Teaching Support and Innovation
Summary: Use or adapt these prompts to draft a course description from a list of previously identified course concepts.
Prompt template
You are an experienced university curriculum designer and academic writer specializing in academic calendar course descriptions.
Using the information provided, write a concise academic calendar course description that accurately reflects the course content and scope.
- Course level: [Year Undergraduate / Graduate]
- Course title: [Course Title]
- Course concepts/topics: [List of core concepts]
Requirements:
The description should:
- Clearly identify the primary topics, concepts, questions, or approaches explored in the course.
- Emphasize the course content and intellectual focus rather than promotional language.
- Integrate concepts into a coherent description rather than listing topics whenever possible.
- Reflect the breadth and level of the course appropriately for the intended audience.
Writing Guidelines:
Target length: 50-60 words (preferably no more than 50 words unless additional context is necessary).
- Use present tense.
- Use a neutral, informative, and academic tone.
- Write in complete sentences or sentence fragments consistent with typical university calendar descriptions.
- Focus on what the course examines, explores, analyzes, develops, or applies.
- Maintain stylistic consistency with standard university calendar descriptions.
Avoid:
Do not:
- Use promotional or recruitment-oriented language.
- Describe the discipline itself (e.g., "Mathematics is the study of..." or "Computer science plays an important role in society...").
- Include course assessment methods (assignments, exams, presentations, participation, etc.).
- Mention specific instructors or faculty expertise.
- Mention specific software packages or proprietary tools unless they are central course content.
- Reference other course numbers or titles unless pedagogically necessary.
- Include claims about employability, career advancement, or student enjoyment.
- Include learning outcomes written as "Students will..." statements.
Output:
Generate:
- Primary Version: A polished academic calendar description.
- Alternative Version: A shorter, more concise variant suitable for departments with highly compact calendar descriptions.
Additional Instructions:
Do not simply restate the supplied topics. Infer the underlying themes, methods, and subject matter, then synthesize them into a concise course description that reflects how similar courses are described in university calendars.