Page 123 - Making Instruction Work

chap 10 3/11/97 4:57 PM Page 109

course prerequisites 109

8. Review your prerequisite objectives and make sure that
each describes a skill rather than a course name (you are
well aware of the wide variations in the way that any
course can be taught by two or more instructors).

A Simpler Way

1. Review your skill hierarchy. (Remember that the hierar-
chy shows all the skills that anyone would have to have
before practicing the skill shown at the top.)

2. Starting at the bottom, ask yourself whether it is reason-
able to assume that your entering students will be able to
perform the skill you are pointing to. For example, ask
yourself whether it is reasonable to assume that they
already can “Read English” or “Use hand tools” or
“Add/subtract.”(Refer to your target population descrip-
tion for guidance.)

3. If so, draw a circle around that skill.

4. If most or all of your incoming students can be assumed
to have a given skill, consider that skill a prerequisite.
That is, say to yourself, “I will assume that students can
do this when they arrive and therefore I won’t have to
teach it in my course.” Then decide what you will do
about those few who do not have that skill—such as pro-
vide remedial material.
5. If you have been told what skills you must teach, but
some of those skills don’t need to be taught, tell yourself
that you will only provide instruction in them for those
who may need it.
6. Draw a line across the bottom of the hierarchy that
expresses the rule: Skills above the line will be taught in