course & syllabus design worksheet dec 2013 2013 course syllabus design...course & syllabus...

Course & Syllabus Design for Learning That Lasts Center for Teaching Excellence November 2013

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!Course!and!Syllabus!Design!for!Learning!That!Lasts!

!WORKSHEET!

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(adapted!from!November!20,!2013!workshop)!!

Laurel!Willingham@McLain!!

Center!for!Teaching!Excellence!Duquesne!University!

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Overview!!!We!are!using!two!frameworks!to!inform!course!design!!

A. Backward!Design!(Wiggins!&!McTighe)!B. Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!(Fink)!!

!Course!Design!Steps!!!

A. Identify!desired!results:!Start%with%the%end%in%mind!B. Use!the!Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!to!analyze!these!examples!C. Use!the!Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!to!analyze!and!revise!the!learning!goals!on!your!own!syllabus.!D. Plan!evidence!of!learning!&!feedback!to!students!E. Carefully!select!learning!experiences,!tools!and!instruction!!F. Now,!write!or!update!the!syllabus!

!Appendices!!!

A. Course!Design!Worksheet!B. Syllabus!Checklist!C. Seven!Research@Based!Principles!for!Smart!Teaching!D. Developing!Your!Syllabus!and!Career!

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Feel!free!to!ask!for!additional!resources!or!feedback!on!your!syllabus!from!the!Center!for!Teaching!Excellence!(but!do!allow!ample!time!)!

[email protected]!or!412@396@5177.!%


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(Figure!1:!Wiggins!&!McTighe,!2005,!p.!18)!

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!!A. Identify!desired!results:!Start%with%the%end%in%mind!!

Think!of!a!course!you!teach!or!would!like!to!teach.!!What!would!you!like!the!impact!of!this!course!to!be!on!students?!!What!learning!results!do!you!hope!will!last!well!beyond!the!end!of!the!course?!!Be!sure!to!consider!who!your!students!are!as!you!jot!down!your!desired!results.!

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!NEXT:!In!preparation!for!turning!your!desired!results!into!learning!goals,!read!the!next!two!pages!from!L.!D.!Fink’s!model!of!significant!learning.!!! !

Backward Design#1

Identify Desired Results

#2Determine Acceptable

Evidence

#3Plan learning experiences

and instruction


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Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!!Taken!from:!Fink,!L.!D.!!(2005a).!!A!self@directed!guide!to!designing!courses!for!significant!learning,!pp.!8@12.!http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf,!!!!FOUNDATIONAL!KNOWLEDGE!!Understanding!and!remembering:!!

• Information!!• Ideas!!

!APPLICATION!!

• Skills!!• Thinking:!!

Critical,!creative,!&!practical!thinking!!• Managing!projects!!

!LEARNING!HOW!TO!LEARN!!

• Becoming!a!better!student!!• Inquiring!about!a!subject!!• Self@directing!learners!!

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CARING!!Developing!new!!

• Feelings!!• Interests!!• Values!!

!!HUMAN!DIMENSION!!Learning!about:!!

• Oneself!!• Others!!

!INTEGRATION!!Connecting:!!

• Ideas!!• People!!• Realms!of!life!

!!“One!important!feature!of!this!particular!taxonomy!is!that!each!kind!of!learning!is!interactive.!This!means!that!each!kind!of!learning!can!stimulate!other!kinds!of!learning.!This!has!major!implications!for!the!selection!of!learning!goals!for!your!course.!It!may!seem!intimidating!to!include!all!six!kinds!of!significant!learning.!But!the!more!you!can!realistically!include,!the!more!the!goals!will!support!each!other—and!the!more!valuable!will!be!your!students’!learning.”!!(Figure!2:!Interactive!Nature!of!Significant!Learning,!Fink,!2005a,!pp.!9@10)


Questions!for!Formulating!Significant!Learning!Goals!!Foundational!Knowledge!!

• What!key!information!(e.g.,!facts,!terms,!formulae,!concepts,!principles,!relationships,!etc.)!is/are!important!for!students!to!understand!and!remember!in!the!future?!!

• What!key!ideas!(or!perspectives)!are!important!for!students!to!understand!in!this!course?!!!Application!Goals!!

• What!kinds!of!thinking!are!important!for!students!to!learn?!!o Critical!thinking,!in!which!students!analyze!and!evaluate!!o Creative!thinking,!in!which!students!imagine!and!create!!o Practical!thinking,!in!which!students!solve!problems!and!make!decisions!!

• What!important!skills!do!students!need!to!gain?!!• Do!students!need!to!learn!how!to!manage!complex!projects?!!

!Integration!Goals!!

• What!connections!(similarities!and!interactions)!should!students!recognize!and!make…:!!o Among!ideas!within!this!course?!!o Among!the!information,!ideas,!and!perspectives!in!this!course!and!those!in!other!

courses!or!areas?!!o Among!material!in!this!course!and!the!students'!own!personal,!social,!and/or!work!life?!!

!Human!Dimensions!Goals!!

• What!could!or!should!students!learn!about!themselves?!!• What!could!or!should!students!learn!about!understanding!others!and/or!interacting!with!them?!!

!Caring!Goals!!

• What!changes/values!do!you!hope!students!will!adopt?!!!Feelings?!!Interests?!!Ideas?!!!!"LearningNHowNtoNLearn"!Goals!!

• What!would!you!like!for!students!to!learn!about:!!o how!to!be!good!students!in!a!course!like!this?!!o how!to!learn!about!this!particular!subject?!!o how!to!become!a!self@directed!learner!of!this!subject,!i.e.,!having!a!learning!agenda!of!

what!they!need/want!to!learn,!and!a!plan!for!learning!it?!! !


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B. Use!the!Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!to!analyze!these!examples!!(adapted!from!Duquesne!syllabi)!

!For!each!item,!identify!the!kinds!of!significant!learning!goals!present.!!!These!examples!illustrate!the!interaction!of!the!six!learning!goals!from!the!taxonomy.!!!!Organic!chemistry!

1. Learn!the!basic!nomenclature!and!structure!of!organic!compounds.!!The!understanding!of!structure!ultimately!leads!to!the!understanding!of!function.!!!

2. Explain!detailed!molecular!mechanisms!of!organic!chemical!reactions.!!Such!an!understanding!will!provide!you!with!a!powerful!predictive!technique!in!the!analysis!of!reactions!you!have!not!previously!encountered.!

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3. Apply!and!refine!your!powers!of!deductive!and!inductive!reasoning.!!

!Business!ethics/communications!course!

1. Explain!the!differences!between!one’s!optimal!stage!of!moral!reasoning!versus!one’s!typically!used!stage!of!reasoning.!!!

2. Build!a!“just!community”!within!the!classroom!community,!with!implications!for!school,!work!and!residence!life.!

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3. Create!an!ethically!defensible!position!on!a!controversial!current!ethical!issue.!!!

4. Identify!the!opportunity!for!personal!growth!while!serving!others!!!

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C. Use!the!Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!either!to!draft!learning!goals!for!a!new!syllabus,!or!!to!analyze!and!revise!the!learning!goals!on!an!existing!syllabus.!

!Write!or!revise!the!learning!goals!for!your!course.!!What!kinds!of!learning!goals!have!you!articulated?!!Do!they!reflect!the!desired!results!you!wrote!in!Part!A?!

!How!might!you!enrich!the!learning!goals!and!make!them!more!integrative!of!the!six!types!in!the Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!?!!What’s!already!there?!!What’s!missing?!!!!TIP!!Be!sure!that!each!goal!results!in!something!observable.!!Use!verbs!where!the!student!is!the!agent.!!not:!This!course!will!give!students….!!! I!will!teach!students….!!!!instead:!In!this!course,!students!will…!(e.g.,!demonstrate,!explain,!compare,!apply,!analyze,!create).!!!!Be!sure!the!goals!are!aligned!with!goals!for!the!major,!core!curriculum!or!national!standards,!as!appropriate.!!!Work!on!the!wording!of!your!learning!goals!here:!!1.!!!!!2.!!!!!3.!!

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Write!the!learning!goals!on!the!Course!Design!Worksheet!in!Appendix!A,!first!column.!


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D. Plan!evidence!of!learning!&!feedback!to!students!

List!a!variety!of!ways!in!which!you!can!observe!student!learning!related!to!each!of!your!course!learning!goals.!!!!!!!!!TIPS:!!!There!won’t!be!a!1:1!match!up!of!goals!and!evidence!because!learning!is!integrated!and!complex,!but!be!sure!you!have!some!evidence!for!each!goal.!!Key!to!learning!is!prompt!and!regular!feedback!to!students!throughout!the!course.!!In!what!systematic!ways,!will!you!give!students!regular!feedback!for!improvement!(without!overburdening!yourself)?!!How!will!they!learn!to!judge!the!quality!of!their!own!work?!

!And,!of!course,!there!needs!to!be!a!grade!that!is!fair!and!comprised!of!multiple!kinds!of!learning!evidence.!!Ways!to!think!about!evidence!and!feedback:!

1. Ungraded/informal:!Some!evidence!will!be!informal,!in!the!moment,!hard!to!capture.!!But!you!can!respond!to!it!quickly!and!give!feedback!on!the!learning.!!(e.g.,!class!discussion,!office!hours)!

2. Low!stakes/component!skills!&!knowledge:!Regular!practice!of!basic!skills!and!knowledge!with!feedback!lend!themselves!to!low!percentage!of!final!grade.!!They!are!at!the!heart!of!learning!complex!concepts!and!skills.!!(e.g.,!scaffolded!assignments,!targeted!skills,!class!room!participation,!quizzes).!

3. High!stakes/cumulative:!Some!of!the!learning!evidence!will!be!captured!in!high!stakes!assignments!and!exams.!!These!are!often!cumulative!assessments,!worth!a!large!percentage!of!the!final!grade.!!All!through!the!course!student!learning!and!regular!feedback!on!learning!build!toward!these!larger!assessments.!

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Write!the!types!of!learning!evidence!for!each!goal!on!the!Course!Design!Worksheet!in!Appendix!A,!middle!column.!


E. Teaching/Learning!methods,!tools!and!experiences!

Now,!finally….!carefully!select!learning!experiences,!resources!and!instruction!!that!get!you!to!your!desired!results.!!Think!about!these!questions.!!!!1. What!instruction,!tools!and!learning!experiences!will!enable!students!to!achieve!the!end!

results?!!!!!!!!!2. What!learning!contexts!are!appropriate!and!feasible?!!!

a. in!class,!face@to@face!or!online!b. in!a!lab,!field/forest,!museum,!studio,!recital!hall,!clinic…!c. guest!speakers/discussants!d. with!partners!in!the!community!e. students!working!individually!f. students!learning!in!groups!g. simulation,!games!h. peer@teaching!

!3. What!basic!knowledge!and!skills!will!students!need!to!develop!along!the!way?!!What!

incremental!learning!tasks!will!build!toward!complex,!long@lasting!learning?!!!!!

!!4. How!will!the!teaching/learning!experiences!take!into!consideration!your!students!as!

whole!people!–!the!human!dimension,!caring,!integration,!learning!how!to!learn!from!the!Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning?!!!

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!TIP:!Look!at!the!research!on!teaching!and!learning!in!Appendix!C.!!Tailor!the!teaching!and!learning!to!incorporate!these!principles!from!Ambrose!et!al.,!2011.!!!

Write!the!teaching/learning!methods!relevant!to!each!goal!on!the!Course!Design!Worksheet!in!Appendix!A,!last!column.!


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F. Now,!write!or!update!the!syllabus!!Simply!put,!the!syllabus!communicates!to!students!the!design,!purpose!and!expectations!for!learning!in!your!course:!!

• the!learning!goals!• the!learning!experiences!• resources!and!environments!• support!available!for!them!in!their!learning!• evidence!you!plan!to!gather!about!student!learning!• your!criteria!for!grading!the!student!learning!

!There!are!a!few!other!items!of!importance!too.!!See!the!Syllabus!Checklist!in!Appendix!B!and!“Developing!Your!Syllabus!and!Career”!in!Appendix!D.!

!Be!sure!to!use!a!tone!that!both!sets!a!high!standard!and!invites!learning.!!!!Communicate!that!you!believe!students!will!succeed.!!Have!someone!else!read!your!syllabus!for!clarity!and!tone.!

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Resources!on!Course!&!Syllabus!Design!Most!volumes!are!available!for!loan!from!the!Center!for!Teaching!Excellence!(search!DUCAT!through!Gumberg!Library).!

!Ambrose,!S.,!et!al.!!(2011).!!How!learning!works:!Seven!research@based!principles!for!smart!

teaching.!!San!Francisco:!Jossey@Bass.!!(sold!in!the!Duquesne!book!store)!!Anderson,!L.!W.,!&!Krathwohl,!D.!!(2001).!!A%taxonomy%for%learning,%teaching,%and%assessing.!!

New!York:!Longman.!!

Boettcher,!J.!V.,!&!Conrad,!R.!M.!(2010).!The!online!teaching!survival!guide:!Simple!and!practical!pedagogical!tips.!John!Wiley!&!Sons.!

!Campus!Compact.!!(2003).!!Introduction%to%service<learning%toolkit:%Readings%and%resources%for%

faculty%(2nd%ed.).%%Providence,!RI:!Campus!Compact.!!

Fink,!L.!D.!!(2005a).!!A!self@directed!guide!to!designing!courses!for!significant!learning.!!http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf!!

!Fink,!L.!D.!(2005)!Integrated!course!design.!!Idea%Paper,%42.!!

http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_42.pdf!!Fink,!L.!D.!!(2003).!!Creating%significant%learning%experiences:%An%integrated%approach%to%

designing%college%courses.!!San!Francisco:!Jossey@Bass.!!(2nd!edition!2013)!!Grunert,!J.!O.,!Millis,!B.,!&!Cohen,!M.!!(2008).!!The%course%syllabus:%A%Learning<centered%approach%

(2nd%Ed).!!San!Francisco:!Jossey@Bass.!!Nilson,!L.!B.!!(2007).!!The%graphic%syllabus%and%the%outcomes%map:%Communicating%your%course.%%

San!Francisco:!Jossey@Bass.%%Weimer,!M.!!(2013).!!Learner<centered%teaching:%Five%key%changes%to%practice%(2nd%Ed.).%%San!

Francisco:!Jossey@Bass.!!!Wiggins,!G,!&!McTighe,!J.!!(2005).!!Understanding%by%design.!!Association!for!Supervision!and!

Curriculum!Development.!!

ONLINE!Creative!Approaches!to!the!Syllabus!!!

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/creative@approaches@to@the@syllabus/35621!!Syllabus!Design,!Center!for!Research!on!Learning!and!Teaching,!University!of!Michigan,!!

http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tssd!!Universal!design!in!college!instruction,!Teaching!Effectiveness!Program,!University!of!Oregon,!!

http://tep.uoregon.edu/resources/universaldesign/intro.html!What!is!an!Effective!Syllabus,!Center!for!Teaching!and!Learning,!University!of!Minnesota!!

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/syllabus/what/index.html!!


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Appendix!A!!Course!Design!Worksheet!(for!aligning!goals!–!evidence!–!teaching/learning)!

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Student!Learning!Goals!“Start!with!the!end!in!mind”!

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Evidence!of!Learning!!Feedback!on!Learning!

“Assessment”!!

Teaching/Learning!!Methods,!Tools!&!Experiences!

Use!verbs!that!generate!observable!student!output.!!“Students!will…”!e.g.,!demonstrate,!explain,!compare,!apply,!analyze,!create.!!See!Taxonomy!of!Significant!Learning!above.!

Note!various!ways!you!can!observe!student!learning.!!!!There!won’t!be!a!1:1!match!up!of!goals!and!evidence!because!learning!is!integrated!and!complex,!but!be!sure!you!have!some!evidence!for!each!goal.!!Identify!each!kind!of!evidence!as:!a. *feedback!but!not$graded$(diagnose!learning)!b. feedback!with!low$stakes!grade!(frequent,!few!

points)!c. high$stakes!grade!(culminating!assignment/test!

with!preparation!&!feedback!over!time)!!

*Things!get!a!little!muddy!here!because!feedback!and!assessment!work!best!when!integrated!into!the!daily!practices!of!teaching!and!learning.!!But!for!the!purposes!of!course!design,!it!is!helpful!to!separate!them!out.!!!

Select!the!methods,!tools,!and!experiences!for!guiding!the!learning!so!you!can!reach!the!desired!results.!!What!is!the!instructor!doing?!What!are!students!doing?!!!!What!are!the!contexts!of!learning?!!!!What!happens!faceQtoQface!(or!synchronously)!as!whole!group,!smaller!groups,!individually?!!

Goal!1:!!!!!!!!!!!

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12 Student!Learning!Goals!

“Start!with!the!end!in!mind”!!

Evidence!of!Learning!!Feedback!on!Learning!

“Assessment”!!

Teaching/Learning!!Methods,!Tools!&!Experiences!

Goal!2:!! !!!!!!!!!!!

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Goal!3:!! !!!!!!!!!!!

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Etc.!!!!!!!

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Appendix(B(SYLLABUS(CHECKLIST(

Center(for(Teaching(Excellence,(Duquesne(University(!The!Center!for!Teaching!Excellence!provides!resources!for!designing!courses!and!syllabi.!!Except!for!the!excerpts!from!the!Faculty(Handbook!below,!the!following!guidelines!are!not!University!policy,!but!are!intended!as!a!helpful!resource.!!Check!with!your!department!or!school!on!what!must!be!included,!the!kind!of!course!it!is!(e.g.,!face@to@face,!hybrid,!online)!and!on!your!departmental!culture!of!what’s!considered!good!practice!in!writing!syllabi.!

!BASIC(INFORMATION:(INSTRUCTOR(&(COURSE!

• Course!title,!department,!catalogue!number,!section!number,!Duquesne!University!(see!www.duq.edu/registrar/)!

• Date!(term!and!year)!• Course!meeting!days!and!times,!room!and!building!(or!for!online,!synchronous!sessions)!• Instructor’s!name,!e@mail!address,!office!location!&!phone!number,!office!hours!(including!

online!availability)!• Indicate!the!kind!of!course!it!is:!traditional!face@to@face,!hybrid,!fully!online,!accelerated,!etc.!!

See!Duquesne’s!credit!hour!definitions!policy.!The!!• Access!for!web!support!such!as!Blackboard!learning!software!• Space!on!print!syllabi!for!students!to!note!names!and!contact!information!of!two!classmates!

!COURSE(DESCRIPTION(&(GOALS(

• Description!of!the!course!(give!broad!overview!and!a!word!about!how!the!course!fits!the!larger!curriculum;!engage!students!by!showing!your!enthusiasm!and!the!course’s!relevance!to!real!life;!avoid!technical!language!where!possible)!

• Student!learning!outcomes!(also!called!learning!goals!or!objectives;!specific!observable!outcomes!you!expect!students!to!achieve,!e.g.,!what!students!will!know!and!be!able!to!do;!a!grade!is!based!on!the!quality!of!learning!you!can!observe)!

• Prerequisites!for!the!course!!INSTRUCTIONAL(ACTIVITIES(&(MATERIALS(

• Methods!of!instruction!&!learning:!how!will!students!be!expected!to!learn!in!class!and!out!of!class;!synchronously!and!asynchronously!(e.g.,!!captured!lectures,!interactive!face@to@face!lectures,!discussion,!group!work,!service@learning,!projects,!practicum,!problem!based,!case!based)?!

• Calendar:!course!dates,!topics,!learning!goals,!readings,!assignments,!exams!(watch!for!changes!in!days!toward!the!end!of!the!semester!–!see!academic!calendar!at!www.duq.edu/registrar/)!!

• Textbooks,!readings!and!brief!description!of!these!and!how!they!will!be!used!(central!text!or!for!reference!only).!!Where!texts!and!required!software!are!available!(e.g.,!campus!bookstore,!library!E@reserves,!textbook!company!website)!!

• Other!required!materials!and!how!to!get!access!(e.g.,!lab!supplies,!specialized!software)!• Other!course!features!(e.g.,!excursions,!guest!speakers,!online!guest!experts)!

!ASSESSMENT(OF(LEARNING(!

• Brief!description!of!each!requirement!(explain!how!it!fits!the!learning!goals)!• Expectations!for!in@class!(or!synchronous)!participation!and!group!work!• Due!dates!for!assignments!and!projects!!


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• Quiz!and!exam!description!and!dates;!Place,!date,!and!time!of!final!exam!• Final!grade!breakdown!(#!of!points!possible!per!assignment/test!and!total!points!for!a!final!

grade!of!!“A,”!“B,”!etc.);!indicate!whether!or!not!use!plusses!and!minuses!in!grades!(COURSE(POLICIES(USE!POSITIVE!LANGUAGE!TO!SET!EXPECTATIONS!AND!PROVIDE!SUPPORT!

• Duquesne!policy!regarding!academic!integrity,!available!online!www.duq.edu/Documents/academic@affairs/_pdf/academic@integrity@5@[email protected]!

• If!you!use!SafeAssign!software!for!teaching!and!assuring!academic!integrity!(available!through!Duquesne’s!Blackboard!learning!system),!explain!your!purpose!and!ways!you!will!use!it.!

• Your!own!policy!regarding!attendance!&!tardiness,!late!assignments!&!make@up!exams!!• Information!for!Students!with!Disabilities:!“Duquesne!University!is!committed!to!providing!all!

students!with!equal!access!to!learning.!!In!order!to!receive!reasonable!accommodations!in!their!courses,!students!who!have!a!disability!of!any!kind!must!register!with!the!Office!of!Freshman!Development!and!Special!Student!Services!in!309!Duquesne!Union!(412@396@6657).!!Once!a!disability!is!officially!documented,!the!office!of!Special!Student!Services!will!meet!with!you!to!determine!what!accommodations!are!necessary.!!With!your!permission,!your!instructors!will!receive!letters!outlining!the!reasonable!accommodations!they!are!required!to!make.!!!!Once!I!have!received!this!letter,!you!and!I!should!meet!to!coordinate!the!way!these!accommodations!will!be!implemented!in!this!course.!For!more!information,!go!to!www.duq.edu/special@students.”!!(Statement!recommended!by!Academic!Affairs!and!Special!Student!Services,!updated!December!07,!2012)! ! !! ! !

*****!!Official!policy:!The!Duquesne!University(Faculty(Handbook!stipulates!the!components!of!a!syllabus!in!its!section!entitled!“Responsibilities!of!the!Faculty:”!

Faculty!members!must!distribute!at!the!first!meeting!of!each!class!a!course!syllabus!which!includes!at!least!the!following!information:!course!requirements,!course!assignments!and!expectations,!types!of!examinations!(when!possible),!evaluation!process!for!grading!(including!+/@!grading),!and!policy!regarding!class!attendance.!!If!major!changes!in!the!above!categories!of!the!syllabus!are!necessary,!they!must!be!given!to!the!students!in!writing!(page!14).!

Additionally,!faculty!responsibilities!include!fair!assessment!of!learning:!The!faculty!member!is!responsible!for!assigning!grades!in!a!fair!manner,!consistent!with!policies!stated!in!the!syllabus,!or!subsequently!modified!in!a!written!adjustment!of!the!syllabus!(page!15).!Handbook!available!online!at!www.duq.edu/about/administration/academic@affairs/policies@and@procedures(

!(checklist!revised!December!2013)!


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Appendix(C(Seven(ResearchNBased(Principles(for(Smart(Teaching((Ambrose(et(al.,(2011)(

!Use!the!following!list!of!evidence@based!principles!to!review!your!course!and!syllabus:!Are!you!integrating!these!principles!for!smart!teaching!into!your!course?!!!1. Students’!prior(knowledge(can!help!or!hinder!learning.!!Find!out!what!students!already!know.!!!Pay!

attention!to!it.!!!!

2. How!students!organize(knowledge!influences!how!they!learn!and!apply!what!they!know.!!3. Students’!motivation!determines,!directs,!and!sustains!what!they!do!to!learn.!!Learn!about!what!

motivates!students!to!learn((not!just!“get!a!grade”!or!“get!credits).!!4. To!develop!mastery,!students!must!acquire!component(skills,!practice!integrating!them,!and!know!

when!to!apply!what!they!have!learned.!!5. Goal:directed(practice!coupled!with!targeted(feedback!enhances!the!quality!of!students’!learning.!!It!

is!helpful!for!students!to!know!what!goals!they!are!expected!to!attain.!!6. Students’!current!level(of(development!interacts!with!the!social,(emotional,(and(intellectual(climate!

of!the!course!to!impact!learning.!!7. To!become!self@directed!learners,!students!must!learn!to!monitor(and(adjust!their!approaches!to!

learning.!!

!From!How(learning(works:(Seven(research:based(principles(for(smart(teaching(((Ambrose!et!al.,!2011)((((

(Center(for(Teaching(Excellence,(Duquesne(University,(November(2013)((


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Appendix(D!!Developing!Your!Syllabus!and!Career!

Center!for!Teaching!Excellence,!Duquesne!University!Steven!Hansen!

!The!syllabus!you!develop!influences!both!your!class!and!your!teaching!career.!!Studies!about!syllabi!show!that!they!play!a!role!in!students’!perceptions!of!the!instructor!and!motivation!to!learn.!!However,!syllabi!also!play!a!role!in!administrative!decisions!about!hiring,!promotion!and!tenure.!!!!Student!Perceptions!of!the!Instructor!Your!syllabus!makes!a!profound!first!impression!on!students.!!The!tone!of!your!syllabus!influences!students’!perceptions!about!you!as!a!teacher!and!the!nature!of!their!participation!in!your!course.!!“Syllabi!differ!widely!in!the!tone!they!adopt:!warm!and!friendly,!formal,!condescending,!or!confrontational”!(Slattery!and!Carlson,!159).!!Your!syllabus!sets!a!tone!that!defines!the!social!context!of!learning!in!your!course.!!Research!shows!that!students!learn!best!in!a!supportive!environment!of!trust!and!respect.!!!!

! Effective!Syllabi! Ineffective!Syllabi!

Characteristics!

• Clearly!explain!expectations! • List!assignments!without!directions!

• Positively!discuss!classroom!behaviors!in!relation!to!learning!

• State!classroom!behaviors!in!legalese!

• Encourage!and!motivate!students!in!relation!to!course!goals!(“You!will!be!able!to!.!.!.”)!

• Make!the!“course”!the!agent!of!learning!(“This!course!will!teach!you!.!.!.”)!

• Anticipate!student!involvement!!

• Predict!student!apathy!or!failure!!

• Act!as!a!roadmap!of!the!semester!and!show!how!topics!relate!to!the!big!picture!

• Fail!to!show!the!relationship!of!topics!to!the!overall!course!via!a!list!of!unconnected!topics!

• Convey!a!desire!to!help!students!individually!and!give!multiple!ways!to!contact!!

• Simply!state!office!hours,!or!worse,!“!.!.!.!by!appointment!only”!

• Use!bold!and!italics!to!highlight!important!information,!dates,!etc.!

• Use!bold!to!yell!at!students!about!dislikes!and!pet!peeves!!

• Emphasize!the!importance!of!the!student’s!active!role!in!the!learning!process!

• Emphasize!the!importance!of!the!instructor’s!role!in!bestowing!knowledge!

!


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Effectively!written!syllabi!influence!student!motivation,!performance,!and!perception!of!the!instructor.!!Some!studies!suggest!that!they!also!play!a!role!in!student!retention.!!!! !

! Effective!Syllabi! Ineffective!Syllabi!Impact!

• Increase!students’!motivation!

• Decrease!students’!motivation!

• Raise!student!expectations!and!outcomes!

• Lower!student!expectations!and!outcomes!

• Easily!remembered!and!consulted!

• Likely!forgotten!by!students!through!the!semester!and!!not!consulted!

• Instructor!viewed!as!approachable!

• Instructor!viewed!as!unapproachable!

• Higher!student!retention! • Lower!student!retention!!“Remember!that!the!syllabus!is!also!communicating!an!overall!tone!or!personality.!!A!technically!detailed,!unimaginative,!‘cold’!syllabus!is!usually!a!precursor!of!a!boring!class”!(Matejka!and!Kurke,!116).!!!!Keep!in!mind!that!small!changes!in!how!you!word!your!syllabus!can!influence!the!way!your!students!view!you!as!a!teacher.!!Ishiyama!and!Hartlaub!(2002)!conducted!a!study!to!determine!how!the!wording!of!a!syllabus!affects!students’!perceptions.!!They!constructed!two!identical!syllabi!with!one!key!difference:!one!used!“punishing!language”!and!the!other!used!“rewarding!language.”!!

Punishing! Rewarding!

If!for!some!substantial!reason!you!cannot!turn!in!your!papers!or!take!an!exam!at!the!scheduled!time!you!must!contact!me!prior!to!the!due!date,!or!test!date,!or!you!will!be!graded!down!20%.!

If!for!some!substantial!reason!you!cannot!turn!in!your!paper!or!take!an!exam!at!the!scheduled!time!you!should!contact!me!prior!to!the!due!date,!or!test!date,!or!you!will!only!be!eligible!for!80%!of!the!total!points.!

!First\year!and!second\year!college!students!indicated!that!“they!were!uncomfortable!approaching!the!faculty!member!after!reading!the!punish!syllabus!as!opposed!to!the!reward!syllabus.”!!Students!with!higher!GPAs!(3.00!and!above)!were!“more!likely!to!view!the!instructor!as!unapproachable!under!the!punish\syllabus!condition,!and!significantly!more!likely!to!view!the!class!as!more!difficult!under!the!punish!condition.”!!!


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Your!Career!&!the!Syllabus!Syllabi!are!playing!an!increasing!role!in!academic!careers.!!Albers!describes!the!syllabus!as!“an!artifact!for!teacher!evaluation”!(Albers,!62).!!Search!committees!often!require!course!syllabi!along!with!CVs!and!cover!letters!from!applicants!to!determine!teaching!experience,!style!and!appropriate!academic!rigor.!!Syllabi!are!a!fixed!part!of!academic!review!used!to!evaluate!faculty!for!promotion!and!tenure.!!Given!the!importance!of!syllabi!to!your!career,!Seldin!(2009)!suggests!that!you!ask!the!following!questions:!!!

! What!does!the!syllabus!say!about!my!teaching!and!learning!beliefs?!! What!do!I!want!it!to!say?!! Does!it!speak!to!the!tools!and!information!that!I!provide!students!to!help!them!

learn?!!! Is!it!a!learning\centered!syllabus?!! What!does!it!say!about!the!course!and!my!way!of!teaching!that!is!specific!to!me?!!

Remember,!your!syllabus!impacts!your!students’!perceptions!and!class!performance,!but!it!also!impacts!your!career!and!becomes!an!artifact!of!your!teaching.!!

!!!

References!Albers,!C.!(2003).!Using!the!Syllabus!to!Document!the!Scholarship!of!Teaching.!!!Teaching,

Sociology,,31(1),!60\72.!!Ishiyama,!J.!&!Hartlaub,!S.!(2002).!Does!the!Wording!of!Syllabi!Affect!Student!Course!

Assessment!in!Introductory!Political!Science!Classes?!Political,Science,and,Politics,!35!(3),!567\570.!!

Seldin,!P.!&!Miller,!E.!(2009).!In!The,Academic,Portfolio:,A,Practical,Guide,to,, Documenting,Teaching,,Research,and,Service!(p.!14).!San!Francisco:!Jossey\Bass.!

Slattery,!J.!&!Carlson,!J.!(2005).!Preparing!an!Effective!Syllabus.!College,Teaching,,53(4),!159!\!164.!!

Matejka,!K.!&!Kurke,!L.!(1994).!Designing!a!Great!Syllabus.!College,Teaching,,,42(3),!115!\!118.!

!(August!2009)!