Angeline Jones

ELPS 430 Curriculum: Case Study #1

When examining the course syllabus for an introductory level psychology course, one
would expect that many of the courses would not only explore the same content, but also follow
the same outline. After exploring the syllabi from the University of North Carolina (UNC),
Cornell University (CU), Michigan State University (MSU), University of Northern Iowa (UNI),
and Winthrop University (WU) for their introductory psychology courses, we are able to see how
universities may share similarities but also differ in their approach to teaching this course. While
the subject matter is normally the same, we are also able to see how instructors may put their
own teaching style into the course.
The first syllabus examined was from the University of North Carolina
(http://psychology.unc.edu/files/2015/02/PSYC-101-Syllabi.pdf). Listed as a sample syllabus on
their site, I chose to include it in this analysis for the purposes of comparison. The second
syllabus chosen was from an introductory psychology course at Michigan State University
(http://psychology.msu.edu/SyllabusRecordFiles/Psy-101-US12-Syllabus%20Kermond.pdf). I
chose this specific syllabus because it included information on research opportunities.
Understanding that these opportunities may differ from institution to institution, I found it
interesting that it was actually required component of this course. I also chose a syllabus from
Cornell University (http://cornellpsych.net/syllabus/).Their syllabus for the course stood out to
me due to the fact that it functioned more like a website. Majority of the other syllabi examined
were PDF documents which were able to be viewed online. This CU course provided much of
the same information, yet acted like a website, with working links to resources and information
about the course, including E-books and tutoring. The fourth syllabus chosen followed a similar
structure with the website format; however it differed in other ways. Retrieved from:
http://www.uni.edu/walsh/linda8.html, the University of Northern Iowas introductory course

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ELPS 430 Curriculum: Case Study #1
was very specific to the instructor and her specific course. Filled with lots of color and text, Dr.
Linda L. Walshs syllabus was unlike anything I had ever seen before for an academic course.
The final course syllabus chose stayed true to the typical PDF standard of syllabi. Winthrop
Universitys intro psychology course
(http://www.winthrop.edu/uploadedFiles/cas/psychology/syllabi/PSYC101Brown.pdf) was very
similar to both MSUs and UNCs.
Some common themes became apparent when reviewing the syllabi for these courses.
Almost all of them followed the same structure: a brief introduction either to the instructor or to
the course, information on how to contact the instructor, textbook information, class
expectations, grading information, as well as a course schedule. I was quite surprised however to
find many more differences than I had expected between the course syllabi. As previously stated,
one of the main differences I found was the inclusion of information concerning research
opportunities. For the MSU course, research is required as part of the students final grade. For
others such as WU, the information was included, but as an extra credit opportunity. Another
striking difference that I found when comparing the syllabi was the presence or lack thereof and
placement of the course goals and learning expectations and outcomes. Normally, one would
expect this information to be toward the beginning of the syllabus, so students are able to gain an
idea of exactly what will be expected of them, but in the case of Cornell, for example, this
information is not present on the syllabus at all. A course description is included, but no real
explanation of learning outcomes and course goals. One of the most significant differences that I
found in the syllabi comparisons was the use of an actual map to help visually guide students
through how the course would run. On page 7 of the Michigan State syllabus, there is an image
that helps break down exactly what topics would be covered in the course and the corresponding

Angeline Jones
ELPS 430 Curriculum: Case Study #1
book chapters for those topics. It also showed how the separate topics were connected and lead
to and from one another.
In addition to these differences, I also found that only in the Winthrop syllabus, were
there competencies listed which were university specific. So, not only were there learning
objectives of the course, but also objectives that were expected to be met specifically by
Winthrop student by the time of their graduation. Another one of the main differences I found
when examining the syllabi were the different ways in which they presented important
information. For example, information on student support such as an Academic Success Center
(ASC) was listed on all but one the syllabus, but each one was presented a bit differently. As I
explained previously, Cornell Universitys syllabus functions as a web page. From their site,
students are actually able to click a link which takes them to information regarding tutors,
including names and photos. If accessed from the web, Winthrops ASC site was accessible as
well. As you are able to see, a multitude of information can exist within a syllabus. The aspect
that stood out to me the most and that made one syllabus seem better than another was the
inclusion of helpful information. A normal course syllabus is most likely between 5-8 pages long.
With the addition of this extra information this page number can increase drastically, however
the inclusion of this information could be what makes the difference for a students success.
Each syllabus examined had key components that one would expect to find in a syllabus
for any given course, but I believe that a combination of the best parts of each are what would
truly set the course apart from others. Drawing on this, it would mean the use of and
implementation of strategies which have been proven to help foster students success in the
classroom. In Fink 2013, we learn about the taxonomy of significant learning, which includes six
major categories: foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring,

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ELPS 430 Curriculum: Case Study #1
and learning how to learn (Figure 2.1., p. 35). The use of these categories of learning are all
visible when examining these syllabi as a group, but not as much when examined individually. In
a course like psychology specifically, we can see where the use of not just some, but all of these
categories would be imperative to learning. For example, Finks category of application calls for
students to go beyond simply taking notes and learning facts and, engage in some new kind of
action which may be intellectual, physical, or social (p. 35). To take this even further, Nilson
(2003) states that, People learn better when the material evokes emotion and not just intellectual
or physical involvement (p.4). These two authors give us prime examples of how important the
modes of learning can be, as well as how these modes can be clearly reflected in the syllabus of a
course. Multiple modes of learning not only help students retain information but also help cater
to different students learning styles. Finks category of learning how to learn also stood out as
congruent to Nilsons work when it states that, In the course of their studies, students can also
learn something about the process of learning itself. They may be learning how to be a better
student, how to engage in a particular kind of inquiry (such as the scientific method), or how to
become a self-directed learner (2013, p. 36). This can be achieved through the means provided
in some of the syllabi. For example, there was a recommended textbook outside of the one
required for Winthrops course as well as companion tools complementary to the text book.
These extra tools are useful when guiding students to help themselves. In addition to this, I
believe that it is through gaining a better understanding of the concept as a whole subject that
will help lead to better understanding. Without the big picture, students face another learning
hurdle as well. The mind processes, stores, and retrieves knowledge not as a collection of facts
but as a logically organized whole, a coherent conceptual framework, with interconnected parts.
In fact, it requires a big picture (Nilson, 2003, p.6). This ability to see what the end goal is and

Angeline Jones
ELPS 430 Curriculum: Case Study #1
the larger picture, within which the smaller pieces fit, is imperative to successful learning which
is why the learning outcomes and goals are also imperative to be listed on syllabi.
As we have been able to see through examining the five course syllabi above, differences
may exist from course to course, but the main over-arching goal is primarily the same. While
some syllabi lack, others succeed and because of this, we are able to see that through different
means student success is at each ones core. This success can take on many forms, but I believe
that the form which is easiest to see would be the students successful completion of the course
and eventual graduation from the institution. By drawing on the best parts of all syllabi and
learning from the areas where some syllabi lack, the tools to craft a syllabus and course in which
a student will be most successful are available to us as educators.

Angeline Jones
ELPS 430 Curriculum: Case Study #1
References

Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to

designing college courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Nilson, L. B. (2003). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors.
Bolton, MA: Anker Pub.
UNC: http://psychology.unc.edu/files/2015/02/PSYC-101-Syllabi.pdf
MSU: http://psychology.msu.edu/SyllabusRecordFiles/Psy-101-US12-Syllabus%20Kermond.pdf
Cornell: http://cornellpsych.net/syllabus/
UNI: http://www.uni.edu/walsh/linda8.html
Winthrop: http://www.winthrop.edu/uploadedFiles/cas/psychology/syllabi/PSYC101Brown.pdf