Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Ventures in vision: Designing a graphic syllabus

Linda B. Nilson, Clemson University, USA

Students rarely read a syllabus carefully, and even when they do, they lack the scholarly background to grasp the "big picture" of the organization of the subject matter that an instructor so painstakingly develops. This two-hour workshop, an abbreviated version of an actual three-hour workshop, invites faculty and educational developers to design a "graphic syllabus"- a pictorial diagram, flow chart, or concept map of the topical organization of a course. This one-page document, normally appended to a regular text syllabus, makes the organization of a course much clearer to students, especially to those with visual and kinesthetic processing styles, and it dual-codes this organization in their memories. Participants will examine real examples of graphic syllabi and will familiarize themselves with the many visual dimensions on which they may vary (spatial arrangements of enclosures and connectors, shapes and colors of enclosures, kinds of connectors, type face and size, etc.). Participants will also view several "graphic metaphors," which are elaborate metaphorical extensions of a graphic syllabus. They will then practice developing a graphic syllabus for a fictitious course in small groups. Finally, after hearing some words of caution (eg, avoid overcomplexity), they will individually design a graphic syllabus (or metaphor) of a course of their own. Information on software options will be furnished.

Key words:
Syllabus; Visuals; Design

Objectives, outcomes and activities:
Participants will begin to design a "graphic syllabus" for one of their courses - that is, a pictorial diagram, flow chart, or concept map of the organization of a course. They will first examine a variety of graphic syllabi, then practice designing one in small groups for a fictitious course.

Linda B. Nilson is founding director of Clemson University's Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation and author of Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors (Anker, 1998). She has been directing teaching/faculty development centers since 1989. She began her academic career as a sociology professor at UCLA, where she established and directed her department's TA training program. She received her PhD. And M.S. in sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Contact: Linda Nilson, email: Nilson@Clemson.edu