Developing Transformed Syllabi
College of Education and Allied Studies
Office of Semester Conversion
Academic Programs and Graduate Studies
February 4, 2016
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Oakland/Concord Room
Deadlines for Programs and Departments
Program
Due Date
Service courses
10/12/15 – 12/11/15
Graduate and credential
programs
11/16/15 – 2/12/16
Undergraduate programs
1/11/16 – 5/13/16
General education courses 1/11/16 – 5/13/16
Developing Transformed Syllabi
Workshop Outcomes
 Why a transformed syllabus?
 What IS a transformed syllabus and who is it for?
 Elements of a transformed syllabus and the
connections among these elements
 Uses for a transformed syllabus
Deliverables for “Transformation”
 New or revised PLOs
 New or revised curriculum map
 New or revised assessment plan
 Detailed syllabi for transformed courses
 New or revised roadmap: including GE, pre-
requisite, required, and elective courses
Page 5, Semester Conversion Guide
What is a Detailed Syllabus for
Transformed Course?
 A template is in your handouts.
 We will work from this template today.
 Note that this is NOT intended as a student
syllabus.
Elements of the Detailed Syllabus for
each Transformed Course
1. Course information
Department, Course Title and Number, Catalog
Description, Number of units, Student Population
2. Learning Outcomes
Course, Program, GE, ILO
3. Evidence of Transformation
4.
Connections between your course outcomes, relevant
course activities, assignments and assessment strategies
5. Examples Transformed Syllabus Approaches
Uses for a Transformed Syllabus
Template is submitted with New Course
Requests (via Curriculog as an attachment in 2016)
# 3, “Evidence of Transformation” is what
represents the transformation.
 Records the department’s thoughts and commitment
to transformation
 Can be a resource for instructors teaching the course
(especially those new to the course)
 Can be used as an assessment tool
Making Connections
Among the Elements
Course Learning
Outcomes
Pedagogical
Approaches and
Course Activities
Course
Assignments and
Assessment
Strategies
What Level(s) for Your Outcomes?
• What are the levels of thinking in the course? (Could also be other levels
such as attitudinal or psychomotor)
• How can you express these levels using learning outcomes that are
measurable and observable?
Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain, Page 14, Semester Conversion Guide
.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
with Associated Assessments
Handout
Activity #1: Outcomes Critique
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Analyze literary works for their structure and meaning
Develop an appreciation of music
Develop and present an integrated marketing
communications advertising campaign
Demonstrate a developing intellectual curiosity and a habit of
lifelong learning, through choice of research topics, the
number and quality of questions asked in class, the
application of course concepts or themes to lived
experiences or world events, or through other similar means
Identify soil texture and structure
Learn about digestion
Critically evaluate the choreography, performance, and
theatrical elements of a dance performance
Are these measureable?
Are these observable?
Rethinking our Pedagogy:
Another Transformational Practice
High-Impact Teaching
High Impact Learning
 Writing-to-learn (e.g. quick-
 Problem-based learning
 Performances,





writes, journals, blogs, other
reflective writing)
Progressive assignments with
ongoing feedback
Collaborative projects and
assignments
Building cross-curricular
perspectives
Diverse and global
perspectives
Building connections between
learning and real-world
settings - Relevance





demonstrations, and
presentations
Research experiences
Service learning,
community based learning
Field trips
Capstone projects
Shared intellectual
experiences
Activity #2: What Other Activities, Assignments,
and Assessments Align with this Outcome?
Course outcome
Relevant activities
Relevant assignment Relevant assessment
strategies
Analyze literary
works for their
structure and
meaning
Writing to learn
Scaffold writing
assignments with
feedback
Final paper
Rubrics for the
level of analysis
Activity #2: What Other Activities, Assignments,
and Assessments Align with this Outcome?
Course outcome
Relevant activities
Relevant assignment Relevant assessment
strategies
Develop and
present an
integrated
marketing
communications
advertising
campaign
Working in teams,
students develop
campaign with
local business
owners
Campaign
submitted in
stages
Students practice
assessing
campaign
examples
Campaign
presented in class
Final written
campaign
submitted
Campaign
development and
presentation
assessed by peers
(and faculty) for
presence of
elements
Activity #2: What Other Activities, Assignments,
and Assessments Align with this Outcome?
Course outcome
Relevant activities
Relevant assignment Relevant assessment
strategies
Identify soil
texture and
structure
Field trip for
sample collection
Test samples in lab
Complete practice
quizzes and
discuss
Final practical
exam where soil
samples are
identified
Activity #3
Align Outcome – Activities – Assignment
Using the Bloom’s Taxonomy (p. 14) and action
verbs (p.15)
1. Write or fine-tune a course outcome for a
course you are instructing/transforming.
2. Select possible activities you might use
along with relevant assignments and
assessment strategies that align
Report Out
Essential Questions
 Are course learning outcomes written at the
appropriate level for the course and
measurable and observable (so they can be
assessed)?
 Are there connections/alignments between
your course outcomes, course activities,
assignments and assessment strategies?
 Do the course outcomes align with program
learning outcomes and any relevant
institutional learning outcomes?
Curriculum Map #1
Page 24, Semester Conversion Guide
Curriculum Map #2
PLOs Aligned to ILOs
Page 33, Semester Conversion Guide
Developing Transformed Syllabi
College of Education and Allied Studies
Office of Semester Conversion
Academic Programs and Graduate Studies
February 4, 2016
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Oakland/Concord Room