teaching-manual-builder

Teaching Manual Builder (教師手冊產生器)

A systematic framework for creating comprehensive, narrative-driven teaching manuals for graduate-level courses targeting working professionals (碩士在職專班).

When to Use This Skill

• When the user requests a teaching plan, lesson plan, or instructor's manual for any textbook chapter
• When the user wants to convert academic content into a structured classroom experience
• When the user needs a detailed "how to teach" guide, not just an outline

Prerequisites

Before building a teaching manual, you must have:

1. Source content: The full text of the chapter (in Markdown or readable format)
2. Target audience: Confirmed as 碩士在職專班 (Master's program for working professionals) unless otherwise specified
3. Duration: Confirmed as 120 minutes unless otherwise specified

Step 1: Content Analysis

Read the entire chapter and extract:

• Learning Objectives (LOs): List all LOs from the chapter
• Core concepts: Every key term and theory
• Classic studies: All research studies mentioned with authors and years
• Real-world applications: Examples that connect to workplace scenarios
• Cross-chapter connections: References to concepts from other chapters

Step 2: Narrative Arc Design

Design the teaching sequence as a story, not a lecture outline. The manual MUST follow this dramatic structure:

Structure Template

序幕 (Prologue): Hook / Experiential activity (0:00 - 0:10)
  - Must include a hands-on activity that creates surprise or cognitive dissonance
  - Establishes the central question of the chapter

第一幕 (Act 1): Foundation concepts (0:10 - 0:35)
  - Build from intuitive understanding to formal concepts
  - Minimum 1 discussion question tied to workplace experience

第二幕 (Act 2): Complexity and pitfalls (0:35 - 1:05)
  - Show how the foundational concepts can go wrong or become more nuanced
  - Minimum 1 structured classroom activity (5-10 min)
  - Minimum 2 discussion questions with expected responses

第三幕 (Act 3): Cultural / contextual factors (1:05 - 1:20)
  - Cross-cultural perspectives on the chapter's themes
  - Connect to students' multicultural work experiences

第四幕 (Act 4): Advanced applications and metacognition (1:20 - 1:45)
  - Higher-order thinking, practical strategies, implications
  - Minimum 1 brief hands-on activity

終幕 (Epilogue): Integration and reflection (1:45 - 2:00)
  - Full chapter review using a unifying metaphor or visual
  - Personal reflection writing activity
  - Preview of next chapter

IMPORTANT: The sequence does NOT need to follow the textbook's order. Reorganize for narrative flow and pedagogical effectiveness.

Step 3: Writing the Manual

The manual must be written as a complete instructor's script, not an outline. For each segment, include ALL of the following:

Required Elements for Every Segment

1. Timestamp: Exact minute range (e.g., 0:10 - 0:18)
2. Lecture script: Written in blockquote format (> "...") — the exact words the instructor can say. These should be natural, conversational, and include:
   • Rhetorical questions that engage students
   • Analogies and metaphors drawn from everyday or workplace life
   • Transition phrases that connect to the previous segment
3. Discussion questions: Formatted as blockquotes with:
   • The exact question to ask
   • Expected student responses (in parentheses)
   • Follow-up / probing questions (追問)
4. Activity instructions: Step-by-step with:
   • Materials needed
   • Exact verbal instructions
   • Timing for each sub-step
   • How to debrief
5. Board/slide notes: What to write on the whiteboard or show on slides

Formatting Rules

• Use > blockquotes for all instructor speech
• Use bold for concept names on first mention, with English term in parentheses
• Use Chinese-first-English-in-parentheses format: 基模 (Schema)
• Structure: H1 for title, H2 for acts, H3 for segments, H4 for sub-segments
• Include a preparatory section (課前準備) listing all materials and suggested slides

Content Rules

• All key terms from the chapter MUST appear in the manual
• All classic studies must be described with enough detail for the instructor to narrate them without looking at the textbook
• Workplace connections: Every major concept must include at least one workplace-relevant discussion point or example
• No placeholders: Every activity, question, and transition must be fully written out
• Progressive complexity: Concepts build on each other; later concepts reference earlier ones

Step 4: Supporting Materials

At the end of the manual, include:

1. 應急方案 (Contingency Plan): A table listing which 2-3 segments can be cut if time runs short, how many minutes each saves, and why those are the best candidates for cutting
2. Key term table: All terms from the chapter with English translations and one-sentence definitions

Step 5: Quality Checklist

Before delivering, verify:

• Every LO from the chapter is addressed
• Every key term from the chapter appears
• At least 3 structured discussion questions with expected responses
• At least 2 classroom activities with step-by-step instructions
• All classic studies are narrated (not just cited)
• Workplace relevance is established for every major concept
• Transitions between all segments are explicitly scripted
• Total timing adds up to the target duration (default: 120 min)
• Contingency plan is included
• Opening activity creates genuine surprise or engagement

Output Location

Save the completed manual as an artifact:

• Filename: chapter{N}_teaching_plan.md
• Location: Artifact directory

Example

For a reference implementation, see:

• examples/chapter3_teaching_plan.md — a complete 120-minute manual for Chapter 3 (Social Cognition) of Aronson et al.'s Social Psychology textbook

Design Philosophy

The core philosophy behind this skill:

1. Story over structure: Students remember narratives, not bullet points
2. Experience before theory: Let students feel a phenomenon before naming it
3. Workplace as laboratory: Working professionals' daily experiences ARE the case studies
4. Scripted spontaneity: The instructor should FEEL natural, but the manual leaves nothing to chance
5. Cumulative architecture: Every segment references previous ones; by the finale, the whole chapter is one connected story