Teaching Portfolio Assignment

Teaching Portfolio Assignment: Course Syllabus Development

Usually at the start of the college term, students receive a syllabus outlining the course requirements. From classroom rules and grading criteria to required texts and assignments, the course syllabus provides students with a roadmap for the course. As an instructor, the course syllabus is your initial communication with students regarding your expectations for successful completion of the course. In this week’s Teaching Portfolio Assignment, you incorporate all of the information you have examined this quarter into your own Introductory Psychology syllabus. Some things to keep in mind are the atmosphere that you would like to develop in your class and your beliefs about the best way to motivate students to learn.

For this Teaching Portfolio Assignment, review the Narrowing Topics and Resources media piece as well as the Developing Discussions and Assignments media piece included in this week’s Learning Resources. Then develop a syllabus for a 12-week introductory psychology course. Select whether your course will be taught online or in-person and whether your course is geared toward psychology majors or non-psychology majors.

Your syllabus should include the following:

• APA cover page
• Classroom management rules and expectations regarding student participation
• Course description
• Course introduction that includes a rationale for the course
• List of prerequisites, if applicable
• Textbook* and readings (peer-reviewed journal articles, reputable websites, books); be sure to provide full references for all textbooks and readings
• Titles for each week of the course that reflect the topic(s) covered that week
  • At least one discussion question each week
• At least six assignments over the course of the 12 weeks
• Tests (You may select the number of tests to administer and when to administer them; however, be sure to include the test type you will use to assess learning.)
• At least four activities that promote student engagement and facilitate rapport over the course of the 12 weeks (apart from other discussions and assignments)
• Grading criteria for discussions, assignments, and assessments
• Media ideas (optional)

*Note: You may select any college-level introductory psychology textbook, including the Griggs text, as the required text for your course.