Teaching Experience #4: Syllabus Reconstruction

In the Fall of 2021, I had a teaching practicum that focused on updating the existing syllabus of the Data in Society course. Given the nature of the course, there was a major opportunity to modernize the material to include contemporary conversations happening outside of the course. So throughout the Fall semester, a teaching assistant team I was a part of dove into analyzing the potential improvements to the course. This process was a first-hand experience in seeing how quickly classroom information can become obsolete, especially when the course material is related to technology, data or information science. Ideally, a professor would have the time allotted before each semester/quarter/trimester to update the material. However, I understand that this may not always be possible due to other responsibilities.

The vast breadth of the course material made dividing the hefty task at hand into smaller segments for each teaching assistant to take ownership of. My delegated material was finding literature, activities, case studies, and other course material surrounding the following subjects: big data, algorithmic bias, digital colonialism, data ethics, the truth about algorithms, and information surveillance. A pretty hefty task, right? Thankfully our team had a semester to focus on our respective plans. We met weekly to discuss progress, questions, and concerns, and make sure that we were on track to accomplishing our collective goals. As much of the Ph.D. process is in isolation, this was a unique opportunity to work with other like-minded individuals.

In my individual search for the desired materials, I came across syllabi of similar courses in other academic institutions. Seeing how other academics are approaching the dissemination of the material was really helpful, and also prompted reflection of my own pedagogical preferences. If I saw something in a syllabus and thought, "I wouldn't do that" then it was the perfect opportunity to consider why. Experiences where novice academics and researchers can juxtapose their own ideologies with others inspire moments of pedagogical consideration. Things to consider include:

How can I embed my positionality into the coursework?
- In what ways can I deliver the material authentically, and in what ways am I not able to do that?
How can assessments mirror my teaching philosophy?
How can I build a student community within the classroom that encourages collaboration?
How can I systematically update course material to ensure relevancy?

At the end of the semester, a new syllabus was created as the product of the team's work. Readings, activities, and assessments for each module were discussed and the semester effort ultimately led to a large repository of material for the professor of record. Although not all suggested changes were taken into consideration, the process of completely redeveloping a course was still influential.