Using Syllabus for Communicating and Planning

Authored/Posted by: Erik Flinn

Organization:

 

While your syllabus may have all the information necessary for the class, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to find. Reading this guide for example would be more challenging if it was given in paragraphs as opposed to how it is broken into sections. Often students repeatedly return to the syllabus to find key information about the course. This can also be a benefit to instructors because if their syllabus is well-structured, they’ll deal with fewer questions about details about the class and can focus more on details about the content of the class. Here are some things you should be adding to make your syllabus easier to read, and some examples of how one could implement them.  

 

• Add headings and subheadings as needed.
  • Based on this guide you may want to create sections for:
    • Course Topics
    • University/Course Policies
    • Grade Scale
    • Contact Information
    • Important Dates
    • Major Assessments
  • You could also consider adding a brief introduction. Which could include:
    • Your teaching style/core values
    • Contact information 
• Include tables/graphics where possible
  • Examples may include:
    • Grade Scale Table
    • A table of important dates
    • Flow Charts for course structure or learning outcomes
    • Concept maps
    • A table containing the class schedule
• Adding bullet points or numbered lists:
  • Examples may include:
    • List of important dates.
    • List of Exams/Projects/Major Assessments.
    • List of Learning outcomes/course topics
    • Listing contents and where to find them at the beginning.
• Reflections/Questions to Consider:
  • If you were a student, what information would you be looking for?
    • And how would you find it?
  • How long is this document?
    • If it is many pages, are students going to be able to engage with it, or will it feel intimidating?
    • If it is a single page, does it contain enough information for students?

 

Course Schedule:

 

The course schedule can be an extremely effective tool for helping students navigate the college experience. Depending on the school students may have 4, 5 or even 6 classes they are taking at a single time and knowing ahead of time when one class may require more attention is extremely helpful! However, it’s also important not to hide other key information of a syllabus within the schedule as it runs the risk of making the syllabus harder to navigate. Some recommendations about course schedules:

 

·         If you meet multiple times a week, don’t explain each class.

o   You want the schedule to be flexible to adjust for the needs of a class.

§  Perhaps you have a great plan for a particular topic, but it doesn’t end up panning out as intended.

§  What happens if your institution cancels a day of class? Is the entire schedule irrelevant from that point? Do you need to re-write it?

·         Create a schedule based on each week:

o   This will allow:

§  students to plan out the expectations of the course a week at a time.

§  you flexibility in the time it takes to present material.

o   Highlight Important Dates:

§  Include if there are due dates, exams/quizzes

§  If your institution has course drop deadlines, they should be outlined.

§  The final exam time at institutions is often at a different time than the typical class.

o   Moving forward this document will assume the schedule is broken down per week.

·         Outline Prep materials required each week.

o   Course Readings

o   Journal writings

o   Rough Drafts

o   Artifacts they should bring.

o   Reflective Questions they should consider before class.

o   Etc.

·         Stay Vague!

o   If you feel your schedule is becoming muddled, it most likely is. Attempt to keep descriptions brief and verify it’s easy to read.

                 

Descriptions of Assignments/Assessments:

• Briefly outline the information in particular assignments/assessments. 
• Reflections/Questions to Consider:
  • Projects:
    • Is this a group or individual project?
    • How much time do students have to complete it?
    • Is a rubric provided for the project to help guide student work?
    • What materials will be needed for the project?
    • What form should the final product take?
      • Presentation?
      • Poster?
      • Paper?
      • Etc.
  • Exams:
    • What material will be covered?
    • If not stated elsewhere:
      • What percentage of the grade is it? 
      • When is it? 
    • What is the modality?
      • Online? In-person? Take-home?
    • How will it be graded?
  • Assignments:
    • What is the modality?
      • Online? In-person? Take-home?
    • How many questions is the assignment? 
    • When is it due? 
    • What material is covered? 
    • What are the associated learning outcomes? 
  • Readings:
    • What do you want students to take away from the readings?
    • How will you use the information a student reads during class?

 

Expectations:

Every instructor has some level of expectations on their students. Often, this includes some degree of participation, attendance, completion of material, etc. However, are these expectations clearly outlined in the syllabus? If not, it can be extremely helpful.

 

Student Expectations:

• Examples include:
  • How many hours they should expect to spend on material/reading outside of class.
  • How many assignments they’ll be asked to complete.
  • Rubrics: What are the expectations of a particular project/assignment.
  • Attendance.
    • How many days can a student miss before it affects their grade?
    • How should a student inform you that they are unable to attend.
  • Participation:
    • What does it mean to participate in your class?
      • Discussions? Asking Questions? Coming to office hours? Email?
  • Etc.

 

Teacher Expectations:

Students also want to know that if they follow through on your expectations, that you are also holding yourself accountable to them.

• Consider communicating:
  • How long it will take to respond to emails.
  • When you’ll be able to grade assessments, projects, assignments.
  • What type of feedback you intend to offer students.
  • Any changes to the course schedule.
  • How students can reach out to you or get additional help.  

 

Outlining all of this information effectively begins the process of integrating the syllabus into the course itself. Making it a living document that grows/changes as the class does. Crafting syllabi to facilitate communication between educators and students helps set clear expectations and provides the instructor the opportunity to reflect on their own pedagogy by referencing their syllabi.