Session 16: Small group discussion of syllabi and course design

In your groups, discuss and make notes on the syllabus for your group, thinking about the ways it makes use of WEMs and associated concepts:

How are WEMs embedded in the larger course narrative, and what role do they play?
What is distinctive about the course design? Any clever/innovative tricks we should notice?
How does the course narrative create associations and connections between the work with WEMs and larger critical themes?
How significant and specific a role do WEMs play in the course? Could some other technical topic be substituted in their place?
How substantial an understanding of WEMs does the course provide students? Does it aim to enable them to work independently on their own research? Read critical work knowledgeably? Experiment more on their own?
How does the course approach assessment of students’ work with WEMs?
Where do you see opportunities for things to go off the rails? Any adjustments you would want to make to the syllabus to anticipate/forestall these?

When we return, we’ll ask each group to share what they discussed, and also consider some bigger questions:

What kinds of support and additional experience would you need to feel comfortable teaching each of these courses?
How are these different course/workshop design approaches making use of WEMs and the concepts they illuminate? Are there distinct pedagogical approaches or design decisions we can identify?

Word Vectors: Hands-on Practice and Group Work, Intensive Pedagogy-focused slide 11 of 11

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