KAASAVA AINEKAVA KUJUNDAMINE: ÕPETAMISKOGEMUSE REFLEKSIOON
Engaging Students in Syllabus Development: Reflections on Teaching Experience

Summary/Abstract: Pedagogical studies show that lecturers learn about teaching from both research and from self-reflection. This article reflects upon the experience of engaging students in syllabus development. Drawing on more than ten years of teaching experience in media studies at the University of Tartu, the author looks at different ways to engage students in the development of a course syllabus.The article gives an overview of how these different aspects of developing a syllabus were discussed with students. The underlying assumption is that such a process of empowerment contributes to the overall democratization of society.The four courses that serve as the source of this reflection are at the university level – bachelor to doctoral – and range from the practical to the theoretical. Students were engaged in syllabus development through the following activities: 1) agreeing on a system of course evaluation; 2) agreeing on the evaluation criteria; 3) agreeing on the topics to be covered; 4) composing a reading list. The article gives an overview of how these different aspects of developing a syllabus were discussed with students. The underlying assumption is that such a process of empowerment contributes to the overall democratization of society.

• Details
• Contents