Writing a Syllabus Others Can Reuse

A class does not need a written outline. But if you write one down, another member can teach your class when you cannot, and the class can run again and again. The Fusion 360 Basics and Practical AI outlines in this book are good models; this page describes the pattern they follow.

Put it in two parts

• An instructor outline: everything the person teaching needs.
• A student handout: a one or two page take-home card with the key steps, shortcuts or habits, so students can repeat what they learned at home.

What a reusable instructor outline includes

1. The basics up top: class name, length, level (for example "complete beginner"), and any prerequisites. Leave the instructor and date blank so anyone can use it.
2. A class flow at a glance: a table of sections with start times and durations, so the instructor can check the pace during class.
3. Before class: what students must do in advance (install software, create an account, bring a laptop) and the text of the email that tells them. Send it about a week ahead and again the day before.
4. Section by section: for each section, the key point to make, the steps to demonstrate, and a short practice moment for students.
5. Common mistakes to head off: the places students usually get stuck, and the fix for each. A table of "problem, cause, fix" works well.
6. Instructor notes:
   • a before-class checklist (projector, loaner equipment, props, a finished example),
   • pacing tips, including what to cut if you run short on time and what to add if you have extra,
   • how to handle a student who cannot or will not do a step.
7. What to learn next: a short list of next topics and good outside resources.

Write it so it stays true

• Avoid details that go stale. Do not tie the outline to a date, a specific group of students, or product prices. If something in the class depends on menus or settings that change often, add a note telling the instructor to check them the day before.
• Use the shop's own rules. If the class touches equipment, point to the tool's SOP page and say that the class does not replace a check-off. Check-offs are recorded in Journeyman (https://journeyman.waukeshamakers.com).
• Write plainly. Short sections, numbered steps, and the words you would actually say.

Publishing it here

When your outline is finished, ask a knowledge base editor to add it as a new chapter in this book (outline and handout as separate pages). Drafts stay in Google Docs until then. See Editor's Handbook: Writing for the Knowledge Base.