Close reading of syllabus

First, perform a close reading of your syllabus. Does the syllabus for the course you have selected to revise clearly outline the learning outcomes for the course? How and where? Is it clear how these outcomes will be measured? What learning outcomes and means of accessing those outcomes does the syllabus omit? Be specific.

In the "Course description" of my Early History of Prints and Printmaking syllabus, it includes the following statement: "Students in this course will learn how to identify how a print was made, when it was made, and with what materials and techniques." The course description makes it clear that we will pay considerable attention to the social history of prints. In general, I expect them to gain a basic understanding of the key artists and their contributions to the early history of printmaking.

Under "Course Requirements," it states that students will be assessed via class participation, in-class quizes (low stakes, only 5 pts, on print techniques), in class writing assignments (also low stakes writing, 5 pts each, on a specific question drawn from their reserve reading), a midterm, a final and a short research paper. Although I did not specify it on this version of my syllabus, I plan on having them write the research paper in the form of a catalog entry or exhibition wall text, the results of which they will have to present to the class as a whole. In this writing assignment and presentation they will analyze an original work of art (from the Lowe Art Museum collection of Old Master Prints) and write a catalog entry/wall caption for it, discussing the technique and subject matter and placing the work within its historical context. In this way students will be able to demonstrate both in writing and speaking what they have learned in the course.

As I revise the syllabus, I will make both what I expect students to learn and how these outcomes will be measured clearer for the students.