Syllabus Design

Emotional Intelligence

A Course Syllabus

Dan Royer

EDAC 635

Strategies for Teaching Adults

Dr. Bo Chang

Ball State University

                I will begin by describing the rationale behind this syllabus design, elements of the programs I have investigated which I wish to incorporate and then include my syllabus design.  I will be making some general assumptions about the students to be addressed in this syllabus.  First the students will be nontraditional adult students facing a unique set of challenges.  These challenges typically include dealing with a variety of self-image issues including difficulty with interrelationships.  Many of these students lack the tools needed to cope with many of the stressors they experience.  It is the purpose of this syllabus and course is to provide the students with the tools they require in order to successfully complete the course.  Furthermore, it will provide life-long skills that will be needed when encountering emotionally stressful events.

My syllabus design rationale begins with the belief that we should begin with a self assessment in order to determine our tendencies and how we perceive the way we interact with others.  Additionally, this self assessment will allow students to comprehend the way they have perceived and interpreted the way the world works.  This self awareness includes students taking the DiSC evaluation tool and will result in the students being more aware of their preferred styles.

The syllabus also assumes that adult learners want to learn new strategies for coping with difficulties and problems, and it also assumes that new methods and skills can be developed by adult learners.  This design also believes that many students experience transformational learning by experiencing a period of learning, then recognizing the disorientation that occurs during self reflection, and finally ends with a new orientation and focus on developing new coping skills.  The transformational learning desired is to enable students to become more emotionally intelligent and develop skills which will allow them to become more resilient.

The syllabus will incorporate tools like the discussion cycle, group exercises, self evaluation, as well as periodic times of self-reflection.

Course Syllabus

Course Name:                   Emotional Intelligence (EI) Facilitating Learning Experience

Course Format:

This course is designed to be conducted in class.  A part of the time will be spent in lecture, group activities, and discussion time together.  The remainder of the time will be spent in understanding and evaluating individual learning styles and preferences and writing reflections about these assessments.  There is also an online segment, which will involve discussion posts about the relevant topic.

Course Description:

This twelve week course will engage learners in the exploration and understanding their adopted set of beliefs, evaluating and examining ways they impact the adopted self-image.

Additionally, students will learn how this world view connects with emotional intelligence.  The class is structured to provide students with opportunities to practice and apply principles and skills learned.

Course Objectives:         Upon completion of the course the students will be able to:

                                               

1.       Complete the DiSC assessment and identify individual personality traits.

2.       Understand their personality traits and how they impact learning.

3.       Understand the differences between different personality traits in different individuals.

4.       Identify what is meant by the term Emotional Intelligence

5.       Utilize tools to assist in the evaluation and development of critical relational skills.

6.       Complete an EI self-evaluation to identify strengths and weaknesses.

7.       Utilizing tools in the course, assess, identify and evaluate EI and emotional management.

Required Reading and Other Materials:

Textbooks:        

Darwin B. Nelson, Gary R. Low. (2011). Emotional Intelligence: achieving academic and career excellence in college and life. Boston: Prentice Hall.

Gerald Matthews, PhD, Moshe Zeidner, PhD, Richard D. Roberts, PhD. (2012). Emotional Intelligence 101. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

               

Teaching Strategies

This class will be a combination of lecture, reading, interaction and reading and reflection.  The course will include the use of internet exercises, group activities, self-assessments and self-reflection.

Student Strategies

Students are expected to be active learners by participating in class activities, reading the course material, and completing assignments.  Students will be required to come to class prepared to discuss and participate actively in class discussion.

All papers written are to be in APA format, and should be double spaced.

Evaluation Methods:

                Homework                                                        25%

                Discussion/Journal                                           25%

                Reflection Papers                                             20%

                Final Project                                                      30%

Grading Scale

95-100                   A

90-94                     A-

85-89                     B

80-84                     B-

75-79                     C

70-74                     C-

65-69                     D

Below 65              F

Course Schedule

Week 1

Introduction to Emotional Intelligence

1.       Introduce yourself to the class in the online discussion forum.

2.       Take the self assessment for emotional intelligence at:  http://www.ihhp.com/?page=freeEQquiz

3.       Read Nelson Introduction & Chapter 1

4.       Keep a journal for the entire course.  This journal should be a place where you document your reflections and learning you experience during the course.   This journal is a tool to assist you in identifying different elements of emotional intelligence you identify in your daily activities.  It is also a place to record times when you are experiencing emotions which are either extremely distressing or extremely elevating.  This week identify a time when an event impacted your emotional energy.  Identify in your journal the events that led up to this impact and describe how these emotions made you feel.

5.       From the self assessment and journal, prepare a 3-4 page reflection paper that describes the results of your self assessment and how you perceive this to be accurate or inaccurate.  Then compare the self assessment with your emotional journal to evaluate the results of the self evaluation.  Based on this comparison, do you believe the self assessment is accurate?

Week 2

 Understanding the Emotional Brain

1.       Read Chapter 1 in Matthews and Chapter 2 in Nelson

2.       Take the DiSC assessment this week.

3.       In your journal this week attempt to identify times when you were particularly successful in managing your emotions.  Identify one time when you experienced a particularly stressful situation which you handled without experiencing the extreme emotions you were looking for in week 1.  How did you manage these emotional highs and lows?

4.       Submit the week 1 reflection paper.

Week 3

 What are my Personality Traits?

1.       Read Chapter 2 in Matthews

2.       Review the DiSC assessment report and its interpretation of the results for your test.

3.       In your discussion groups, spend some time debriefing the DiSC assessment.  Do your colleagues see some of the traits described in the analysis in your personality and learning style?  Are there inconsistencies between what you believed and the feedback received from others?

4.       In your journal reflect on the discussion group experience, and identify ways in which you believe you can use this feedback to adjust your approach to learning and ways you can adapt to deal with your particular personality traits.

Week 4

 How do I manage my Emotions?

1.       Read Chapter 4 in Matthews

2.       In your journal this week identify an experience during which you felt uncomfortable.  Describe the event in detail and identify the emotions you were feeling in response to the event.  Identify your reaction to this event.  If you were not able to respond in a way you desired, can you identify alternatives to the response you acted upon?  If you did react in the way you desired, please identify the steps you believe were correct and how you can reinforce them in the future.

3.       Prepare and submit a 4-5 page reflection paper on the DiSC survey results, and compare them to the journal entries you have been keeping.  Do your journal entries support or contradict the DiSC results?  Reflect on the test and your personality and learning style.  Identify ways you believe this to be an asset and a weakness.

Week 5

How can I develop the skills needed to cope with emotional distress?

1.       Read Chapter 3 in Nelson

2.       Complete self assessments and follow up activities in Chapter 3.  Complete exercises 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5.

3.       In your journal elaborate on the ways practicing these skills have impacted your emotional responses in the recorded situations.  Describe ways in which the initial discomfort may have changed since you began practicing the exercises.

4.       Submit the week 4 reflection paper.

Week 6

How do I develop Leadership Skills?

1.       Read Chapter 4 in Nelson

2.       Complete the Leadership Skills self-assessments included in Chapter 4 and the related exercises dealing with Comfort, Empathy, Decision Making, Leadership, and Positive Influence.

3.       In your journal reflect on the leadership skills you have put into practice in this segment of the course.  Describe in complete detail ways in which your interactions with others have been impacted, and identify at least one individual whom you perceive to possess a positively influential EI leadership style.

Week 7

How do I develop Leadership Skills?

1.       Read Chapter 5 in Nelson

2.       Complete the Self Management skills self-assessments included in Chapter 5 and the related exercises dealing with Drive Strength, Commitment Ethic, Time Management, and Change Orientation.

3.       In your journal reflect on the elements of self-management skills and how developing these skills impact your relationship with others.  Describe the way your approach to self management changes the relationships you have with others.  Do you see self management skills in others whom you work with or with whom you have close contact?  If so, describe them in detail.

Week 8

How do I develop EI skills in the Real World?

1.       Read Chapter 5 in Matthews

2.       Using either your workplace or an educational setting you are familiar with, prepare an evaluation of the degree to which your chosen setting served or serves to promote Social Emotional Learning (SEL).  This evaluation paper should be 5-6 pages in length.

a.       In your evaluation use examples of individuals in which you witnessed a high degree of emotional intelligence. 

b.      Identify in your evaluation ways in which Emotional Intelligence is supported in your chosen environment. 

c.       Identify and describe ways in which EI could be more fully supported in your chosen environment.  Using examples of emotionally difficult situations identify ways in which the situation you describe could be handled in a more supported and emotionally intelligent way.

3.       In your journal, identify ways in which you have personally experienced positive EI in your past or current situation in an educational or work setting.

Week 9

How do I develop Intrapersonal EI skills?

1.       Read Chapter 6 in Nelson

2.       Complete the Skills Self Assessment and Exercises in Chapter 6 related to Self-Esteem and Stress Management including the Cognitive Restructuring and Positive Imagery Relaxation.

3.       In your journal reflect on the way these exercises have impacted the way you deal with self-esteem and personal stressors.  Be sure to identify stressors and the way they impact your emotional responses before and after applying these exercises.  How has your emotional response changed by implementing these methods?

Week 10

How do I identify problems with EI?

1.       Read Chapter 6 in Matthews

2.       In your journal reflect on your past experiences dealing with your own responses or the responses of another when difficult emotionally charged situations took place.  Based on the tools developed in this course, how would you adjust the responses that you initially experienced?

3.       Begin work on final project.  The final project in this course will be a comprehensive plan to incorporate the lessons learned in the course in a multi-faceted implementation in a setting of your choice.

a.       The plan should describe a comprehensive system of support and development to encourage positive EI interactions.

                                                               i.      Identify and describe supports for intrapersonal and interpersonal interactions

                                                             ii.      Identify and describe supports for coping with emotionally charged situations

                                                            iii.      Identify and describe training and educational activities used to encourage colleagues and employees to adopt emotionally intelligent responses.

b.      The plan should describe ways in which emotionally charged situations may be diffused

                                                               i.      Identify and describe emergency responses

                                                             ii.      Identify and describe ways in which redirection and refocusing tools may be employed

c.       The plan should describe the impact of adopting these strategies on the environment of the setting for which they are designed.

                                                               i.      What will this setting look like after adopting these practices and policies?

Week 11

Where have we been in this course?

1.       Write a 5-6 page reflection paper describing your personal journey in this class.  You can draw from the journal entries you have been making throughout the course.  Describe in detail changes in the way you are dealing with strategic emotionally intelligent concepts, ideas and behaviors.  Keep in mind that no one has arrived, and that this is a journey toward emotional intelligence on which no one has arrived.

2.       In your journal reflect on the way you have witnessed changes in yourself and others in the class.  Identify positive traits that you have witnessed in others and describe these in detail.

  

Week 12

Wrapping Up

1.       Final Project due

2.       Course Reflection Paper Due

3.       Journal due

4.       In a final discussion group arrange the participants in a circle and begin by discussion the journey the class has been on.  Describe ways in which you have witnessed each other adjust and change over the course of this study.  Use positive and encouraging language consider this a time when you want to send your classmates out to success.  Identify at least three different ways you plan to implement the principles of this course in your future.  Use this opportunity to speak a positive influence into each other’s lives.

5.       Completion of course evaluations.

References

Bar-On, R. (2010). Emotional intelligence: an integral part of positive psychology. Psychological Society of South Africa, 40(1), 54-62.

Darwin B. Nelson, Gary R. Low. (2011). Emotional Intelligence: achieving academic and career excellence in college and life. Boston: Prentice Hall.

E. Paulette Isaac, Lisa R. Merriweather, and Elice E. Rogers. (2010). Chasing the American Dream: Race and Adult and ContinuingEducation. In A. D.-G. Carol E Kasworm, HAndbook of Adult and Continuing Education (pp. 359-368). Los Angeles: Sage.

Elizabeth J. Austin, Donald H. Saklofske, & Sarah M. Mastoras. (2010). Emotional intelligence, coping and exam-related stress in Canadian undergraduate students. The Australian Journal of Pyschology, 62(1), 42-50.

Gerald Matthews, PhD, Moshe Zeidner, PhD, Richard D. Roberts, PhD. (2012). Emotional Intelligence 101. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

H.C. Janeke, A. Murphy. (2009). The Relationship Between Thinking Styles and Emotional Intelligence: an Exploratory Study. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(3), 357-375.

Inscape Publishing, Inc. (2006). Evertyhing DiSC Facilitation System. Minneapolis, MN: Inscape Publishing, Inc.

John D. Mayer, Peter Salovey, David Caruso. (2004). Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Findings, and Implications. Psychological Inquiry, 15(3), 197-215.

Johnson Scott D., Heeyoung Han. (2012). Relationship between Students'Emotional Intelligence, Social Bond,and Interactions in Online Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 15(1), 78-89.

Kathryn Jane Gardner, Pamela Qualter,and HelenWhiteley. (2011). Developmental correlatesof emotional intelligence: Temperament, family environment, and childhood trauma. Australian Journal of Psychology, 63, 75-82.

Mavroveli Stella, Sanchez-Ruiz Maria Jose. (2011). Trait emotional intelligence influences on academic achievement and school behaviour. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 112-134.

Michele Schroder-Abe and Astrid Schutz. (2011). Walking in Each Other's Shoes: Perspective Taking Mediates Effects of Emotional Intelligenceon Relationship Quality. European Journal of Personality, 25, 155-169.