Course and Syllabus Design

What this page covers

This page is about planning a course and writing its syllabus. Most of what is listed is mind maps, made by GoConqr users, so you can see each idea laid out as a structure. You will also find flowcharts, a few quizzes, a few flashcard decks, a slide set and two notes.

Where to start

Begin with the Needs analysis flowchart. It sets out what needs analysis is and the informal sources that can feed it. Then look at the mind maps called Needs analysis and Environment analysis, which cover the first stage of planning: who the learners are and what the setting allows.

Next, move to the syllabus itself. The mind map called Syllabus asks what a syllabus is and describes it as a contract with students and a course plan. After that, open the Syllabus Design maps, which show a main goal and the course objectives written out in full.

Going deeper

• Content and sequencing: the mind map Content and Sequencing and the Content based syllabus map.
• Course books: Syllabuses and coursebooks and Adopting and Adapting an Existing Course Book.
• Frameworks: A FRAMEWORK OF COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES and Principles.
• Evaluation: Evaluation approaches and the Types of evaluation flowchart.

Some resources are worked examples, such as the UNIT 1: Around my Neighborhood map, which describes a class and its context. Use them to see how the ideas look in a real plan.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz to check what stuck. The B & D Chapter 3 Quiz and B & D Chapter 4 Quiz are a good place to test yourself. If a question surprises you, go back to the matching map and read that branch again. Then turn it into a flashcard of your own.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Curriculum and Planning strand of Education and pedagogy. Pick one map today and see how far it takes you.