Spring 1998

97 - 98 Curriculum Committee
Beverly Shue, Chair, Los Angeles Harbor
Luz Argyriou, Napa College
Donna Ferracone, Chafton Hills College
Jean Smith, San Diego Continuing Education
Jannett Jackson, Fresno College
Linda Lee, San Diego Miramar College
Bob Stafford, San Bernardino College
Ron Vess, Southwestern College
Lynn Miller, Chancellor's Office Liaison

96 - 97 Curriculum Committee
Bill Scroggins, Chair, Chabot College
Luz Gomez Argyriou, Napa Valley College
Donna Ferracone, Crafton Hills College
Jean Smith, San Diego, Continuing Education
Jannett Jackson, Fresno City College
Linda Lee, San Diego Miramar College
Bob Stafford, San Bernardino Valley College
Ron Vess, Southwestern College
Marissa Alvarez, Student Senate

Table of Contents
Introduction
Catalog Description
Class Schedule
Need/Justification
Objectives/Student Outcomes
Prerequisite Skills
Course Content
Assignments & Methods of Instruction & Evaluation
Texts and Instructional Materials

Abstract
This paper recommends good practices for writing each of the sections of the course outline of record. Sections covered are Catalog Description, Class Schedule Description, Need/Justification, Objectives/Student Outcomes, Prerequisite Skills, Course Content, Assignments, Methods of Instruction and Evaluation, and Texts and Instructional Materials. The focus of the recommendations is to provide course outlines which are thorough and comprehensive of the Title 5 standards as well as providing complete descriptions of actual classroom practices which are sufficient for articulation.

Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to discuss good writing practices for the commonly used sections of the course outline of record. The reader is referred to the paper "Components of a Model Course Outline of Record" for a presentation of the required and suggested components and what they are to contain. The reader is also referred to other Academic Senate publications including "Good Practices for the Implementation of Prerequisites" for the prerequisite section of the course outline and to "Curriculum Committee Review of Distance Learning Courses and Sections" for meeting standards for technology-mediated instruction.

Certainly, the course outline should reflect the individual styles of the faculty originator and the college, and this paper is not intended to impose on the academic freedom of instructors to express that individuality. That said, it must be recognized that the purpose of the course outline goes beyond expressing the content of the course and the way it is taught. It is the document which is reviewed to meet accreditation requirements, intersegmental standards, and articulation needs. This broader audience outside the individual campus calls for expanded writing styles to meet the expectations of those groups. Experience has shown that certain methods of presentation are more effective than others in conveying the components of the course to meet those expectations. This paper represents the collective wisdom of the faculty of the California Community Colleges in good practices of writing course outlines.

Local academic senates are urged to review these recommended good practices and encourage faculty developing and revising course outlines to follow them. Similarly, local curriculum committee are urged to review these good practices and incorporate them into their expectations for courses brought forward for approval. To the extent necessary, curriculum committees may revise their standard outline of record format and curriculum handbooks to utilize these recommended good practices.

The format of this paper follows the typical sections of the course outline of record as described in the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges paper, "Components of a Model Course Outline of Record." The summary of those components is repeated below:

Summary Of Components Of An Integrated Course Outline Of Record For Degree Credit Courses

• Show that the subject matter is rooted in basic theory and concepts of the discipline in each component of the course outline.

• Integrate all components throughout the outline; never just "add on."

Objectives meet the stated needs of the course.

Course Content covers all the objectives.

Methods of Instruction are identified with particular course objectives.

Assignments and Evaluation clearly show how students attain all objectives.

Texts are of college level and cover the theory and principles of the subject.

• Pay particular attention to critical thinking.
  
  

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

• Write a short paragraph as a well developed overview of topics covered.

• Identify the target audience: required for major, degree or certificate, transfer, etc. "Meets general education laboratory science requirement" for example.

• List prerequisites, corequisites, and/or advisories.

• Include lecture/lab/studio hours and units.

NEED/JUSTIFICATION/GOALS

• State fulfillment of degree, certificate, transfer or other need.

• Distinguish purpose as related to similar courses.

• Clearly state goals to allow evaluation of objectives.
  
  

PREREQUISITE SKILLS

• For pre- and corequisites list entry skills without which student success is highly unlikely: "upon entering the course the student should be able to...."

• For advisories list entry skills which would broaden or enhance student learning but without which the student would still succeed.
  
  

OBJECTIVES

• State in measurable terms what students will be able to do: "upon completion of the course the student should be able to...."

• Be concise but complete: ten is too many; one is not enough.

• Use verbs showing analysis: rather than "understand," "identify" or "describe" say "explain" or "compare and contrast."

• Adequately cover theory, principles, and concepts. Use skills and applications to reinforce and develop concepts. Don't add concepts to supplement skills.

• Be broad and introductory in scope, not too advanced, narrow, or specific.
  
  

COURSE CONTENT

• Compile a complete list of all topics taught in the course.

• Arrange the list by topic with sub-headings; half a page is not enough.
  
  

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

• Use methods appropriate to the objectives. If an objective is self-criticism of original work, lecture as a method is not enough.

• Types or examples of methods of instruction as well as assignments and how they are evaluated [see below] are required. If all instructors agree, the course outline may show just one teaching pattern. However, instructors have the academic freedom to choose how they will achieve course objectives. If other methods are used, options should be described fully. Detail may be reduced by attaching syllabi with enough information to evaluate instructional methodology.
  
  

ASSIGNMENTS AND METHODS OF EVALUATION

• Give assignments that reflect coverage of all objectives and content.

• In addition to listing graded assignments, give the basis for grading, and relate to skills and abilities in objectives. For example, say "written assignments which show development of self-criticism." Attach examples if needed.

• Out-of-class assignments must be sufficient to show independent work.

• Be sure that knowledge of required material constitutes a significant portion of the grade as reflected in assignments and methods of evaluation.
  
  

TEXTS/INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

• Include text (with date of publication) and other instructional material.
  

CATALOG DESCRIPTION
The purpose of the catalog description is to convey the content of the course in a brief and concise manner. This section also contains essential information about the course which is of interest to the reader, considering that publication in the catalog is the major way in which course information is provided. The audience for the catalog description is quite diverse. Students need information to plan their programs, as do counseling faculty advising them. Faculty, staff and students at other colleges use catalog descriptions to evaluate the content of the courses transfer students have taken at the originating institution. Outside reviewers base their assessments on the information printed in the catalog. These reviews include college accreditation visitation, matriculation site visits, and individual accreditations for programs such as nursing.

The heart of the catalog description is the summary of course content. It should be thorough enough to establish the comparability of the course to those at other colleges and to convey the role of the course in the curriculum as well as to distinguish it from other courses at the college. It should be brief enough to encourage a quick read. To save space, many colleges use phrases rather than complete sentences. For transfer courses, it is a good idea to consider the catalog descriptions for the major receiving institutions and assure that the college's corresponding course is presented comparably.

It is good practice to include a statement about the students for which the course is intended. Examples include "first course in the graphic arts major" or "intended for students in allied health majors" or "meets UC foreign language requirement."

The catalog description contains the units, hours, prerequisites, repeatability, transferability and credit status of the course. Unit limitations should be specified such as "no credit for students who have completed Math 101A" and "UC transferrable units limited." Hours are typically reported on a weekly basis and are broken down by type: "3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab, 1 hour discussion." Variable unit courses should show the hours as variable also, for example: "1-3 hours lecture, 1-3 units." Some colleges show the total semester hours of instruction rather than the weekly hours. This practice is particularly useful for courses offered in a variety of short-term formats as well as for work experience courses (for which the unit equivalency is 1 semester unit = 75 paid or 60 non-paid work hours per Title 5 §55256.5). However, for regular courses, weekly hours serve the primary audience (students) much more directly.

Courses routinely offered on a short-term or technology mediated basis may be specified as well: "9 week course" or "Saturday course" or "Telecourse sections available; see page 42 for more information." Be sure to follow Carnegie unit and hour requirements of Title 5 (see the Curriculum Standards Handbook.) Prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, and limitations on enrollment are listed as the course(s), assessment outcomes, or other skills required or recommended. (See also "Good Practices for the Implementation of Prerequisites.")

Prerequisite: Completion of French 1A with a 'C' or better.

Corequisite: Geology 10 (may be taken previously)

Prerequisite: Math 24 (with a 'C' or higher) or appropriate skills demonstrated through the math placement process.

Recommended Preparation: eligibility for English 1A

Advisory: high school biology with a "B" or better is recommended

Recommended: Reading level 3 (see p. 17)

Limitation: Enrollment limited by audition

Courses may be taken up to four times total if appropriate criteria are met. (See the Curriculum Standards Handbook.) This is expressed in the catalog description as "May be taken 4 times for credit." It is not as clear to list total units which may be earned by repetition. For example, a 1-3 variable unit course might be taken four times for credit, but it would be inaccurate to say "may be taken for credit up to 12 earned units" because a student taking the course for just one unit would reach the repeatability limit after only 4 units.

It is common practice to include the transferability of the course, usually just by adding "UC, CSU" (as appropriate) to the end of the to the catalog description. Note that this specifies general transferability, i.e. for elective credit, not articulation to meet a major or general education transfer requirement. Inclusion of the California Articulation Number (CAN) designation, as CAN AJ 2 for example, does mean that the course meets all major and general education requirements that the comparable course with the same CAN designation meets at the receiving institution.

Courses may be offered on a credit (letter grade) basis only, on a credit/no credit basis only C or better equals credit), or on a letter grade or CR/NC basis at the option of the student. Generally, courses are assumed to be on a letter grade basis unless marked otherwise with catalog statements such as "credit/no credit only" or "credit/no credit option." Courses are also assumed to be degree applicable unless otherwise noted as "nondegree applicable credit course" or "noncredit course."

Many colleges find it useful to include the terms in which the course will be offered. This may be as cryptic as "(F,S,SS)" (standing for fall, spring, summer session). For some colleges, the course scheduling calendar is such that this information is available at catalog publication time. This is a great aid to students and counselors doing program planning. (If timing does not permit a catalog listing, consider placing the information in the schedule of classes.) It is a good practice to begin the course listing section in the catalog with an explanation of the components of course descriptions as used by the college.

The importance of conveying the unique role of each course is shown by the examples below from an actual college catalog. (Read an analyze these from the point of view of a student planning a program. Can you identify the differences?)

History 25

UNITED STATES HISTORY

3 units
History 25 is an interpretation of the more meaningful and significant issues, events, and ideas which have played a major role in shaping present day America. Main attention is focused upon political and economic aspects with some treatment of social and cultural developments. This course meets the California State requirement in American History. Lecture 3 hours. Prerequisite: Eligibility for English 100 or ESL 100 Note: This course allows only 1 unit of credit for students who have completed History 30, 31, or Social Science 31. Transfer Credit: CSU, UC.

History 30

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

3 Units

History 30 is a survey course that looks in depth at United States history from the colonial period to Reconstruction. The English colonies, the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, the New Nation, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, slaver, Civil War, and Reconstruction will all be examined. This course (if both semesters are completed) meets the California State requirements in United States history. Lecture 3 hours. Prerequisite: Eligibility for English 1A. Note: History 30 allows only 1½ units of credit for students who have completed History 25. Transfer credit: CSU, UC (CAN HIST 8)

The major difference is that U. S. History is covered in one semester with History 25 and over two semesters with History 30 (plus the unnamed History 31). Both are transferrable to UC and CSU and both meet the "California State" (University) requirement in United States History (really, the CSU United States History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement). History 30 has a slightly higher English prerequisite (English 1A is freshman composition and English 100 is Subject A). As shown by its CAN HIST 8 designation, History 30 also meets major requirements at institutions with CAN HIST 8 courses. An statement such as "History 30 and 31 cover U. S. History in two semesters whereas History 25 does so in one semester. History 30 and 31 meet typical major requirements. Both History 25 and 30/31 meet the CSU U. S. History, Constitution and American Ideals Requirement."

For disciplines with many possible curriculum paths to meet different student needs, it is a good practice to include a flow chart showing the courses to be taken in sequence (or simultaneously in some cases) and the intended student audience for each path. Remember, however, that good

curriculum alignment dictates that such paths are simple and clear to express. Examples of well-constructed (shown first for both basic skills and degree level math) and not-so-informative flow charts are shown below.

GOOD MODEL OF MATHEMATICS COURSE SEQUENCES

Note: Where a student enters the sequence will depend upon previous

background and test scores. Check prerequisites for all courses.

Math 52, Intermediate Algebra, meets the AA Degree graduation

requirement in math, as do all lower numbered math courses.

GOOD MODEL OF TRANSFER PROGRAMS
Math/Science/Engineering Biological/Business/Social Sciences
Note: Courses numbered below 50 are transferrable to UC and CSU.

Math courses numbered below 50 meet the transfer general

education requirements of both CSU-Breadth (p. 14) & IGETC (p 15)

(except that Math 1, Trigonometry, is not accepted by IGETC).

Students planning to transfer to a four-year school should work

carefully with a counselor and the catalog of the school of transfer.

POOR MODEL OF MATHEMATICS COURSE SEQUENCES
(Diagram pending)

These well constructed flow charts let the student, and others, know where to start in each sequence depending on their intent of obtaining an AA degree or transfer in a specific major. The chart lays out the courses in prerequisite order. The numbering system is clear for nondegree (100 and above) and degree applicable courses (below 100) as well as for transferability (below 50). The chart on the next page is not as well constructed.

CLASS SCHEDULE DESCRIPTION
The course description in the class schedule is an abbreviated version of that in the catalog. The audience now is just the student planning a particular semester's schedule, so completeness and comparability is not an issue. Generally, the features included are:

• Course number and title

• A one line composite of the course content from the catalog description

• Hours and units

• Prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, and other limitation

• Transferability (UC, CSU) and CAN designation
  

NEED/JUSTIFICATION
The purpose of this section is to meet the need criterion spelled out in the Curriculum Standards Handbook that "There is a demonstrable need for a course or program that meets the stated goals and objectives, at this time, and in the region the college proposes to serve with the program."

The need statement should present the role of the course in the major programs or general education areas in which it is designed to serve. If it is a stand-alone course, not part of a program, its role in the general curriculum should be explained. In particular, this rationale should point out the reason that existing courses do not meet this identified need and clearly distinguish the role of the proposed course from that of similar courses.

Typical need statements are:
This course meets the AA degree rationality requirement and CSU-GE and IGETC requirements in quantitative reasoning. This Liberal Arts Math course provides a way for the general transfer student to meet these requirements without taking those courses designed to meet major preparation requirements in science and engineering (Pre-calculus and Calculus) or in biological, business, or social sciences (Bio/Bus/SS Calculus and Statistics).

Medical Terminology I provides a basic introduction to students in all allied health majors. By combining portions of existing courses in those majors, this course will free those programs to provide more emphasis on content. An added advantage will be more flexibility in section offerings as well as emphasizing medical terminology across all specialties.

This course reflects a new requirement in hazardous materials technology now required for certification in fire science.

This course in Jazz and Blues Music grew out of increasing student demand for more on this subject than was currently being covered in our Popular American Music course. This new course will be part of the restricted elective list for those majoring in music.

OBJECTIVES/STUDENT OUTCOMES
The purpose of this section is to convey the learning outcomes expected of students. The format typically begins with the phrase "Upon completion of this course the student is expected to be able to:" with a list of those expectations following. These are sometimes referred to as "behavior objectives." There are several challenges to writing the Objectives section. First, the hundreds of specific learning objectives of the course must be distilled down to approximately ten or, at most, twenty. The key is grouping individual items into sets which share commonalities. For example, a sociology course might have many detailed items for students to learn in the area of cross-cultural comparisons, but the collective statement in the Objectives section might be "Compare and contrast traditions and behaviors in a variety of cultures." Or a chemistry class might take two or three weeks to discuss the properties of states of matter (gas, liquid, solid) but the combined learning might be summarized as "Describe the properties of the states of matter, use appropriate equations to calculate their properties, and explain those properties on the molecular level." Note that each statement is really a collection of objectives rather than a single objective.

Degree applicable credit courses are required to demonstrate critical thinking. The incorporation of critical thinking must be evident throughout the course outline but particularly in the Objectives, Methods of Instruction, and Methods of Evaluation. It must be clear that students are expected to think critically, are instructed in how to do so, and are held accountable for their performance. The manner in which the Objectives section reflects critical thinking is in the higher cognitive expectations expressed in this section. A useful way to evaluate the cognitive level of an objective is to use Bloom's taxonomy, a summary of which appears on the next page. Basically, critical thinking involves active higher cognitive process which analyze, synthesize and/or evaluate information. This contrasts which the more passive activities such as recognizing, describing, or understanding information. Note that not ALL objectives need to reflect critical thinking. Certainly recognizing, describing, and understanding are valuable skills. It should be clear, however, that higher thinking skills are an essential component of the course. Note also that it is not sufficient for such higher skills to be listed in the Objectives. The course outline must demonstrate that students are taught how to acquire these skills and must master them to pass the class. (See the following sections on Methods of Instruction and Assignments and Methods of Evaluation.)

When reviewing the specific learning items and writing collective objective statements, keep in mind the cognitive levels expected of students in each area.

Verbs Requiring Cognitive Outcomes

Many existing course outlines have objectives which do not reflect the "active verbs" conveying critical thinking. It is usually the case that the course itself is taught in a way which incorporates critical thinking but that the course outline itself does not reflect those objectives and methodologies. Bringing the objectives into line is primarily a matter of reflection on the part of the faculty who teach the course upon those outcomes which require analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Some "before and after" examples are shown below.

BEFORE: Know the significant art achievements of Renaissance through Modern Europe.

AFTER: Compare and contrast the art works in the same historical period with art works from other historical periods to ascertain their stylistic aesthetic and historical relationships.

BEFORE: Have learned skills in performing and in working with others to create a theatrical event for children.

AFTER: Analyze a text in preparation for rehearsals, including the choice of style, language, and pace.

Critique their own performances and rehearsals using a collectively decided upon matrix.

Share these critiques with members of the ensemble in appropriate, culturally sensitive ways.

It is often the case, as above, that a single broad objective which has not been well described actually consists of several outcomes, of which some involve critical thinking and some do not.

PREREQUISITE SKILLS
Courses with prerequisites must list those prerequisite skills which have been developed through content review in a separate section of the course outline. See "Good Practices in the Implementation of Prerequisites" for a more detailed presentation. The writing style of the prerequisite skills section is the same as that for the objectives. The sections usually begins with a phrase such as "Upon entering this course the student should be able to:" with a list of those entry skills following, expressed with appropriate language (again, analyzing verbs following Bloom's taxonomy).

If a course has more than one prerequisite, separate lists would be appropriate for each. For example, if a physics class has both a math and a physics prerequisite, this section would have two separate lists.

Justification of prerequisites requires documentation and colleges have generally developed forms for the various types of scrutiny: equivalent prerequisites at UC and/or CSU, content review, and data collection and analysis. While these forms are not required to be part of the course outline, they are often attached as documentation of the process. However, only the list of skills themselves need be included in the course outline.

COURSE CONTENT
The format used for the course content section is universally that of an outline. The topics are arranged chronologically with major and minor headings: I. A., I. B., etc. The outline is detailed enough to fully convey the topics covered but not so lengthy that a quick scan cannot be used to ascertain the scope of the course. A page or two is not unusual but more than three would generally be considered excessive.

Keep in mind that the content listed in the course outline is required to be covered by all faculty teaching the course unless marked as optional. Furthermore, the listed content does not limit instructors from going beyond the topics in the outline.

ASSIGNMENTS, METHODS OF INSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION
These sections are specified in Title 5 55002(a)(3) as follows:

The course outline shall also specify types or provide examples of required reading and writing assignments, other outside-of-class assignments, instructional methodology, and methods of evaluation for determining whether the stated objectives have been met by students.

The Title 5 working on these three sections of the course outline do not mandate a comprehensive list of assignments, instructional methods, and evaluations. Rather, the outline must "specify types or provide examples." Thus faculty have the academic freedom to structure the course following their expertise in the subject matter. The methodologies used by the instructor are to be consistent with but not limited by these types and examples. In all cases, these methods must be such that "the stated objectives have been met by students."

The requirement to "specify types or provide examples" has, unfortunately, been incorporated into the course outline by some colleges as a check-box type list. An example is shown below.

Assignments:

X Homework X Lab Reports

_ Term Papers _ Field Trips or Other Outside Activities

X Reading from Text X Reading from Other Materials

_ Library Assignments _ Reading, Writing, or Language Lab

_ Work/Community Experience _ Other (specify):

Teaching methods and techniques:

_ Lecture _ Projects

X Laboratory _ Demonstration

X Discussions X Other (specify): Lab Notebook

_ Field Trips X Cooperative Learning

Methods of evaluation:

X Essay Exam X Reports

X Objective Exam X Problem Solving Exam

_ Projects X Skill Demonstration

_ Classroom Discussion

This approach does not meet all Title 5 requirements that the purpose of these sections is "determining whether the stated objectives have been met by students." When considering the writing style of this section, it is important to keep in mind that the assignments and methods of instruction and evaluation must be appropriate to the stated objectives. In particular, because the objectives must include critical thinking, the methods of instruction must effectively teach critical thinking and the methods of evaluation must effectively evaluate students' mastery of critical thinking. In other words, the themes established by the objectives must be integrated into methods of instruction and evaluation. (For more on the "integrated course outline" see "Components of a Model Course Outline of Record.") Examples of the alignment of objectives, instruction, and evaluation are shown below.

Course Objectives
The student will:

A. Define and demonstrate an understanding of general theatre terminology.

B. Observe and analyze the various components of a theatrical performance.

C. Interpret and compare dramatic texts as both written plays and in live performance, including works by a variety of playwrights which represent the influence of diversity (such as of gender, cultural background, class, sexual preference, and historical period).

D. Differentiate between the play as literature and the play as performance.

E. Evaluate the effectiveness of theatrical techniques In performance.

F. Examine the organization of theatrical companies and compare and contrast the roles of theatre personnel, e.g., producer, director, dramaturg, technical director, actors, choreographer, critic, artistic director, development staff, scenographer and designers, and house manager.

G. Analyze and evaluate live theatre as a dynamic art form in comparison to recorded performances in film and television.

H. Analyze the artistic, literary, and cultural perspectives of various playwrights, including, North American, South American, African, Asian, and European.

I. Compare and contrast theatrical conventions of various historical periods and cultures.

J. Compare and contrast live and recorded interpretations of the same dramatic texts, distinguishing between representational and presentational forms of theatrical art.

K. Develop a set of criteria for evaluating dramatic art.

Methods of Instruction

A. Lecture presentations and classroom discussion using the language of theatre.

B. In class reading of dramatic texts by the instructor and students followed by instructor-guided interpretation and analysis.

C. Follow-up in-class performances of selected dramatic texts followed by instructor-guided interpretation and analysis.

D. Attendance at required performances preceded by instructor-modeled performance review methods and followed by in-class and small group discussions.

E. Project group meetings in class to develop play interpretation project and group presentation.

F. Group presentations of major projects followed by in-class discussion and evaluation.

E. Lecture presentations on the organization of theatrical companies followed by in-rehearsal and back-stage visits at required performances.

F. In-class and out-of-class video and audio presentations followed by instructor-guided interpretation, analysis, and comparison to live performances.

Assignments
A. Textual analysis in discussion and writing: required study of assigned dramatic texts, including works representative of diverse gender, ethnic, and global perspectives.

1. Participation in class discussions about plays

2. Preparation of group projects in which major analytical questions are discussed and a major project designed around issues related to play interpretation in performance

3. Presentation of written criticism around assigned topics

4. Written reviews of live performance

B. Analyses of several live performances of amateur and professional theatres presented during the academic quarter

1. Attendance at required performances

2. Participation in discussions of performances

C. Readings from class text on theatre appreciation

1. Application of terms and theories in class discussion

2. Application of concepts in written analyses

D. Listening and viewing

1. Study of plays on videotape and audiotape

2. Preparation for participation in dally analyses of texts and performances

E. Interpretative analyses of published critical reviews of performances and plays

Methods of Evaluation
A. Evaluation of written analyses for content, form, and application of dramatic performance review techniques.

B. Assessment of contributions during class discussion

C. Assessment of participation in and contributions to group projects

D. Evaluation of written criticisms for content, form, and application of critique methodology.

E. Evaluation of performance reviews for completeness, personal perspective, and application of performance review styles.

F. Evaluation of interpretations of live performances and dramatic texts for cultural context, contrasts in live/textual impact, and performance techniques.

G. Evaluation of final written essay examination and occasional tests for content, terminology, knowledge of subject matter, and ability to compare and contrast types, origins, and presentation modes of dramatic material.

There are several key features to this integrated course outline.

• It is possible to identify a method of instruction, assignment, and method of evaluation which is designed to achieve student learning as specified in the objectives.

• The writing style is quite descriptive of each activity. Rather than just checking "lecture" the faculty originator has described the complete interaction with the student in terms such as "In class reading of dramatic texts by the instructor and students followed by instructor-guided interpretation and analysis."

• The purpose of each assignment is included. Rather than just stating "group project" the faculty originator goes on to add "Preparation of group projects in which major analytical questions are discussed and a major project designed around issues related to play interpretation in performance."

• The out of class assignments are certainly sufficient to meet the "minimum of three hours of work per week, including class time for each unit of credit" and the objectives clearly meet the need to be of a "scope and intensity" that outside study is needed.

• The expectations or criteria of judgement are included in the Methods of Evaluation. Rather then just saying "evaluation of written analyses" the faculty originators explains this as "Evaluation of written analyses for content, form, and application of dramatic performance review techniques."

• It is clear that critical thinking is expected of students, taught to them in class, practiced in outside assignments, and evaluated as the basis for their grade in the class.
  
  

These points must be significantly evident in the course outline to meet the requirements of both 55002(a)(3) quoted above and 55002(a)(2) cited below.

(A) Grading Policy. The course provides for measurement of student performance in terms of the stated course objectives and culminates in a formal, permanently recorded grade based upon uniform standards in accordance with Section 55758 of this Division. The grade is based on demonstrated proficiency in subject matter and the ability to demonstrate that proficiency, at least in part, by means of essays, or, in courses where the curriculum committee deems them to be appropriate, by problem solving exercises or skills demonstrations by students.

(B) Units. The course grants units of credit based upon a relationship specified by the governing board, between the number of units assigned to the course and the number of lecture and/or laboratory hours or performance criteria specified in the course outline. The course also requires a minimum of three hours of work per week, including class time for each unit of credit, prorated for short-term, laboratory, and activity courses.

(C) Intensity. The course treats subject matter with a scope and intensity that require students to study independently outside of class time.

TEXTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Texts and instructional materials should be completely referenced: author, title, publisher, and date. Certainly, the text changes almost annually in some courses. However, in this day of computers and word processors, it is not difficult to keep the current edition of the text listed in the file copy of the course outline of record.

The main text plays a remarkably strong role in articulation of a course. It should be clearly recognized by those in the discipline at other institutions as a major work which presents the fundamental theories and practices of the subject.