How to conduct research into syllabus design: Backward Design

Conduct research into syllabus design

Resources that examine syllabus creation through backward design. These resources include: 

• Georgetown University’s designing backward resource;
• Louise Lamphere Beryl’s article on using backward design for syllabus development; and 
• Yale University’s backward design course planning resource. 

Additionally, University of Illinois provides a general resource on creating a syllabus.

Once you have explored the resources above, conduct research into syllabi and syllabus design within your discipline. You will have the opportunity to collect some examples of syllabi that exemplify the kind of “design thinking” associated with backward design, and some that do not. You should collect at least one example of each. When you have collected these examples, consider the following questions:

• Compare the examples you have collected. What notable differences do you find between the syllabi that reflect effective backward design and those that seem not to do so?
• How would you approach designing and creating a syllabus centered on a topic of your choice?