Course Syllabus Course Number: Course Name: Course Start Date: Course End Date:
Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is considered the ruling document. Copyright ©2013 Ubiquity University. All rights reserved.
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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Facilitator Information Short bio
Contacting the faculty Faculty name: Email address: I will check and respond to the Discussion Forum and emails daily, between ‌ [include time zone]. For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System, please send a message to my course email address, as above. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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Course Description Short intro The Course Overview needs to be 300-500 words including:
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the purpose for the course and the needs it meets how it relates to Ubiquity’s general vision and mission, why Ubiquity would be offering this course a brief description of the core content
Course Learning Outcomes DELETE THE INFO BELOW WHEN YOU ARE DONE These are important to define well as this is what the students and the university will be assessed on – to what extent have we met the learning outcomes? In essence, a learning outcome describes what competence a student should be able to demonstrate by the end of the course. We’d recommend 4-5 course learning outcomes (try to cluster more detailed ones into more generic ones). Here are some guidelines for writing good course learning outcomes1. Good learning outcomes focus on the application and integration of the knowledge and skills acquired in a particular unit of instruction (e.g. activity, course program, etc.), and emerge from a process of reflection on the essential contents of a course. More specifically, good learning outcomes: •
Are very specific, and use active language – and verbs in particular – that make expectations clear. This informs students of the standards by which they will be assessed, and ensures that student and instructor goals in the course are aligned. Where possible, avoid terms like understand, demonstrate, or discuss that can be interpreted in many ways. Vague outcome
More precise outcome
By the end of the course, students will be able to: • produce professional quality writing By the end of the course, I expect students • effectively communicate the results of their to increase their organization, writing, and research findings and analyses to fellow presentation skills. classmates in an oral presentation By the end of this course, students will be able to By the end of this course, students will be evaluate the theoretical and methodological foundations able to use secondary critical material of secondary critical material and employ this effectively and to think independently. evaluation to defend their position on the topic.
1 Adapted from the university of Toronto’s guidelines - http://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/topics/coursedesign/learning-outcomes/characteristics.htm Course number – course name – author - 2013 3
•
Are focused on the learner: rather than explaining what the instructor will do in the course, good learning outcomes describe knowledge or skills that the student will employ, and help the learner understand why that knowledge and those skills are useful and valuable to their personal, professional, and academic future. •
Are realistic, not aspirational: all passing students should be able to demonstrate the knowledge or skill described by the learning outcome at the conclusion of the course. In this way, learning outcomes establish standards for the course. •
Focus on the application and integration of acquired knowledge and skills: good learning outcomes reflect and indicate the ways in which the described knowledge and skills may be used by the learner now and in the future. •
Indicate useful modes of assessment and the specific elements that will be assessed: good learning outcomes prepare students for assessment and help them feel engaged in and empowered by the assessment and evaluation process. •
Offer a timeline for completion of the desired learning.
It is important to remember that learning outcomes can be sources from any of Wilber’s four quadrants, and that just because they are not objectively quantifiable does not invalidate them as learning outcomes. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives can be useful because it associates particular verbs with each area of learning, so helps you to frame what students should be able to do as a result of taking your course.
Instructional Mode and Methods This is a summary. Please feel free to develop further (see example Syllabus) This course will combine: • Direct Instruction through pre-
• • •
recorded video lectures by core faculty Indirect Instruction through the provision of suggested learning materials related to the learning outcomes and guidance in finding and sharing other relevant materials Independent study through essays, reports and journaling Interactive Instruction through facilitated and peer-to-peer discussion forums
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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Course Modules & Topics See Faculty Handbook for detailed descriptions of what is needed for each element. Note that the time blocks for sessions can be broken down in different ways. The headers below act as guidelines. Module Week One:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Two:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Three:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Four:
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Five:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Six:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Seven:
• • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question:
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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•
Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Eight:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Nine:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Ten:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Eleven:
• • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3:
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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• • • •
Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Twelve:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Thirteen:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Fourteen:
• • • • • • • •
Session 1: Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Module Week Fifteen:
•
Session 1:
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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• • • • • • •
Session 2: Integration task: Session 3: Session 4: Integration task: Forum Conversation Question: Self Development: (specify own activity or simply “Modes of Engagement Module”)
Creative Assignment: (1 at end or 2-3 spread over course) Mission Project Report: Report on how the experience you had in your Change Project relates to the content of this course. May be in any of the permitted media modalities – see guidelines. General Course Materials List course materials using APA standards.
Course number – course name – author - 2013
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Assessment and Grading The final course grade will be calculated as follows: 1. Weekly online participation in Integration Tasks and Group Discussion: There are a wide array of activities each week viewing videos, written essays, action-reflection learning, quizzes, Forum interactions with other students, etc. The Moodle course system automatically records the visits of students and the quizzes, journal entries, Forum interactions, etc. (This will count for 30% of your grade) 2. Journal entries for each week of at least one major paragraph that both summarize and reflect on the subject matter of the week. (This will count for 20% of your grade) 3. One/Two/Three Creative Assignment(s) during the course of the semester. These will be reviewed and graded by peers (and the process reviewed by the faculty members and TA’s). (This will count for 30% of your grade). 4. One report at the end of the course on how your Team Project experience relates to the content of the course. (20% of your grade) Student work will be evaluated for the following areas (note: Students pursuing an A grade should do more than the minimum requirements; that is, do additional reading and view extra films as recommended in the course Schedule). 1. Achieving the primary objectives of the course; 2. General knowledge of all required reading assignments and of all material presented by the instructor in lectures and from class discussions, films, and so on; 3. Clear, concise, reflective, critical thinking; and 4. Regular, active, and meaningful participation in class discussions of assigned readings in class and on the course website.
Grading Formula
Course number – course name – author - 2013
10
Points
Grade
95+
A
90-94
A-
87-89
B+
84-86
B
80-83
B-
77-79
C+
74-76
C
70-73
C-
67-69
D+
64-66
D
60-63
D-
<59
F
ASSIGNMENTS
Points
Individual (80%) Participation in regular activities
All Weeks
30 points
Creative Assignment #1
Module ?
10 points
Creative Assignment #2 ???
Module ?
10 points
Creative Assignment #3 ???
Module ?
10 points
Journal entry
All Weeks
20 points
INDIVIDUAL TOTAL
80 Points
Project Team (20%) Project Report
Module 15
20 Points
PT TOTAL
20 Points
Total
Course number – course name – author - 2013
100
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