Math Course Syllabi and Student Learning Outcomes

Here is a helpful email from FSU's CAT on making a good syllabus: CAT Email of Aug 16, 2021.

As traditionalists, we mathematicians may view with suspicion new-fangled buzzwords like "Student Learning Outcomes" (SLOs). We mostly inherit from our own teachers what to do -- back in my student days, I'm pretty sure I never saw a course syllabus of any kind!

For many years, my syllabi described what *I*, the instructor, intended to do (e.g. cover a list of topics), not what *my students* were going to do beyond "learn" the same list of topics.

It turns out to be useful, especially for undergraduates, to shift the perspective of the syllabus from the instructor to the student, and give some thought to what specific things you intend the students to be able to do. I find asking myself this when planning my course tends to make the course more effective for students.

The idea is to try to go beyond "understand the material" to more active and specific goals. Want some examples of active verbs to use? One general guide is Bloom's Taxonomy:

• cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy

For a more math-specific example, take a look at UC Berkeley's Learning Goals for Math Majors:

• math.berkeley.edu/programs/undergraduate/student-learning-goals

The math community has progressed a lot since many of us were students. For much more discussion of these and related topics, I recommend the MAA's Instructional Practices Guide:

• www.maa.org/sites/default/files/InstructPracGuide_web.pdf

Most related to the Syllabus is the Design Practices section, beginning on page 89.

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Here is an example of SLOs I included on a Calculus 2 syllabus during the pandemic:

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Correctly solve a variety of integrals, evaluate properties of sequences and series, find and use Taylor series for functions, solve problems involving the calculus of parametric and polar equations, and solve problems on other topics covered in class.
2. Work effectively in small groups and on discussion boards on problems.
3. Communicate and discuss their mathematical thoughts clearly, both orally in Zoom class sessions, in written work uploaded to Canvas, and in short video posts describing problem solutions.
4. Approach problems from different perspectives, including verbally, algebraically, numerically, and graphically.