Course Syllabi: Learning in a Nutshell

This project aims to add to and extend the literature base on course syllabi by assessing not only what faculty include, but also what students attend to most during the term and how they use and experience faculty use of syllabi in their courses. With a growing focus on curricular development, program review, and quality teaching and learning, we also intend to examine the quality and orientation (student vs. instructor-focused) of stated learning objectives, recognizing that “students can better master their own learning when they know what the expectations are for that learning” (Parkes, Fix & Harris, 2003, p. 76).  Finally, our project will explore two other elements not fully addressed in the existing literature: the differences between syllabi designed for undergraduate and graduate courses and differences in syllabi across disciplines.

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Pathways to the Profession of Educational Development

Issues in Graduate Student Advising

In Winter 2010 the Offices of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Studies and Educational Development engaged in a research project to identify issues and strategies associated with graduate student advising. Following ethics approval, focus groups and email surveys with graduate faculty and graduate students were separately conducted.

While our sample sizes were relatively small, the issues and strategies identified in the Laurier context were supported by the broader educational literature. The following student and faculty documents summarize our findings (issues/strategies/process) and outline resources both available electronically and in hardcopy formats.

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