use writing in your course?  

Here are some questions to think about as you decide how to make writing serve your instructional goals.
 

  1. What do I want to accomplish with writing?
    bulletFacilitate critical thinking?
    bulletPromote thoughtful reading?
    bullet

    Learn how well students are synthesizing the readings or applying concepts to broader issues?

    bulletGive students a chance to grapple in writing with key issues of western civilization?
     
  2. What value do I place on the following:
    bulletInformal writing?
    bulletFormal products?
    bulletRevision?
     
  3. To what extent do I want writing to provide structure for my course?
     
  4. How can I structure assignments so as to challenge students through writing over the semester?
     
  5. As I incorporate writing into my course, am I considering the demands on my students and myself?

An earlier version of this document was developed by Mary Pat McQueeney at KU. 
This version was produced by Mary Pat McQueeney at JCCC on March 17, 2000.