Educational Grand Rounds The APC through the Back Door: A Guide to the "Suggested Guidelines for Course Syllabi“ (with apologies to Rick Steves) Educational Grand Rounds October 17, 2008 David M. Thompson, Ph.D., P.T. Assistant Professor Dept. of Biostatistics and Epidemiology College of Public Health, OUHSC

Educational Grand Rounds Where are they? OUHSC home page Administration Admissions and Records Academic Program Council (APC) Syllabus Instructions

Educational Grand Rounds Who endorses them? Academic Programs Committee (APC), OUHSCAcademic Programs Committee (APC), OUHSC Curriculum Review Committee (CRC), Graduate CollegeCurriculum Review Committee (CRC), Graduate College APCs of various CollegesAPCs of various Colleges

Educational Grand Rounds Why should faculty care about course syllabi? Helps instructor to structure the course.Helps instructor to structure the course. Reinforces structure for the studentReinforces structure for the student Establishes level of student understandingEstablishes level of student understanding Specifies division of labor between instructor and studentSpecifies division of labor between instructor and student

Educational Grand Rounds Incidentally, why do I care? Causes me to specify what I expect,Causes me to specify what I expect, to distinguish between what the students must knowwhat the students must know and what is “nice to know.”and what is “nice to know.” Gratifies students, who like to know what I expect.Gratifies students, who like to know what I expect. Eliminates need to check attendanceEliminates need to check attendance

Educational Grand Rounds Components of syllabus Basic information Course Name Semester Hours Location Instructor’s name Office location Telephone Office Hours

Educational Grand Rounds Components of syllabus Description and Prerequisites must match the information listed on the OUHSC catalog,listed on the OUHSC catalog, and on forms submitted to APC.and on forms submitted to APC.

Educational Grand Rounds Components of syllabus Helpful boilerplate Academic MisconductAcademic Misconduct –include statement and link to OU policy: Appendix C of the OUHSC Faculty HandbookAppendix C of the OUHSC Faculty Handbook mic_Misconduct.htm. mic_Misconduct.htm. mic_Misconduct.htmhttp:// mic_Misconduct.htm Reasonable Accommodation for DisabilitiesReasonable Accommodation for Disabilities –Include brief statement and link to OU policy. – easonable_Accommodation.htm easonable_Accommodation.htmhttp:// easonable_Accommodation.htm

Educational Grand Rounds Reasonable accommodation Students formally request reasonable accommodation through Suzette Dyer OU Disability Resource Center Goddard Health Center, Norman Campus 620 Elm Avenue, Suite 166 The DRC confirms the disability and works with course instructors to arrange reasonable accommodations.

Educational Grand Rounds Components of syllabus Helpful boilerplate HIPAA StatementHIPAA Statement –If course requires patient contact. Registration and WithdrawalRegistration and Withdrawal –include OU policy –include OU policy

Educational Grand Rounds Components of syllabus: Course conduct, objectives, and evaluation Learning Objectives Conduct of the Course –Format –Assigned reading Assignments –homework assignments –policy on late submissions Examinations – type of exams and policies –Policy on absence during exams Method of Evaluation and Grading –grading scale –weighting of graded components Course Materials –Both required and other useful references Course Outline

Educational Grand Rounds Learning Objectives Grad College CRC is dedicated to helping faculty use course objectives to facilitate teaching and learningto facilitate teaching and learning to structure a learning contract between teacher and learnerto structure a learning contract between teacher and learner

Educational Grand Rounds Components of useful course objectives Audience Behavior (Overt and measurable performance) Condition Degree (Level of performance)

Educational Grand Rounds Examples of specific course objectives dthompso/objectv.htm

Educational Grand Rounds Why so many? Enables (forces) the instructor to present concretely the course’s structure Enables (forces) the instructor to present concretely the course’s structure. Reinforces the structure for the student.

Educational Grand Rounds Why such detail? Establishes the goal level of student understanding Settles questions about what will be on exams

Educational Grand Rounds Defines a division of labor between the instructor’s obligation to provide a variety of experiences: lectureslectures problem solving sessionsproblem solving sessions labslabs and the students’ obligation to: and the students’ obligation to: attend classattend class solve problemssolve problems readread do homeworkdo homework

Educational Grand Rounds Eliminates need to check attendance (“Are you going to say anything important?”)

Educational Grand Rounds Matches expectations Instructor must specify what students must know Instructor must specify what students must know and acknowledge what is nice to know. and acknowledge what is nice to know. Students need to know what the instructor expects. Students need to know what the instructor expects.

Educational Grand Rounds Resources to facilitate writing of learning objectives Online tutorialOnline tutorialOnline tutorialOnline tutorial Web sources for performance taxonomies for three domains (cognitive, affective, psychomotor.Web sources for performance taxonomies for three domains (cognitive, affective, psychomotor. – – Using objectives as a learning contactUsing objectives as a learning contact –