Every faculty member should be able to answer the following question. What are the characteristics of a “good course?” I would like for each of you to list one characteristic. The list generated should be informative to us and may lead to useful discussion.
I will start with one characteristic that I believe should be part of a good course.
A good course makes use of a range of teaching approaches that together produces learning experiences and an environment that leads students to the achievement of the desired learning objectives. The teaching/learning strategies must be explained to students so that the purpose of each strategy is clear to them.
10 comments:
Characteristics of a good course:
1. Teaching that is understandable and relatable to a student with baseline knowledge of the material.
2. Testing that fairly assesses the students' comprehension of the material.
Students finish the course retaining information.
A good course should be... multi-faceted with the use of different activities and approaches to deliver and reinforce concepts. The course should re-iterate important main themes throughout its duration. It should allow a degree of constructive student feedback or evaluation on the value of activities and testing methods.
Characteristics of a good course are having an instructor with knowledge of the material and enthusiasm for the subject matter, mechanisms for open dialogue between professor and student, and opportunities for the students to demonstrate that learning is occurring.
When I think back about "good" courses I've had, I don't think I was always aware of it at the time. It is difficult to distinguish the "good" course from the "fun" course. Sometimes, courses are hard, intense, NOT fun, and have you going "woe is me" all the way through. But, when you're done, and you take it to the next level and you are confident in your knowledge or skill - that's when say to yourself "damn, that was a good course. I'm so glad I took it." Do you remember learning as much from a class that you later described as "easy".
Following that logic, I guess part of being a "good" course is truly challenging the learners. Some will handle that challenge better than others, will learn more, and should get a better grade.
In a classroom, students may be looking for connections, and learning and knowledge may not be the only reason a student is in a class. If it also is about connection, do they get that in a class? Parker Palmer, in his book The Courage to Teach, states that good teachers “are truly present in the classroom, deeply engaged with their students and their subject. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students, so that students can learn to weave a world for themselves.”
Do you think this may be a reason that Facebook is so popular? [See February 14, 2009 post] Is there a way to use it to build connections that will lead to learning?
I've seen in the news recently that another social networking website, Twitter, has been used by a medical school to allow students and residents to view surgeries. It is sort of like looking over the surgeon's shoulder to see what is happening. The surgeons also posted comments throughout the surgery about what they were doing and even answered questions from the students. I can see how something like this can be used to facilitate learning in our school. Students may find value in observing clinical faculty interacting with patients and other members of the healthcare team, as well as observing laboratory experiments or any other process or situation in which they may not be able to be present for or that are not usually encountered during their IPPEs and APPEs.
A good course---teaches critical concepts (that students are held accountable for in a cumulative fashion), provides a variety of learning mechanisms and activities for students to reinforce and apply the information learned, and where a variety of opportunities are given to achieve a grade (not just via multiple choice test only) and that enhances their ability to achieve our curricular outcomes. -JG
Among other things, a good course should have a normal grade distribution - not too many A's, an average grade of around 83-85 and a certain number of failures when student performances don't meet minimal standards. Is this the rule at COPHS?
I think one of the characteristics of a good course is provided when the students realize that you care. You don't just view them as a number in a seat or a body in the room and you don't just use them to do your work or research either. Many students watch us as professors and they can tell if you are genuine or not. If you show that you care, then even if the student is struggling with the material they appreciate your effort and in turn try harder in the future even if that may mean repeating the class.
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