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Writing Course Descriptions

The goal of any good course description is to convince a potential student to take your course! An ineffective course description contains words and phrases that are redundant or self-evident. It will use confusing jargon or acronyms, or include cliché or faddish terms that hold little interest or meaning to students. 

An effective course description will meet the following criteria:

  • Student-centered
  • Clear, concise, and easy to understand
  • Detail significant learning experiences and benefits students can expect
  • Align with the outcomes identified for the course (Mohawk College)

To get started writing your course description, first ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the value of this course?
  • What are the learning outcomes?
  • What is the benefit to the student?
  • What makes the course unique or special? (Friese, 2015).

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