DRAFT SYLLABUS

Teaching at the University Level

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Instructor
Information

Anne Riley, Ph.D.

XXX XXX-XXXX (Office XXX in Center St Bldg.)
CLASS TIME: 3 :30 6 :20PM Tuesdays CLASS
LOCATION: Room 123
ariley@sampleuniv.edu

Teaching Assistant

Judy Black
jblack32@sampleuniv.edu

Description

In this course, students have the opportunity to understand the nature of teaching and
adult learning, develop their teaching expertise and consider early career development
and mentoring. A combination of teaching strategies, including lectures, discussions,
small group activities, feedback on other students work, and interviews with
exceptional teachers and junior and senior faculty, are used. Students explore
practical and philosophical issues related to designing, developing, delivering, and
evaluating a university-level course, as well as approaches for developing a successful
teaching career.
At the completion of the course, students will have a teaching portfolio with two main
components: 1) a statement of your teaching philosophy, and 2) a detailed set of plans
for a specific course of your choice. This is an intensive, hands on course that
requires supportive and cooperative behaviors by all.
Target Audience: Professionals in public health and medicine, who may become
university professors, think-tank researchers, directors of health facilities, etc. At the
doctoral level, virtually all job positions have requirements for teaching and training.

Intended Learning
Outcomes

General Goals
To create a class atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation
To encourage students to gain insight about their teaching philosophy
To assist students in gaining a sense of identity as a teacher
To assist students in developing a course on a topic they might actually teach
To assist students in preparing all aspects of a course
To expose students to exceptional teachers and successful leaders
To activate students to seek mentors and plan for their job search
To assist students in developing a Teaching Portfolio
Course Learning Objectives
Students successfully completing this course will be able to do the following:
o Identify and describe their own teaching styles and learning styles
o Describe the important contextual and motivational aspects of
managing the educational space and teaching effectively
o Design a university-level course, which includes development and/or
selection of learning objectives, syllabus, lectures, participative
learning activities, reading materials, and evaluation tools
o Choose and use various technologies for teaching

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Course Format

Lectures and Informal Activities: Course content is communicated via discussion

of readings and lecture information. Understanding is enhanced through class
activities, development of your course syllabus, giving feedback to others on their
course development, and by delivering a brief teaching lecture. During class, we
strongly encourage dialog and the exchange of ideas and information.
Guest Teacher and Professional Interviews: An important component of the
course is discussions/interviews with guest teachers who are models of exemplary
teaching practice in the School of Public Health, as well as junior and senior faculty
and other doctorally prepared professionals who informally discuss teaching,
mentoring, career choices and strategies. Students engage in lively discussion with
these faculty members to gain insight into teaching styles and strategies, as well as
early career preparation, options, and decisions.
Readings: Each week the required readings from the primary textbook by Linda
Nilsen are discussed. Several sessions are supplemented with online web links. The
book, What the Best College Teachers Do (Ken Bain) is also recommended.
Assignments: You will develop a course of your own. Typically, this is a 8 or 16 week
university-level (undergrad, Masters, Doctoral) course. In the four course development
assignments you will apply your new learning to the design and development of
teaching and learning materials necessary for the course. All of these materials
comprise, and culminate in, the creation of a Teaching Portfolio. Your work on
assignments is primarily independent, but everyone is in a Peer Group to mutually
provide ongoing feedback. You will also be required to deliver a 10-minute teaching
session on a topic of your choice, relevant to your syllabus.
All 4 written assignments are due on Fridays by midnight. Feedback to your team is
due by 3pm on Tuesdays, just before class. This gives students 2 weekend days and
1.5 week days to read and provide feedback to their team members. Faculty review all
submissions and feedback. Faculty feedback is typically on the feedback the students
are providing to one another.

Required Course
Materials

Textbooks: REQUIRED: Nilson, L. (2010). Teaching at Its Best. 3rd Ed. Jossey-Bass:
San Francisco, CA.
Highly Recommended: Bain, K. (2004). What the Best College Teachers Do. Harvard
University Press: Cambridge, MA.

CoursePlus Site

We make regular use of the CoursePlus Site for accessing the Lecture Info, which has
materials for each class session, including PowerPoint files.
CoursePlus Site: http://courseplus.sampleuniv.edu. Select course from HPM
listing for 3rd term, by name or number 300.750.
CoursePlus Site: Once you are registered for the class you have access to the
CoursePlus site, using your SPH username and password.
We will use these sections of CoursePlus:
Materials and Resources , where the materials for each session are located.
The PowerPoint slides and links needed for each class are located in the Class
Sessions which are connected to The Online Library. The Assignment Drop Box is
2

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where you upload your first written assignments and your Final Teaching Portfolio.

Assignments and
Grading

Ongoing Course Feedback where students can anonymously give feedback to

the instructors, which we encourage you to do. [It can be positive! ]

Assignments: The 4 written assignments are components of your

syllabus. Once they are edited, based on feedback you receive, they
become your Teaching Portfolio, due on the last day of the term. A
critical learning activity is providing written, timely feedback to the 2
other students in your peer group on their 4 written assignments. Finally,
each student will present a 10-minute teaching session, with 2 minutes
for feedback from the class.
The first assignment, to identify, name and briefly describe your proposed course, is
submitted to CoursePlus after the first week of class.
The next 4 written assignments are sent to your team members. You will receive
feedback from team members within 3 days and provide the same to them. In this
way, you learn more about other approaches to each assignment and how to efficiently
provide constructive feedback to students.
Grading Rationale: This is, in essence, a self-development course. You will develop
the 4 components of the Portfolio; receive peer feedback and possibly feedback from
faculty. It is difficult to assign a letter grade to the materials you submit because
students start from different places, so each of the 4 components receives a Pass/Fail
grade. You are expected to edit your assignments based on feedback, so the final
product in the Portfolio reflects the improvements. At the conclusion of the course, you
will have a professional Teaching Portfoliothe culmination of your work this term and
suitable for submitting with your CV for an academic faculty position.
Final Grade Calculation: Your final grade is based on your participation and
involvement, timeliness and quality of feedback to your team on assignments, the
grade you receive on your Teaching Portfolio, and consideration of your growth during
the term.
Assignments:
1. Course Description, Objectives (Pass/Fail)
2. Teaching Philosophy (Pass/Fail)
3. Schedule/Syllabus, Learning Activities, Evaluation Methods (Pass/Fail)
4. Learning Activities, Readings (Pass/Fail)
5 Peer Review Feedback and Class Participation (Letter Grade)
6. 10 minute Teaching Session (Letter Grade)
7. Final Teaching Portfolio (Letter Grade)
Grading:
- Teaching Portfolio -- 50% of your final grade
- Peer Review Group and Class Participation 40% of your final grade
- Teaching Session (10% of final grade)

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W here to Submit Assignments:

The first assignment, your course title with brief description is submitted only to
CoursePlus.
The four written assignments should be submitted via a Word attachment to your peer
group members via email. You will develop an email thread for each assignment that
includes one anothers critiques.
Your final assignment, the Teaching Portfolio, is submitted only to CoursePlus.

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Teaching at the University Level - Class Schedule

See next page for due dates for course assignments.
Class
Sessions

-1Tuesday
Jan 21,
2014

Main Topics

What it means to be an excellent teacher

Course Introduction
Components of Teaching Portfolio including
teaching philosophy
Learner Centered Teaching
Can We Learn to Teach Exceptionally Well?
How People Learn; What Motivates Learning

Readings (Due by Date of Class)

OPPORTUNITY TO READ PRIOR TO FIRST
CLASS on January 21st:
Bain - Ch. 1, 2, 3 What the Best College Teachers
know about How Students Learn & How They
Prepare to Teach
Nilson Pgs 17-31 Outcomes-Centered Course
Design

-2Tuesday
Jan 28,
2014

-3Tuesday
Feb 4, 2014

-4Tuesday
Feb 11,
2014

-5Tuesday
Feb 18,
2014

How people learn, the instructional design

process, developing course objectives
Assign Peer Groups
Topics of courses being planned
Curriculum Development Model
Writing Course Objectives
Invited Guest: Jessika Bottiani, MPH,
2013 TUL TA & Gordis Teaching
Fellow; Doctoral Candidate, Mental
Health (4:00-5:00)

Course structure, assessing student learning

Course and Session Structure - Syllabus
Approaches to Student Assessment
Designing Course Evaluations
Your Teaching Styles Inventory results
Sign up for 10-minute presentation format

Creating opportunities for active learning

Active Learning through Class Discussion
Other Active Learning Approaches
Planning and Delivering a Lecture
Schedule the 12-minute teaching sessions

Philosophy & Creating a Learning Environment

Teaching Philosophy Statements
Creating a Critical Learning Environment
How the Best Teachers Conduct Class
Providing Psychological Safety and Diversity
1/3 Class 10-minute Teaching Presentations
Guest: Jon Vernick, JD, MPH,
Associate Professor, HPM, CoDirector, Johns Hopkins Center for
Gun Policy and Research (4:30-5:20)

Nilson Pgs. 1-31 Ch. 1 Students/How they Learn,

Ch. 2 Outcomes Centered Course Design
Nilson Pgs. 32-42, Ch. 3, The Complete Syllabus
TAKE THE TEACHING STYLES INVENTORY

Nilson Pgs. 103-136, Ch. 11-13, Teaching

Methods, Lectures, Discussions
Nilson Pgs. 273-294, Ch 28 & 29, Assessing
Student Learning

Nilson - Pgs. 137-180 Ch. 14-18, Active Learning

Methods
Nilson - Pgs. 187-207, Ch 20-22, Teaching
Problem Solving in the Sciences
Nilson - Pgs. 43-59, Ch 4 & 5, First Day;
Motivating Students
Pgs. 71-88 Ch. 7 & 8 Classroom Mgmt.

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-6Tuesday
Feb 25,
2014

-7Tuesday
March 4,
2014

-8Tuesday
Mar 11,
2014

Job search and your own mentoring

1/3 Class 10-minute Teaching Sessions
Working with a TA; Being a Mentor
Obtaining Mentoring
Planning your Job Search
Guest: David Peters, MD, DrPH
Chair, International Health (3:30-4:15)

Starting to plan your career as an academic

1/3 Class 10 minute Teaching Sessions
Your library on Teaching
Planning your Professional Career
What does it Mean to be an Academic?
Guest: Homayoon Farzadegan, PhD
Professor, Epidemiology (5:30-6:20)

Planning your career

Review of Teaching Presentations
Review of Chosen Books on Teaching
What Deans, Chairs, and Bosses Look For
What To Do Now to Get Your Dream Job
Guest: Ellen MacKenzie, Fred and
Julie Soper Professor and Chair, HPM

Nilson Pgs. 95-100, Working with a TA

Nilson - Pgs. 223-269, Ch 24-27, Disciplinary
Thinking; Learning Styles, Visuals, Technology

Bain - Ch. 1, 2, 3 What the Best College Teachers

know about How Students Learn & How They
Prepare to Teach
Bain - Ch. 4 & 5 What They expect; How They
Conduct Class

Bain Ch. 6 & 7 How they Treat Their Students;

How They Evaluate Students & Themselves

ASSIGNMENTS + DUE DATES

nd

Peer Group
assignments

After the 2 class session, when Add/Drop is over, you will receive an email regarding
the group of peers that you will work with in this class this term.

W EEK 2
Course Title and
Brief Description

Submit a course title and brief description of its content and purpose (2-3 sentences).
Upload this assignment as a Word document to CoursePlus.

Due: Tues, Jan

28th, 3pm

Take Indiana State Universitys Teaching Styles Inventory (developed by Anthony

Grasha) at http://longleaf.net/teachingstyle.html.
The inventory helps you evaluate your attitudes about instructional behavior. Note your
results.

W EEK 3
Course Description
Learning Objectives

Parts 1 Due: Fri

Jan 31 by midnight
Part 2 Due: Tues
Feb 4th, by 3pm

Part 1: Write a 75-125-word Course Description as well as Learning Objectives,

following the guidelines on the JHSPH New Course Request form in the Materials and
Resources of CoursePlus. Target length: 1-2 pages, single-spaced.
Send via email to your peer group. Use a filename/heading that identifies you and the
assignment.
Part 2: Give feedback to your peer group members.

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W EEK 4
Part 1 Due: Fri Feb
7th, midnight

Part 2 Due: Tues

Feb 11th, 3pm
W EEK 5
Course syllabus
and grading system

Part 1: The Philosophy of Teaching Statement is typically the first piece in a teaching
portfolio.
Part 2: Provide constructive feedback to your peer group members on their course
description and objectives and Teaching Philosophy.

Part 1 Due: Fri Feb

14 th , midnight

Part 1: Prepare a draft syllabus, which is the session-to-session plan for the course
content, the methods of evaluation, the percentage of the final grade for each
component, and the course atmosphere that you want to develop and maintain.
Include an outline of topics and dates on which you want to cover those topics (you may
presume an 8-week, 3-credit unit course unless you anticipate teaching in a semester
system and prefer that). Length 2-4 pages, single-spaced.

Due: Tues, Feb

18h, by 3pm

Part 2: Provide constructive feedback to your peer group members on their course
syllabi and grading systems.

W EEK 6
Course Learning
Activities and
Readings

Part 1 Due: Fri Feb

21st, midnight

Part 2 Due: Tues

Feb 25th, 3pm
W EEK 7

Part 1: Design at least three active learning activities that you could use in your course.
You might want to build them around a discrete section of the course so that they are
related to each other, or you might intersperse them throughout the course.
Develop a basic reading list or a description of the type of readings you will require for
each class session.
Target length: 2-3 pages, single-spaced. Submit to your peer group.
Part 2: Provide constructive feedback to your peer group members on their learning
activities and readings.

Teaching Sessions one third/half of the class will present.

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W EEK 8
Final Assignment:
Teaching Portfolio

Due: Fri March

14th, 5:00pm

The final course assignment is to assemble your major assignments into an impressive
teaching portfolio. It is important that you update those assignments that can be
improved based on your peer group and faculty feedback, and your thoughts. You may
add any other items that you feel are appropriate.
The components that you are required to submit in your teaching portfolio are your - Title Page
(Table of Contents is optional)
Summary of changes to remaining materials
Your Teaching Philosophy
Course Description, Objectives
Syllabus, which includes schedule, educational content and delivery modes,
Learning Activities, Reading List and Evaluation methods
Submitting the Teaching Portfolio: Submit your teaching portfolio no later than the
last day of the term, March 14th by 5:00pm. You may submit a hard copy if you want to
develop that as an important career product, but you need to submit the entire Portfolio
as a single electronic document to CoursePlus.
MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR TEACHING PORTFOLIO:
Once you start getting peer/faculty feedback on the components of your
course syllabus or teaching philosophy you will want to keep track of
suggestions and your responses. In the final Portfolio include a one-page,
bulleted summary of changes made in an assignment.
ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS YOU MAY INCLUDE IN A TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Your Teaching Portfolio is a living document. Even after the end of this
course you will want to use it to record your pedagogical activities.
It may also include:
Table of Contents
Your Curriculum Vita (CV), including your TA involvement, course work on teaching
and being a TA, continuing education, special committee work and awards
Actual teaching you have done, as represented by slides, comments from observers,
written comments from student evaluations, or links to actual class sessions.
Your experience evaluating students and giving feedback, represented by evaluation
assignments and students' graded work along with a brief description about how
feedback was given.
Demonstration of your pedagogical activities, represented by courses developed,
attendance at professional conferences that resulted in changes in content or
methods of teaching.
Screen shots and addresses of websites that reflect your participation in some way
Other teaching-related materials that illustrate your expertise, innovativeness, and
involvement in teaching

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BEING AN EXCELLENT CRITIQUER

One of the major learning activities in this course is to review and give timely effective feedback on each
component of the course materials developed by the 2-3 students who are in your Peer Group. Much science
documents that feedback promotes positive change when it is timely, specific and presented in a manner that
can be understood. Basically, immediate, specific and positive feedback helps people make needed change.
The job of reviewing and giving feedback is central to effective evaluation and teaching.
You have 4 such tasks in this course, 3 on the components of the other students course syllabi and one on
their Teaching Philosophy. You will get feedback from them on these same assignments. The TA and Dr.
Riley will give feedback on the feedback. That is, Peer Group members are responsible for giving good
feedback. The instructors will critique how well this is being done, but only after the fact. As a Peer Group
reviewer you will be the most direct influence on how effectively your peers get input on their work. You will
help them learn and improve their syllabi.
As a reviewer, evaluator, assessor, teacher, you should provide a positively stated summary of your overall
impression. For this course, your comments should be in the document itself. You can use Track Changes or
any other method that shows your suggestions and edits (and a date) in the text.
Use the criteria for each of the assignments to evaluate how well your Peer Group member has
accomplished the assignment. Figure out what you think before you start writing. Make your comments
succinct. Bullet points are helpful to the reader. Be brave, say what you think, just frame it positively. Give
examples when you can.
There are challenges to this task that you will not have when teaching in your subject area. Here, you are
unlikely to be an expert in the subjects your peers will be teaching. But remember, most of the major issues
have more to do with effective engagement through the written word, clear communication, good instructional
design, and logical and purposeful learning activities. That said, the level and sequencing of the material is a
core aspect of effective course design. Even if you do not understand the content of the course, you can help
your peer group member reflect on these issues. Reflection is a powerful learning activity in itself.
Ask for help from your peer group members or Dr. Riley or the TA if you need it. Please dont Just do it. to
get the assignment done.

Enjoy the process.