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Information about Course (education)

For other uses, see Course.


In U.S. education, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors (teachers or professors), has a fixed roster of students, and gives each student a grade and academic credit.

The original meaning—a course of instruction, the unit of instruction embodied by a course—is also used, so textbooks may be entitled, e.g., A Course in Modern Physics.

Courses are made up of individual sessions, typically on a fixed weekly schedule.

There are different formats of course in universities:
  • the lecture course, where the instructor gives lectures with minimal interaction;
  • the seminar, where students prepare and present their original written work for discussion and critique;
  • the colloquium or reading course, where the instructor assigns readings for each session which are then discussed by the members;
  • the tutorial course, where one or a small number of students work on a topic and meet with the instructor weekly for discussion and guidance.
  • the laboratory course, where most work takes place in a laboratory.
Many courses combine these formats. Lecture courses often include weekly discussion sections with smaller groups of students led by the principal instructor, another instructor, or teaching assistant. Laboratory courses often combine lectures, discussion sections, and laboratory sessions.

Students are expected to do various kinds of work for a course:
  • Attending course sessions.
  • Reading and studying course readings assigned in the course syllabus.
  • Discussing material they have read.
  • Writing short and long papers based on assigned reading and their own library research.
  • Completing homework or problem sets.
  • Completing laboratory exercises.
  • Taking quizzes and examinations.
The exact work required depends on the discipline, the course, and the particular instructor. Unlike most European university courses, grades are generally determined by all of these kinds of work, not only the final examination.

See also

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The word course can mean:
  • Course (navigation), the direction of travel
  • Course (sail), the principal sail on a mast of a sailing vessel
  • Course (education), in the United States, a unit of instruction in one subject, lasting one academic term

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Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed wisdom.
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An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called 'terms', 'semesters', 'quarters', or 'trimesters', depending on the institution and the country.
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teachers facilitate student learning, often in a school or academy. The objective is typically a course of study, lesson plan, or a practical skill, including learning and thinking skills. The different ways to teach are often referred to as the teacher's pedagogy.
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The meaning of the word professor (Latin: person who professes to be an expert in some art or science, teacher of highest rank[1]) varies. In most English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair
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grade (or mark) is a teacher's standardized evaluation of a student's work. In some countries, evaluations can be expressed quantifiably, and calculated into a numeric grade point average (GPA).
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credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course.

United States

In the United States, a student in a high school or university earns credits for the successful completion of each course for each academic term.
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A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. They are produced according to the demand of the educational institutions. Textbooks are usually published by one of the four major publishing companies.
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lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, background, theories and equations.
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A seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at a university or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone
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colloquium is an important type of academic activity. Typically, a colloquium will consist of a single lecture given by a member of the academic community about his or her work, to colleagues who work in the same or an allied field.
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tutorial is a small class of one, or only a few, students, in which the tutor (a lecturer or other academic staff member) gives individual attention to the students. The tutorial system at Oxford and Cambridge is fundamental to methods of teaching at those universities, but it is
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laboratory (informally, lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory
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Recitation means a repetition of what has been said before. It is used in a religious, an oratorical, and an educational sense.

Religion

Recitation is a form of religious practice in which fixed material (prayers, catechism, etc.) are spoken or performed.
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teaching assistant (TA) is a junior scholar employed on a temporary contract by a college or university in teaching-related responsibilities. TA responsibilities vary greatly and may include tutoring; holding office hours; grading homework or exams; assisting a professor with a
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Syllabus is a document with an outline and summary of topics to be covered in a course. It is often either set out by an exam board, or prepared by the professor who teaches the course, and is usually given to each student during the first class session.
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An essay is a piece of writing, usually from an author's personal point of view.
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library is a collection of information, sources, resources, and services: it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In the more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books.
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Research is a human activity based on intellectual investigation and aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of the world. Research can use the scientific method, but need not do so.
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To examine somebody or something is to inspect it closely, hence an examination is a detailed inspection or analysis of an object or person.

In an academic or professional context, examinations (or exams
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credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course.

United States

In the United States, a student in a high school or university earns credits for the successful completion of each course for each academic term.
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A course atlas is a computer database created to address the need to find and compare college and university curriculum offered by many academic institutions across a region, country or around the world.
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A course catalog is an organized, detailed, descriptive list of course offerings at a college, university or other educational outlet. Educational organizations usually publish a course catalog with additional information covering academic and administrative policies and procedures.
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