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Charting Your Course: How to Prepare to Teach More Effectively
Richard Prégent

Introduction

Chapter 1: Analyzing the Conditions of Your Teaching Situation

• 1.1 Context of Course Creation
  • 1.1.1 Past
  • 1.1.2 Present
  • 1.1.3 Future
• 1.2 Student Characteristics
  • 1.2.1 Academic Profile
  • 1.2.2 Expectations
• 1.3 Course Content
  • 1.3.1 Identifying Possible Themes
  • 1.3.2 Listing Possible Subjects for Each Theme
  • 1.3.3 Assessing the Importance and Difficulty of Each Subject Listed
  • 1.3.4 Choosing Subjects Using a Decision Matrix
  • 1.3.5 Determining the Order and Time Allotment for the Chosen Subjects
  • 1.3.6 Choosing the Textbook
• Review

Chapter 2: Formulating Course Objectives

• 2.1 Definitions
• 2.2 Principal Advantages of Formulating Objectives
• 2.3 Process of Drafting Objectives
• 2.4 Drafting General Objectives
• 2.5 Drafting Specific Objectives
• 2.6 Taxonomic Analysis of Cognitive Objectives
  • 2.6.1 Level 1: Knowledge
  • 2.6.2 Level 2: Comprehension
  • 2.6.3 Level 3: Application
  • 2.6.4 Level 4: Analysis
  • 2.6.5 Level 5: Synthesis
  • 2.6.6 Level 6: Evaluation
  • 2.6.7 Taxonomies for Affective and Psychomotor Domains
• Review

Chapter 3: Planning to Evaluate Learning

• 3.1 The Role of Evaluation
  • 3.1.1 Evaluation for Summative Purposes
  • 3.1.2 Evaluation for Formative Purposes
  • 3.1.3 Pedagogical Consequences for Instructor and Students
• 3.2 Evaluation Instruments
  • 3.2.1 Three Categories of Instruments
  • 3.2.2 Selection Criteria
  • 3.2.3 Tests
  • 3.2.4 Assignments
  • 3.2.5 Exercises
• 3.3 Practical Advice
  • 3.3.1 Tests
  • 3.3.2 Assignments and Exercises
• Review

Chapter 4: Choosing Your Teaching Methods

• 4.1 Various Teaching Methods
  • 4.1.1 Three Categories of Teaching Methods
  • 4.1.2 The "Best" Teaching Method
  • 4.1.3 Selection Criteria
• 4.2 Brief Description of Teaching Methods
  • 4.2.1 Methods Based on Different Forms of Lectures
  • 4.2.2 Methods Favoring Discussion or Group Work
  • 4.2.3 Methods Based on Individual Learning
• Review

Chapter 5: Choosing Your Teaching Materials

• 5.1 Underlying Reasons for Using Teaching Materials
• 5.2 Influence of Teaching Materials on Learning
• 5.3 Practical Advice
  • 5.3.1 Written Materials
  • 5.3.2 Scripto-Visual Materials
  • 5.3.3 Audio-Visual Materials
  • 5.3.4 Audio Materials
  • 5.3.5 Computer Software
• Review

Chapter 6: Detailed Course Planning

• 6.1 Planning the Course Syllabus
  • 6.1.1 Basic Structure of a Course Syllabus
  • 6.1.2 Examples
• 6.2 Writing the Course Outline
  • 6.2.1 Basic Structure of a Course Outline
  • 6.2.2 Example
• 6.3 Preparing Lesson Plans
  • 6.3.1 Basic Structure of a Lesson Plan
  • 6.3.2 Example
• 6.4 Preparing for the First Class
  • 6.4.1 Dynamics of the First Class
  • 6.4.2 Objectives for the First Class
  • 6.4.3 Example
• Review

Chapter 7: Preparing and Delivering a Lecture

• 7.1 Steps in Preparing a Good Explanation
  • 7.1.1 Listing the Subjects to Cover in Each Period
  • 7.1.2 Using Questions to Identify the Nature of Each Subject
  • 7.1.3 Formulating a Short, Complete Answer for Each Question
  • 7.1.4 Finding Examples for Each Explanation
  • 7.1.5 Identifying Appropriate Teaching Materials
  • 7.1.6 Devising a Way to Verify Comprehension
  • 7.1.7 Preparing an "Advance Organizer"
• 7.2 A General Model for Lectures
  • 7.2.1 Presentation of the Model
  • 7.2.2 Central Part: "Explanations"
  • 7.2.3 Initial Part: "Before the Explanations"
  • 7.2.4 Final Part: "After the Explanations"
• 7.3 Some Communications Skills
  • 7.3.1 Varying Your Voice, Gestures, Movements and Eye Contact
  • 7.3.2 Asking Questions
  • 7.3.3 Answering Questions
• Review

Chapter 8: Training Students for Group Work

• 8.1 Distribution of Energy in a Good Work Group
• 8.2 Recommendations for the First Sessions of Group Work
• 8.3 Recommendations for Effective Participation of Group Members
• 8.4 Characteristics of an Effective Meeting
  • 8.4.1 Preparing for a Meeting
  • 8.4.2 Conducting a Meeting
  • 8.4.3 Closing a Meeting
• 8.5 Proposal for a Training Strategy for Group Work
  • 8.5.1 Objectives of the Strategy
  • 8.5.2 Term Breakdown of Activities Using the Proposed Strategy
  • 8.5.3 Detailed Account of Training Activities for Group Work
  • 8.5.4 Comments on Grading Students
• Review

Chapter 9: Evaluating Your Teaching

• 9.1 Informal Midterm Formative Evaluation
  • 9.1.1 Method
  • 9.1.2 Example
  • 9.1.3 Variations of the Procedure
• 9.2 A More Formal Final Formative Evaluation
  • 9.2.1 Aspects Evaluated
  • 9.2.2 Preparing a Questionnaire
• 9.3 Administrative Evaluation
• Review

Conclusion

Bibliography