Syllabus: your course road map

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

"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." -- Deuteronomy 32:2

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 syllabi¹ 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."¹

¹Note: Syllabi is the plural form of syllabus.

    -- Howard Culbertson

Syllabi on this website

For courses at European Nazarene College

• Chiesa del Nazareno: sua storia e politica
• Dottrine cristiane 2
• L'evangelizzazione e la chiesa
• Introduzione al nuovo testamento
• Preaching
• Shenjteri dhe Identitet
• La vocazione e il ministero personale

For course at Nazarene International Language Institute (Quito, Ecuador)

• Christian Faith

For a course at Nazarene Theological Seminary

• Mission in Global Contexts

For a course at Northwest Nazarene University

• Missiology and Contextualization

For courses at Southern Nazarene University

• Christian Faith and Life
• Christian Thought
• Church Growth and Christian Missions
• Cultural Anthropology -- traditional students
• Cultural Anthropology -- Adult Studies Bridge
• Cultural Anthropology -- by arrangement
• Introduction to Biblical Literature
• Introduction to Christian Missions
• Ministry, Church and Society
• Ministry, Church and Society -- online
• Ministry Experience
• Modern Missionary Movement
• Nazarene Missions
• Strategies of mission practices
• Summer Ministry Experience -- Africa
• Theology of Missions
• Traditional religions
• Urban missions -- Directed study
• World's Living Religions (also known as World Religions)
• World Religions -- Directed study

For course taught at Trinity International University

• Perspectives on the World Judeo-Christian Movement

Are you one of these characters?

Online students I've met -- Caricatures of annoying behavior in online classes

    -- Howard Culbertson,

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