Engineering Teaching Excellence Institute
Kathryn Dimiduk
 Place in curriculum
 prerequisites
 follow-on courses
 co-requisites
 Prior year’s content
 Textbook
 Professor’s list of major topics (by name not textbook
chapter)
 Math, computer, other skills students have or need

Outline of course by topics

Skills to be learned

Novice to Expert Thinking

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University Calendar
Exams
◦ How many, in class or evening

Lectures
◦ How many
◦ Length
◦ Events (using class time)

Assignments
◦ Type
◦ How often
◦ How many
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Class organization
Teaching methods
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Content grid

◦ Topics
◦ Skills – spread out across course
◦ Thinking – guide towards more expert patterns
Main
topic
Sub
topics
Needed
skills
Skills to
be
taught
Notes:
Main
topic
Subtopic
Electrostatics
30% of
course
Charges,
Conductors
insulators,
background
Needed
skills
Skills to
be
taught
Notes
Demo:
electroscope,
action at a
distance,
charging by
induction
Coulomb’s
Law
Electric
Forces
Calculus
Superposition
Superposition
activity
Gauss’ law
Vector
Calculus
Symmetry
to simplify
Colored
chalk to
show
structure of
examples
Electric
potential
Divergence
Demo: van
der graaf
generator
Main
Topic
Subtopic
Skills
needed
Skills to
be taught
Capacitors
Circuits
10% of
course
Series,
parallel
Kirchoff
Capacitors,
resistors,
inductors
Notes
Capacitor
energy
storage bang
Algebra
Linear
algebra
Calculator
matrix sol
Error
checking
Group hard
algebraic
problem:
how to
check work
Conceptual
checks of
answers,
Conceptual
understanding
Clicker Q

Detailed Schedule on Calendar
◦ Days for lectures
◦ Fit grid on calendar
◦ “adjustment days” expand or contract content so
fits as semester progresses
◦ Exams
Week
Date
Lecture
Reading
1
Jan 19,
2009
Intro
Charges
materials
Ch 1: 1-3
Jan 21
Charging
Ch 1: 4-5
Coulomb’s
Law,
Jan 23
Superposition
& activity
Ch 1:6-8
Jan 26
Gauss’ law
Ch 2: 1-2
2
HW
HW 1 due
Ch 1: p 4,
17, 23 and
…
See
blackboard

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Plan whole semester in advance
Hand out one of following
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
Entire calendar
One month at a time
Until the next test
A less detailed version
Shock absorber days to adjusting timing
◦ Less important material
◦ Applications that can be added or omitted

Label calendar Tentative

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Blank and sample course planning
spreadsheet
Course calendar for spring 2009 for MWF
course and for TR course
Detailed outline of this talk
University information
◦
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Exams
Rooms
Services
….
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Lets you do the planning just once
Keep on track, less worry
Adjust content to fit schedule chapter by
chapter
Don’t skip last chapter(s) due to poor
planning
Take Notes on schedule for next time

Clickers
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Real time feedback
Easy to collect teaching data
Students learn more effectively
Questions get easier to write with practice
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Clickers
Think Pair Share
Minute Papers
Clear – Muddy
Simulations
Worksheets
Hands-on activities
◦ Attend active learning talk for more information
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
1 hour or less
About 2 hours
3-5 hours
6 or more hours
Just wing it
(A) About a day
(B) About a week
(C) At least a month
(D) All available time and more
(E) Why didn’t someone tell me I was teaching
before the course started?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
1 hour or less
2-3 hours
4-6 hours
7-9 hours
10 or more hours

Course description or content or goals
◦ What are you teaching
◦ How are you teaching it
◦ Why is it important

Basic course information
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Course name and number
Class time and location
Prerequisites
Credit hours
Grading options if available

Instructor information
◦
◦
◦
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◦
Your name (and rank?)
Your email
Your office or dept. office
Phone number – yours or dept. office
Any contact encouragement or rules
Office hours

Other teaching staff
◦
◦
◦
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Team teachers
TA(s)
Grader(s)
Lab TA(s)
For each give name and appropriate contact info

Required materials
◦
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Textbook
Course packet
Lab manual
Calculator or computer or programs
Other required materials

Course Policies
◦
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What do the students need to know right away
What needs to be in writing
Attendance rules
No cheating
How to hand in work

How will the course be graded
◦
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What will be graded?
What weight will be given to each component?
Will any grades be dropped
Late policy
Excused and unexcused absences
 What is allowed
 What will happen
 What documentation is needed

How will the course be taught
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Lectures
Active Learning
Homework
Reading
Papers or reports
Labs
…..

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Verified Disabilities will be accommodated
Tutoring through ….
Extra help available through ….
Office hours
other

Technology
◦
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Blackboard
Class website
Blackboard
Wiki
Clickers
etc

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What material will be covered in the course
Tentative schedule for covering material
or approximately how much of the course is
on each topic
When will exams be given
When are major assignments due
Any special events

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Components - select and add as needed
Reread for tone – does the syllabus welcome
the students and share the excitement of
learning?
Proof read – first contact with students–
Errors make a poor first impression
Have someone else proof read
Make enough copies or post to website
Questions?