Beliefs about what should be taught: lecture and module content

Extended reflection on the demands of learning your discipline has implications for how and what we teach students at the day-to-day level on existing courses. Importantly, it should lead us to reconsider how Programmes and Modules are put together.

• What are the main differences between what was on your syllabus when you were learning the subject(s) you teach and what is there now?

• How do you account for these differences? (e.g. differences in knowledge base; differences in the student body; differences in what is required by a university degree programme?

• What do you believe should be the main content items in each of the courses/modules that you currently teach? Are they the ones that are in fact there?

• Look at a copy of the syllabus or module description that you teach from. Go through the learning outcomes. Are there any that you believe should not be there? Why? Are there any learning outcomes that you think should be added? Why?

• Are your suggested additions or deletions specifically related to the needs and interests of your particular students, or are they more general in nature, i.e. items(s) that you think should (or should not) be on any course at the level you teach?

• For any specific items, say why you believe them to be (un)desirable and say what evidence you have that they will (not) be useful for students.

• Have these pages on 'Critical Reflections on Learning' changed your thinking in any way about the content or teaching of your modules?

This set of questions would be useful for a course team to consider, either in reviewing a module or set of modules, or as a start-point in constructing new module material.