Syllabus Design

Task (mingling): choose 3 classmates and tell them 3 important points you learnt from the
previous session. Be ready to share the ideas you get from your partners with the class.
 Syllabus Design
• Task: Order these sentences to get a coherent paragraph about the concept
of syllabus design.
• 1- If curriculum is used in its broader meaning,
• 2- It is defferent from syllabus curriculum design.
• 3- its design would be different from syllabus design in the sense that the
designer of the curriculum is concerned not just with lists of what will be
taught and what order,
• 4- Syllabus design concerns the selection of items to be learnt and the grading
of those items into an appropriate sequence.
• 5- but also with the planning with the planning, implementation, evalation,
management and administration of educational programmes.
Syllabus design Syllabus
design concerns the selection of items to be learnt and the
grading of those items into an appropriate sequence (4).

It is defferent from curriculum design (2).

If curriculum is used in its broader meaning (1),

its design would be different from syllabus design in the sense that the
designer of the curriculum is concerned not just with lists of what will be
taught and what order (3),

but also with the planning, implementation, evalation, management and

administration of educational programmes (5).
• To devise a syllabus we need:
• 1- To establish very clearly what one is trying to achieve with learners
……………………………………..
Objectives
• 2- To decide how one hopes to achieve this
………………………………………………..
Organisation and selection of content and methods
• 3- To consider to what extent one has been successful in one’s
Assessment -evaluation
attempt…………………………………………………………..
 Objectives
• – what will students be expected to know or do after this course?
• – what competencies/skills/knowledge will students be expected to
demonstrate at the end of the course?
Organisation and selection of content and methods

• • primary books/readings for the course – author, title, edition – costs, where
available
• – availability of electronic formats, for students with disabilities
• • supplemental books/readings
• • websites and links
• • other materials – lab equipment – art supplies – software
• • methods of instruction
• – lectures
• – discussion
• – group work
 Assessment -evaluation
• exams and quizzes – how many – what kind (e.g., open/closed book;
essay/ multiple choice)
• – type of knowledge and abilities tested
• – place, date and time of final exam
• • assignments/problem sets/projects/reports
• • student feedback strategies during the semester
• • end-of-course evaluation procedures
 Syllabus Design Criteria
• The syllabus designer has to balance the following competing claims
when making decisions about selection and grading.
• Learnability
• Some structural or lexical items are easier for learners than others. We teach
easier things first and then increase the level of difficulty as the learners’ level
rises.
• Learnability might tell us that , at beginner levels, it is easier to teach the uses of
was and were immediately after teaching the use of is and are, rather than follow
is and are with the third type conditional.
• Learnability might persuade us to teach some and any on their own rather than
introduce a whole range of quantifiers (much, many, few…).
• Frequency
• It would make sense, especially at beginning levels, to include items
which are more frequent in the language than ones that are only used
occasionally by native speakers.
• Coverage
• Some words and structures have greater coverage (scope for use) than
others. Thus we might decide , on the basis of coverage, to introduce the
going to future before the present continuous with future reference, if we
could show that going to could be used in more situations than the
present continuous.
• Usefullness
• An example of usefulness could be the terms book and pen. These two
words figure highly in classrooms even though they might not be that
frequent in real language use. They are useful words in that situation.
 Involved sciences
• Many sciences are involved in the process of syllabus design among
them are:
• 1 ♦Psychology of Education
♦

• 2- ♦Sociology of Education
:
♦
• 3- ♦History of Education
:

• 4- ♦Philosophy
• Task: Read the definitions and identify which science it is.
• 1- It is concerned with the analysis of past practices in the field of education in order to sort out
with teachings and conclusions.History of Education
• 2- The study of the particular background of learners can suggest which objectives might be
given for particular learners Sociology of Education

•3- This discipline can offer some guidance in the selection of objectives in the sense that
knowledge of child development and of what children can learn might indicate whether the
objectives are realistic for the students for whom they are intended. Findings on motivation have
contributed to the knowledge of when pupils can respond best to a certain knowledge. Studies in
group dynamics, interaction between teacher and learner, development of personality, attention,
the role of interest, span of concentration contributed one way or another to the development of
Pshycology of Education
new methods, techniques, activities, new groupings etc.

•4- When teachers are devising methods, they need to ask themselves
Philosophy ofquestions
Education about the
Common terms encountered in the syllabus paper
• Statement on Accommodation – Rights – Resources - Safety &
Emergency Preparedness –Evaluation of the Course – Disclaimer -
Requirements- Policies – Schedule -Course Description – Basic
information – Course Description -Materials
 ……………………………………………………. …………………………………………………
Basic Information Course Description Materials
• name of university, semester, • prerequisites – prior courses – • primary books/readings for the
year knowledge/skills (needed to course – author, title, edition –
• course title, number, unit value succeed in this course) – costs, where available
• course meeting times and permission of instructor needed? – availability of electronic formats,
location • overview of course – what is the for students with disabilities
• instructor, GSI names course about: its purpose, • supplemental books/readings
• how to contact instructor/GSIs: – rationale? – what are the general • websites and links
in-person offi ce hours, times and topics or focus? – how does it fi t • other materials – lab equipment
location (with map if needed) – with other courses in the – art supplies – software
online offi ce hours, times and how department or on campus? – who
to access (URL) – email addresses – is the course aimed at? – why
phone numbers (private and would students want to take this
department lines) – fax number – course and learn this material?
optional: times other than offi ce • student learning objectives –
hours when instructor can be what will students be expected to
reached – optional: home or cell know or do after this course? –
phone number and limits on its use what
• instructor web page URL competencies/skills/knowledge will
• course web page URL students be expected to
demonstrate at the end of the
course?
• methods of instruction – lectures
– discussion – group work
 ……………………………………………………. …………………………………………………
Resources Statement on Accommodation Rights
• tips for success – how students • • a request that students see the • statement of students’ and
might approach the material – how instructor to discuss instructor’s rights to academic
students can manage their time – accommodations for: – physical freedom (e.g., respect the rights of
tips for studying, taking notes, disabilities – medical disabilities – others to express their points of
preparing for exams learning disabilities view)
– common student mistakes or • a statement on reasonable • statement on copyright
misconceptions accommodation for students’ protection for the contents of the
• copies of past exams or model religious observations and practices course, as appropriate
student papers
• glossaries of technical terms
• links to appropriate support
material on the web (e.g., style
manuals, past student projects,
web based resources, etc.)
• support services on campus (e.g.,
Student Learning Center)
• information on the availability of
videotapes or webcasts of lectures
• request that students identify
two or three classmates’ names
and their contact information – in
case they miss class – in case they
want to form a study group
•Thanks for your patience and
attention