CHECKLIST FOR WRITING AN INTEGRATED COURSE OUTLINE
“Integrated” means that all components (description, content, objectives, and assignments) have a common theme and are specifically linked. For example, the description reflects the content and the assignments reflect the objectives.
I.CATALOG & SCHEDULE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
(Note: At LAMC, the Catalog and Schedule descriptions are required to be the same.)
The course description must be an exact replica of the description for the Catalog. Key elements are:
1.Forty word limit
2.Complete sentences
3.Present tense
4.Identify special requirements of course, e.g., FT field trips.
II.COURSE CONTENT: OUTLINE OF TOPICS
This is the “central component” of the outline. Remember: since your objectives mirror your content, be thorough! The key elements for this section are:
- Use outline format. (The minimum standard is to keep this section to two level, topics and subtopics. Some highly technical courses may require additional subtopics.)
- Show all topics.
- Show relationship among key concepts, relative emphasis each will generally receive, and depth of treatment.
III.COURSE OBJECTIVES: STUDENT OUTCOMES
Objectives must clarify the level of rigor expected and identify what all professors teaching this course should expect their students to do after successful completion. This part of the outline requires the following:
- Itemized list of specific, observable, measurable behaviors that begin with action verbs. (See Bloom’s Taxonomy)
- Most objectives MUST reflect critical thinking as opposed to the more basic recall, knowing, or understanding of information.
- A sequential order (2 objectives for 1 content item; 1 objective for 2 content items) which follows the Outline of Topics is useful to both reviewers and faculty. A one to one match is not required.
- Objectives need to be actions: Describe what the learners will be doing upon achievement of objective. Also, in terms of measuring the courses’ learning outcomes, a minimum performance element should be included: how well must students perform, e.g., 70% accuracy, within one degree, in accordance with accrediting agency standards, etc.
IV.READING ASSIGNMENTS
Key elements for this section are:
- Texts and other readings should be specific to the course. Identifying specific news articles is not required nor advised as it is too restrictive.
- It is helpful to identify types of material (e.g., text, data, graphs, charts, etc.)
V.WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Key elements for this section are:
- Describe in-class or outside writing tasks (e.g., essays, lab reports, technical reports, journal entries, research papers, critiques, summaries, etc.)
- Include the kind of thinking required for successful completion (e.g., synthesizing, drawing comparisons, contrasts, conclusion, determining cause and effects, etc.)
- Give a minimum of three examples utilizing elements 1 and 2 above or
- Write a lead-in paragraph that provides specific direction for writing activities then give a list of types of activities as identified in element 1 above.
VI.APPROPRIATE OUTSIDE ASSIGNMENTS
Key elements for this section are:
- For lecture classes, state: “Two hours of outside preparation per unit per week is expected of each student”.
- List specific types and examples of tasks (e.g., textbook note taking, library research, etc.)
VII.APPROPRIATE ASSIGNMENTS THAT DEMONSTRATE CRITICAL THINKING
Key elements for this section are:
- Assignments should not have one right answer. They should be thought-provoking, requiring the student to perform some independent analysis, comparison, inference, application, prediction, or evaluation,
- Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy to define the levels.
- Give a minimum of three examples.
VIII.METHODS OF EVALUATION
Key elements for this section are:
- Define ways the student demonstrates meeting of course objectives.
- Be specific and indicate level of thinking required. Show that critical thinking skills are required.
- Address the issue of grades, listing the types of performance measures that will be used and the standards which will ensure a final grade of “C”.
IX.METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Key elements for this section are:
- List the various methods of instruction (e.g., lecture, lecture/discussion, seminar, lab, lab-lecture combination, teaming and collaborative learning, etc.)
- If Technologically Mediated Instruction may be used, indicate this as a separate method.
X.REQUIRED TEXTS AND SUPPLIES
Key elements for this section are:
TEXTS
- If this is a transferable course, add the statement: “College level texts will be used”.
- Citation of texts to include:
Author’s last name, first name, initial. Title of Book. Edition, Publisher, date.
Example: Hinton, Sam, Seashore Life in Southern California, 3rd Edition, University of California Press, 1995.
SUPPLIES
A list of required course equipment that goes beyond “normal learning supplies”.
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