Course syllabi: Components and outcomes assessment

Abstract

Course syllabi operate as basic structures of nursing curricula. They communicate and shape student and faculty respon- sibilities. Syllabi function to orient new faculty to the cultural norms of nursing programs, specify student learning outcomes, connect course outcomes to the program level, and provide evidence for accreditor organizations of curricular quality and achievement of standards. A committee on assessment and evaluation of a university’s nursing programs reviewed examples of syllabi and identified needed revisions. Members examined literature on syllabus construction and alignment with student learning outcomes along with faculty concerns about syllabi. Consequently, the nursing programs’ activities influenced a university’s review and standardization of syllabi in the context of nursing accreditation self-study and university regional accreditation standards.