Sample Course Syllabi, Activities, and Assignments
I have taught numerous
courses during my tenure teaching. I believe the syllabus is one of the important
course documents. Hence, I spend much time developing my syllabi. Although my
syllabi are thorough, which I find important in setting forth course
expectations, I do allow room for flexibility (see my teaching philosophy).
Below, I provide five syllabi from courses I have taught.
University of Minnesota, Spring 2004
University of Minnesota, Fall 2004
University of Minnesota, Fall 2005
St. Olaf College, Spring 2009
St. Olaf College, Spring 2009
Like my syllabi, I put much
time and effort into developing activities and assignments for my courses.
Although assignments do not always work as planned, others receive high student
ratings. Below I provide a sampling of assignments that students have enjoyed.
In addition, these assignments exemplify my teaching philosophy of building
students’ analytical skills and engaging the sociological imagination.
Based on student observations in a public place.
Questions students answered utilizing course materials.
Provides an overview of the three final paper options (listed below).
(Developed from Alexander, Susan M. 2005. “Hidden Curriculum: Gender
Students are asked to identify and analyze the gender based hidden curriculum based
on their
this assignment in class by making collages in groups and then presenting them to the class.
An activity used on the first day of the class and we
revisit at end of course.I generally pair this
assignment with a visual activity
in which I show the students pictures of
babies and ambiguous looking adults asking them to identify the person’s
gender. We
then discuss the cues we look for, relating to discussions on social
and biological basis of gender, and why gender matters so
much.
Course Evaluations
Student input on courses is
paramount in improving teaching. Although institutional required quantitative
evaluations provide good information about our teaching, they do not always
measure everything we would like to know. Or at other times, there may not be
required institutional quantitative evaluations. Thus, in courses where there
are not required institutional evaluations, I tend to use evaluations based on
open-ended questions. Furthermore, even in courses with required quantitative
evaluations, in addition to having
students be able to provide open comments, I have students answer questions I
pose specific to the course (see my discussion of quantitative scores). This helps me improve the course and my teaching in general. Below,
I provide one sample evaluation I have used in a course where there was not
required quantitative evaluations.
Family and Society, Inverhills Community College