Often, the most difficult step in preparing or revising a course is deciding which topics must be excluded if the whole is to be manageable. Many teachers, hoping to impart to students everything they know about a subject, attempt to include too much material by half. The following suggestions below are designed to help you limit the content of your course, structure and sequence the activities and assignments, set policies, and handle administrative tasks.

General Strategies

- If the course is new to you but has been offered before, talk with faculty who have taught it previously

- If the course is new to you and has never been offered before, review textbooks on the topic of the course.

- If you have previously taught the course, begin by assembling everything associated with the course.

- Identify the constraints in teaching the course.

- Think about how your course relates to other courses in your department's curriculum

Deciding What You Want to Accomplish

- Establish goals.

- Identify both content and noncontent goals.

- To get started in writing course goals, think about "the big picture."

- Scale down your goals to a realistic list.

Defining and Limiting Course Content

- After you have "packed" all your topics into a preliminary list, toss out the excess baggage.

- Distinguish between essential and optional material.

- Emphasize the core concepts.

- Stress the classic issues, or the most enduring values or truths.

- Cut to the chase.

- Give students a conceptual framework on which to hang major ideas and factual information.

- Prepare a detailed syllabus.

Structuring the Course

- Devise a logical arrangement for the course content.

- List all class meetings

- Select appropriate instructional methods for each class meeting.

- Design in-class and homework assignments.

Selecting Textbooks and Readings

- Choose textbooks and reading assignments that reflect your goals.

- Consider a range of criteria in selecting readings.

- Assign a mix of texts and articles, including some current pieces.

- Foster a habit of reading throughout college.

- Follow the copyright laws.

- Take advantage of the new technologies in publishing.

- Be conscious of workload.

Setting Course Policies

- "Extra credit" assignments.

- Attendance.

- Makeup exams.

- Late work.Be clear on whether you will accept late work and the penalties for missing deadlines

Handling Administrative Tasks

- Order books early and anticipate foul-ups.

- Place materials on reserve before the term begins or package reserve materials for students to purchase.

- Make logistical arrangements in advance.

Source: By Barbara Gross Davis, University of California, Berkeley.