28 Writing the Course Format Section
The course format contains information that lets the students know how the course materials will be delivered and what type of material/learning activities will take place.
Types of classes:
- Lecture- Large class and the professor, talks the entire time and/or has minimal interactions*
- Seminar- Smaller groups of students, usually more advanced classes and more interactions and discussions*
- Discussion- This is sometimes also called a ‘section’ and is a required part of a lecture class. Usually led by TA/GA based on the lecture (kind of like a lab). The discussion can be in the second part of the class or take place in one session/day of a weekly course schedule
- Colloquium- The instructor assigns readings and are readings are discussed by members in a class
- Lab- Students use what they learned in the didactic course and complete an activity/assignment in a lab*
- Independent study- the student and professor design a program of study*
*most commonly seen at UNMC COPH
Types of learning materials:
- Lecture
- Video lecture
- Readings
- In-class exercises
- Case studies
- Group activities
- Wet lab/Dry lab
- Outside sources (guest speakers, field trips, rounds, etc.)
The following three examples are also listed in the COPH Syllabus Templates.
Examples:
- This course is a fully online course that will include video lectures, textbook readings, journal articles, group projects, individual assignments, and participation in the discussion board.
- The course format will consist of a seminar-style class that meets weekly. Students are expected to complete the readings before class and come to each class prepared to discuss the texts (with the exception of week 1, where the readings will be done after the fact).
- The course format will include a weekly lecture in class. The lecture will be supplemented with small group discussions, in-class exercises, case studies, and examples from the public health literature.