Syllabus: your course road map

"Syllabus: a brief statement of the main points of a course of study" -- American Heritage Dictionary

Dictionaries often use the phrase "brief statement" in defining syllabus. In reality, most course syllabi (at least mine) tend to be multi-page documents. A good syllabus is a gold mine of information about assignments, due dates and grading expectations.

A good description of syllabi at schools like Southern Nazarene University appeared some time ago in the Journal of Education for Business. In describing a syllabus, Greg Kearsley and William Lynch wrote:

"The single most important instrument of structure in a course is the SYLLABUS, [a document] which outlines the goals and objectives of a course, prerequisites, the grading/evaluation scheme, materials to be used (textbooks, software), topics to be covered, a schedule, and a bibliography. Each of these components defines the nature of the learning experience:

• "Goals and objectives identify the expected outcomes and scope of the course as determined by the instructor or course designer, restricting the domain of knowledge for the learner.
• "Prerequisites limit the student population to those with certain kinds of learning experiences, usually other courses.
• "The grading or evaluation scheme tells students what kind of learning activities are to be valued (e.g., assignments, tests, papers, projects), that is, the currency of learning in this particular course.
• "Topics to be covered specify the content that the instructor feels is important.
• "The schedule provides a timetable for learning, usually with milestones in the form of due dates or tests."

Syllabi on this web site

• Chiesa del Nazareno: sua storia
• Christian Thought
• Church Growth and Christian Missions
• Cultural Anthropology -- traditional students
• Cultural Anthropology -- Adult Studies Bridge
• Introduction to Biblical Literature
• Introduction to Christian Missions
• Ministry, Church and Society
• Modern Missionary Movement
• Theology of Missions
• Traditional religions
• World's Living Religions (also known as World Religions)

SNU missions course materials and syllabi

Howard Culbertson, 5901 NW 81st, Oklahoma City, OK 73132  |  Phone: 405-740-4149 - Fax: 405-491-6658


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