The committee revised the curriculum for a developmental writing course to better prepare students for college-level composition. They analyzed assignments, readings, and student learning outcomes to create a more conceptually challenging curriculum. The new materials emphasize revision, invention, and engaging with texts rather than just reporting on surface details. Scaffolded writing assignments prompt students to make inferences and consider messages and ideas. The committee also developed rubrics and assignments to encourage multiple drafts. Their goals were to increase retention rates and the number of students advancing to college-level English through this revised curriculum.

1. SYLLABUS REVISION:
PROCESS AND
PRACTICE
TWO YEAR COLLEGE ASSOCIATION
NORTHEAST,
NOVEMBER, 2011
Kelly E. Bender, Passaic County Community College

2. INTRODUCTION:
 In
the spring of 2009 the
Developmental Studies Committee
shifted its focus to the curriculum of
the EN004, Writing Skills II course.
The committee began the process of
revisiting the structure, course
objectives, themes, assignment
designs, and methods of
assessment.

3. OBJECTIVES:
 One of the main objectives of this curriculum review
and revision was to create a more forward
thinking developmental writing course that
would serve as a bridge between developmental
English and college level composition.

4. HOW WE REACHED OUR OBJECTIVES:
 To do this, the committee brought to the table
reflections and recollections of daily classroom
experiences that included a variety of underlying
personal assumptions about what we teach and
how to teach it.
 From there, the committee was able to identify
common threads within seemingly diverse
pedagogical pathways.

5. MATERIALS & METHODS:
 The committee addressed current
syllabi and texts used in
developmental courses.

6. MATERIALS & METHODS:
 Assignments and readings were studied to see
how closely they reflected the Student Learning
Outcomes.

7. RESULTS:
 Thecommittees ongoing collaboration
eventually produced the shift in course
materials. This new design in curriculum was
created to move students from a literal, plot
identified way of reading, writing and thinking
about texts to a more conceptual, abstract and
analytical way of instilling them. The
assignments challenge students to write
and speak about ideas and values rather
than to merely report on “what happens
next” in any given text.

8. MORE RESULTS:
 One of the primary goals of constructing the new
curriculum in this way was to emphasize that
revision is not just editing and that invention is
valued.

9. MORE RESULTS:
 Hence, the committee created materials that invite
students to engage in a dialogue with the
text, each other, and even themselves.
 The scaffolded writing assignments gently nudge
students beyond providing summary and endless
discussion of minor details, prompting
them, instead, to engage textual messages and
inferences.

10. SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS AND TOOLS:
 Assignments and tools created were
done so with the curriculum in mind.
Scoring rubrics for writing were
created that placed value and focus
on a meaningful response to the
assignment and demonstrating
engagement with the assignment. In
some cases, significance was given to
the number of drafts a student
submitted.

11. ASSIGNMENTS:
 Overall, assignments were viewed as more
than just their own sum total, they were
regarded as vital parts of the whole. With
this thinking in mind, assignments were
scanned across the curriculum to ensure
bridges were created where there were
once gaps; this was done to aid in a
seamless transition from level to level.

12. CONCLUSIONS:
 While there are no simple and immediate conclusions to
this project, the hopes were that we could increase our
retention rates and increase the number of students
that we pass into college level English courses.
 With retention rates in mind, members of the committee
created several Learning Communities.
 Lastly, comparing and contrasting the Student Learning
Objectives between the different levels of our remedial
English courses, the committee worked to ensure that
the objectives linked one course to the next.
And, just as importantly, that these links, or connections
were clear to the students as well.

13. CONCLUSIONS:
 The results of this committees work was the
recreation of the following Student Learning
Outcomes for our second level remedial English
course:
 Upon completion of this course the student, using the
writing process, will be able to:
• Construct a thesis statement in an organized introductory
paragraph
• Support a topic sentence accurately and effectively in a five
paragraph detailed body using Standard English and
appropriate transition words
• End the essay with a concluding paragraph
• Apply the use of a rhetorical method for varied styles of writing

14. QUESTIONS?
Thank you.
This presentation is available on SlideShare.Net at
http://www.slideshare.net/KellyPatrickBender/matchin
g-syllabi-student-learning-outcomes
Or you may email me at: kbender@pccc.edu