Mini-analysis - Categorical Logic

The course I am planning on working on is a segment of a logic course that would be offered to undergraduate college students. Because typical logic courses cover multiple areas, it would be necessary to focus on a single area of logic. The first issue to address was identifying the area to focus on for a short course, and this helped me identify one set of questions. The other questions were intended to gather information about organizing the structure of the course.

I was able to get 21 undergraduates to complete the survey. The survey included both content related questions and course structure related questions. The content questions focused on the following topics (majority responses are indicated)

1. What areas of logic students had previously studied (81% had studied categorical logic).
2. In what course had they previous studied logic (60% math class).
3. If they could begin by studying a specific area of logic, what area would they prefer to start with (does not matter 52.4%/categorical logic 33.3%).
4. On a scale of 1-5 (1 not at all, 5 very well), how well did they understand the different areas of logic after having the introductory course explanation (all responds reports a score of 3 or higher with 11 of 21 reporting 4or 5). This question was asked to ensure they understood the areas of logic they could begin studying.

What this portion of the survey revealed was that it would be best to start with categorical logic. The familiarity of a majority of the students with this area of logic would ensure most had a minimal level of confidence making it easier for students to understand any options related to the content and methods of assessment. The fourth question also revealed the importance of providing a clear overview of the content early in the course.

The second set of questions were designed to provide insights into structuring the course. There were four questions in this section; all questions where rated on a 5 point scale with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest level. The topics and ratings are provided below.

1. Comfortable level using computer-aided communication (1 not comfortable; 5 very comfortable) – 15 students rated their comfort level at 3 or higher.
2. How much freedom would you like in determining the order of material covered (1 no freedom, 5 total freedom) - 50% of the students rated this as a 3 with a nearly even distribution on either side of this range.
3. How much freedom would you like to engage the instructor in developing the assessments for the course (1 no freedom, 5 total freedom) - 50% of the students rated this as a 4 and an additional 20% rated this as a 5.
4. How important is to have the instructor tell you exactly what you must do to complete the course (1 not important, 5 very important) – 40% gave this a 4 rating

The aim of this portion of the survey was determine the initial relationship between the structure and autonomy in the course. Even given the inherent flaws with this type of survey (and my questions in it), it was clear that the students would like to have some freedom in the order of the material that must be covered. Additionally, while the students want input on how they will be assessed, it is important to them that they have clear explanations of the expectations and requirements.

After reflecting on the data, the following considerations will need to be taken into consideration in the development of the course:

Content
1. Focus on categorical logic.
2. Clarify how categorical logic differs as an area of logic from the mathematical study of Venn diagrams.
3. Provide an introductory overview of the elements/areas of categorical logic that will be addressed.

Structure
1. Provide multiple pathways for students to complete material to provide freedom but still provide clear guidance on the different pathways.
2. Offer a variety of assessments (2-3) to ensure students can consider options for demonstrating learning.
3. Ensure that pathways and assessments have detailed instructions as well as rubrics to aid student decision making.
4. Identify a variety of communication methods for students to connect with the instructor.