Examining What We Teach

What's the point?

• It is important to keep in mind that mutual and individual development is the point.
• Mutual development will be facilitated by building trust. Building trust requires a relationship between speaker and hearer that includes honesty, care, openness, and gratitude.
• As reviewers of another person's work, consider eliciting and listening as key activities.
• As course designers having our work reviewed, consider equanimity (fairness of judgement, evenness of mind) and no turf to protect as key attitudes.

Questions to consider:

• What are the organizing principles?
• What are the parts (topics, themes, ...), how do they fit together, how do they relate and support one another?
• What language and textbook do you use?
• What assignments/exams do you use?

And for each, why oh why oh why?

Relating "what" to objectives:

• Does the design seem to satisfy the course objectives?
• Completeness: is each objective satisfied?
• Relevance: do all course parts serve some objective?