Bruce SaulnierProfessor of Computer Information Systems

15 February 2010

Question: How many of you spend part of the first day of class going over the course syllabus?

 Answer: _____ of _______

Student Answers to Above Question – student class surveys reveal that over 90% of classes cover the syllabus on the first day of class.

 Students who say they really pay attention

when the professor goes over the syllabus? Less than 25% -- for most of the information Over 75% -- for attendance policy and

grading criteria

Problem – Given that students really do not pay attention, what can we do instead to

(1)not waste the first day of class; and (2)yet make sure that students know and are

held accountable for the required information on the syllabus?

Using Blackboard, I e-mail every student in the class the day before class starts to

(1) welcome them to the course; and (2) ask/tell them to please bring their computers to class on the first day

• After taking attendance (got to keep the Registrar’s Office happy, note student nicknames, and insure that everyone knows that they are welcome),

• We go the BlackBoard course where we (i) download documents (syllabus and outline) to folders, (ii) go to course materials to point out assignments corresponding to outline; and (iii) go over using the BlackBoard assignment feature to both download assignment documents and submit assignments.

A Quiz (low stakes – giveaway) over the syllabus to be submitted midnight of the same night.

Results – ◦ Verify they can do all of the required BlackBoard

course elements (pick up problems early with low stakes assignment); and

◦ Accountability for Syllabus Contents◦ Note – I do not cover syllabus itself in class.

https://myq.quinnipiac.edu/facultystaff/Pages/default.aspx

http://blackboard.quinnipiac.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_59649_1&frame=top