A Syllabus Rejig: Aligning Course Goals, Learning Objectives, Assignments, and Assessment

Well-defined course goals and learning objectives should be the guiding force in developing or redesigning a course. Once these are determined then the types of assignments, how the assignments will be assessed or evaluated, and which teaching and learning strategies will be most appropriate can be developed. When all of these elements are linked the course becomes a cohesive whole. Most importantly, students will be provided with opportunities to demonstrate how their learning matches the overall intent of the course.  In 2012 the syllabus for Horticulture 481, Advanced Garden Composition at Iowa State University was redesigned to align all of the course components. As a result of this thoughtful realignment, many changes were made to the types of assignments and how they were assessed or evaluated. Different teaching and learning strategies were also employed in the course. Student feedback through mid-semester formative evaluation and end of semester teaching evaluations showed a positive correlation between many of these changes and student satisfaction with the course. Reviewing the syllabus with this type of whole course alignment in mind has resulted in a more unified and successful course.