Attached is a sample syllabus that I propose to use to teach the Chemical Principles for Engineers if I had the opportunity to be the principal course instructor. The syllabus reflects elements of good teaching practice that I have acquired both from teaching the course, and from being a student of the Cognate in College Teaching.

Some components of Meaningful Learning that this syllabus will explore

· Focusing on what makes sense to the student(s) rather than what should be taught.

· Giving the students the ability to construct their own understanding of a concept.

· Realizing the existence of different levels of intellectual development, identifying the level of the target audience and working from that level.

· Intentional pedagogical design and identification of desired learning outcomes.

· Identification of mis/preconceptions and developing a strategy to enable students exchange these misconceptions with valid concepts.

· Ensuring accessibility and constant update of instructors, teaching methods and learning materials.

Some learning activities that will be used to promote learning

· Laboratory experiences (does not strictly imply a building and lab wear) For example, excursions, field trips, building or disassembling a physical (or conceptual) structure, etc.

· Group and peer-led discussions and tutoring sessions; students tend to be more comfortable discussing and arguing with fellow students than an “all knowing” instructor. This includes matching students of polar abilities and ensuring that everyone is actively involved in each group.

· Utilizing tests and assignments as a strong tool for introducing and provoking inquiry on new and unfamiliar terrain; this will ultimately help them develop and build their research skills.

Proposed grading scheme

I plan to use a grading scheme that focuses more on the thought process and strategy of the student rather than one that focuses on the final solution to the problem. I value the ability to transfer or synthesize knowledge more than the algorithmic and most times, thoughtless approach to solving a problem. Grading a student for the reasoning displayed in solving a problem, tends to boost their morale, expand their thought process, and encourage further inquiry from you and other sources. I also want the grades of my students to reflect their actual abilities and while I realize that it may be impossible to have all stellar students, working towards producing all stellar students will help me continuously monitor the pulse of the class and adjust my teaching strategies when necessary.

I am not a believer of weighty attendance or participation grades, as these do not accurately reflect the students' abilities or knowledge of the subject matter, and neither do they foster meaningful learning in any way. Participation points are very subjective and their utility in my syllabus is as an incentive to encourage the students’ active involvement in the learning activities; short of assigning zero points for no participation and full points for a good level of participation, partial points cannot be satisfactorily justified. There are possibly better ways of ensuring participation, for instance, if a class is fun, students will show up and participate. If the concepts are well taught, students will show up and participate. If, at the beginning of the semester, the students have been informed of unannounced surprise quizzes, they will show up for every class. I intend to explore any of these other methods and if they work, I will redistribute the participation points to other more assessible components.