Question

1. The textbook uses college syllabi as examples of how an instructor provides structure for a course. How helpful to you is the syllabus in this course? What recommendations do you have for making it more/less detailed or clear?

1. How can leaders help groups become more cohesive?

Answer 1

The syllabus has been very helpful in this course as it not only helps the instructor to structure the course but also it helps the students to understand and structure their learning in a better manner. The syllabus helped in providing a timeline of learning to me, with the key milestones to be learnt at each level. It gave me a better understanding of how the course is proceeding as well as helped me relate to the overall course in a more structured fashion. Thus, I found syllabus very helpful as it gave me a holistic view of the course.

For making the syllabus more clear, my recommendation would be that the students get to discuss the syllabus with the instructor in the very first lecture. This will help the students establish a stronger connect with the course as they know beforehand about the course in brief.

Leaders can help make groups become more cohesive by:

1. Increasing the opportunities for the group to practice working in teams, both formally and informally
2. Understanding the strengths of each member of the group and utilizing them effectively. The member(s) strong in a particular field can be delegated tasks & given responsibility for the same. When the other members see a member performing the delegated task well, this would also increase the respect they have for that member.
3. Celebrating success of the team by recognizing the efforts put in by every member and in case of failures, encouraging the team instead of blaming particular member(s).