Re: a question about outcomes in a syllabus

[sphilip <philstokes03 -at- googlemail -dot- com>]

You can use 'should' + an action verb as Julie suggests below. This is a common form. The other way to do it is

"Students who engage successfully with this course will be able to:

Describe
Identify
Analyse
etc
etc:



On 9 Apr 2013, at 21:14, Julie Stickler <jstickler -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> In the past I've seen introductions like the following:
> 
> This unit introduces...
> This chapter is to familiarize you with...
> This section will discuss...
> 
> And section or unit goals like the following:
> 
> After completing this unit you should be able to
> Describe [concept]
> Identify [things]
> Name [number of things]
> Navigate [interface]
> Perform or complete [task]
> 
> Etc.
> 
> Hope that helps you get unstuck!
> 
> 
> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 10:00 AM, Becca <becca_price -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
> 
>> The coursework I am developing with my SME has a syllabus in which my SME
>> (who is designing the course; I'm only writing and editing the text)
>> consistently says, in his section outcome statements "The student will
>> understand..."
>> 
>> This seems dangerous to me, in that a student who does *not* understand
>> can say "you promised I would understand! I want my money back!" if the
>> student fails the course.
>> 
>> This is being developed under a very tight deadline, and I'm perhaps
>> over-tired (well, no perhaps about it), but I can't think of a better way
>> to say it, except to say "the student will be exposed to..." - but since
>> this is a very intense seminar, designed for experts in their field and
>> geared to prepare them for a certifying exam, "exposed to" seems overly
>> wishy-washy and not strong enough.
>> 
>> What is a better way of saying this? "We will teach..."?
>> 
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Becca
>> _________________________
>> "People do get hypnotized by the hard choices. And stop looking for
>> alternatives. The will to be stupid is a very powerful force—"
>> 
>> 
>> Brothers in Arms, Lois McMaster Bujold
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Julie Stickler
> http://heratech.wordpress.com/
> Blogging about Agile and technical writing
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Best

Phil
http://applehelpwriter.com

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