Course Guide; also Teaching Guide; Course Descriptor (cat: guia docent; esp: guía docente)
Definition:
A Course Guide is an institutional document made available publicly in online format, downloadable as a pdf. It provides detailed information about a specific academic subject.
This information includes the degree programme of which the subject forms part; name(s) of the teachers(s); pre-requisites for taking the subject; the academic credits available on completion of the subject; subject content and evaluation; subject bibliography, etc.
It also details the specific competences and learning outcomes associated with the subject.
For further information on the required sections of a Course Guide, see Structure and Phrasing.
Characteristics:
A Course Guide is characterised by three distinct types of text that can be found throughout the document:
Fixed content: this content is provided by the computer application on which the guide is written. It may require the writer to select specific text. It is not editable. (Example: Learning Outcomes.)
Limited content: this content is partly provided by the computer application on which the guide is written. It may require the writer to select specific text. It is supplemented by the guide author’s own text. (Example: Evaluation Activities.)
Free content: this content is the guide author’s own text. (Example, Prerequisites.)