The short guide that follows provides suggestions on how to write, design, and use a course syllabus, based on available research in teaching and learning.  It is extracted from a longer document that includes many examples from actual syllabi but these samples are excluded in the short guide because it was not possible to secure all the permissions necessary to reproduce the full document.  Print copies of that document are still available for the cost of reproduction and mailing.  To obtain a copy, please contact the editor at the address provided at the end of this guide.

 

This module does not represent an attempt to standardize syllabi.  On the contrary, we feel that a course syllabus should reflect the individuality and teaching style of the professor writing it.  So here is some basic information that may help you as you create syllabi for your courses.

 

M. Theall  (1999)

 

The first day of class can be an anxious experience for your students.  Erickson (1974) says that students enter the first day of class with at least four questions:  (1) Is the class going to meet my needs?; (2) Is the teacher competent?; (3) Is the teacher fair?; and (4) Will the teacher care about me?  To this list we would add:  What does the teacher expect from me?  What will I need to do to get a good grade?  How will I juggle the workload in this course with the workload in my other courses?

 

While what you do in the first day of class will address many of these questions, your course syllabus can also do much to calm student anxiety.  The syllabus addresses the question of whether the class will meet student needs by presenting an overview of scope and coverage.  The issue of fairness is covered by your statements of policies and expectations.  What you expect of your students and what the student needs to do to get a good grade are covered by your statements of goals, policies, and expectations.  Finally, the student's concern about workload is addressed by your statements of schedules, assignments, and exams.

 

There are also indications that a good syllabus is a reflection of a well-planned course.  Teacher-course evaluation results show significant correlations between the syllabus and:

 

     - Overall student ratings of the instructor (.633)

     - Overall student ratings of the course (.604)

     - Overall student ratings of amount learned (.557)

 

But a good syllabus is obviously not a panacea for all ills in the classroom - it cannot save a bad course or make up for poor teaching.  However, a syllabus does serve several vital functions.  A poll of faculty indicated that their syllabi served one or more of the following functions:

 

     1.  Listing general administrative and logistical information

     2.  Delineating policies and expectations

     3.  Providing an overview of course content

     4.  Providing information on schedules, assignments, and exams

     5.  Influencing student attitudes and increasing motivation

     6.  Serving as a starting point for mutual discussion

     7.  Serving as a study guide/source of assistance for students

     8.  Aiding in course design and development

     9.  Meeting departmental or administrative needs and requirements

 

These nine functions are more completely described below.

 

FUNCTION 1:  LISTING GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND LOGISTICAL

                           INFORMATION

 

The syllabus answers all logistical questions students may have, including information on the professor, the course, course prerequisites, dates and meeting times, meeting places, required and recommended textbooks and materials and where to find them, and laboratory information.

 

FUNCTION 2:  DELINEATING POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS

 

The syllabus establishes course requirements and guidelines for student performance, and makes explicit the relationship between requirements, performance, and the grade received.  Information presented includes course requirements, grading policies, and general policies (e.g., attendance, class participation, late assignments, missed work).

 

FUNCTION 3:  PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF COURSE CONTENT

 

The syllabus provides information on course content, perspective, and goals.  Information presented includes course scope and coverage, course structure and organization, goals and mechanisms for meeting them, and how course content fits within the context of the discipline. 

 

FUNCTION 4:  PROVIDING INFORMATION ON SCHEDULES, ASSIGNMENTS, AND

                          EXAMS

 

The syllabus provides information on specific course topics, when these topics will be covered, and information on assignments and exams.  Information presented includes class schedules, topic lists or outlines, general or specific information on course assignments and due dates, and exam dates and coverage.

 

FUNCTION 5:  INFLUENCING STUDENT ATTITUDES AND INCREASING

                          MOTIVATION

 

The syllabus helps to orient students to the course and to alleviate their anxiety about the unknown.  The syllabus also sets a tone for the course:  it can help to spark student interest and motivate learning, indicate what the student can expect from the course and the instructor, and set a tone of support for learning.

 

FUNCTION 6:  SERVING AS A STARTING POINT FOR MUTUAL DISCUSSION

 

Many see the syllabus as locking both students and instructor into a rigid schedule; others see the syllabus as restricting student freedom to learn.   This does not need to be so; many instructors use their syllabus as a framework for mutual (professor and students) setting of goals and expectations.

 

FUNCTION 7:  SERVING AS A STUDY GUIDE/SOURCE OF ASSISTANCE FOR

                          STUDENTS

 

The syllabus can help to guide students through the term and help them to take responsibility for their own learning:  the syllabus can help students to prepare for classes, exams, readings; help them to organize/synthesize course material; guide them through the course/readings; serve as pre-lecture/pre-discussion guides; and help them to assess their progress throughout the term.

 

FUNCTION 8:  AIDING IN COURSE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

 

The syllabus provides the framework for the course:  the process of writing the course syllabus helps the instructor to determine course content, and organize and structure course material; helps pace the course; serves as an indicator of how well the course is going; and clarifies course goals and strategies for achieving them.

 

FUNCTION 9:  MEETING DEPARTMENTAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS AND

                          REQUIREMENTS

 

The syllabus provides information about the course to the department.  Course syllabi are also reviewed by panels accrediting academic programs.

 

Above all, the syllabus provides a vital communications link between you and your students, and serves as a contract - the syllabus states what you will do, and what you expect your students to do.

 

 

 

The above functions are not mutually exclusive - the separation between them is artificial, and they work together with each other.  What and how much to include in your syllabus depends upon your teaching style.  There are no "right" or "wrong" answers on what to include.  All of the functions mentioned above are important, but some can be equally effectively handled in a syllabus, verbally, in a separate handout, or a combination of the three. 

 

However, at the very least, your syllabus should serve as a basic reference document for both you and your students.  What information should it include?

 

 

 

This section looks at the major parts of a syllabus.  Obviously, the differentiation between syllabus parts is artificial - many parts, such as policies and requirements, overlap.  However, since it is easier to discuss them separately we have separated them for the purpose of this module

 

The major parts of a syllabus are:

 

     1.  General logistical information

     2.  Student contact information

     3.  Required and recommended materials

     4.  The course description

     5.  General course policies and rules

     6.  Course requirements and grading policy

     7.  Course calendars/topic outlines

     8.  Other things to include

 

 

Begin your syllabus with a listing of general logistical information relating to your course, including:

 

     - The course number and title

     - Number of credit hours

     - Term offered

     - Meeting days and times (if known beforehand)

     - Classroom location (if known beforehand)

     - Lab days and times

     - Lab location

 

 2.  STUDENT CONTACT INFORMATION

 

A very important aspect of teaching is providing support for student learning - and one way of providing that support is to give your students opportunities to meet with you.  Including information on how and when to contact you in your syllabus serves as a reminder to your students and also helps to convey your willingness to assist them.  (Von Harrison & Derr, 1977)

 

-    SPECIFY YOUR NAME, OFFICE NUMBER, TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND

    SECRETARY'S NAME

 

This will provide your students with the information they need to     contact you.  If you have a secretary, or someone the student can leave messages with, include his/her name and phone number.

 

-    SPECIFY YOUR TEACHING ASSISTANT(S), LAB INSTRUCTOR(S), AND

    DISCUSSION LEADER(S) NAMES, OFFICE LOCATIONS, PHONE NUMBERS,

    AND OFFICE HOURS

 

If you have teaching assistant(s) or lab instructor(s), include their names, office locations, phone numbers, and office hours.  State if you would prefer that your students contact your assistant(s) before contacting you.

 

-    SPECIFY YOUR OFFICE HOURS, AND WHETHER THEY ARE FLEXIBLE OR

    STRICTLY ENFORCED

 

Do you have an open-door policy or is your time restricted?   Do your students need to make an appointment, or can they just drop by?  Dates, times, and place of office hours should also be clearly stated.

 

-    SPECIFY HOW THE STUDENT CAN REACH YOU IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

 

Indicate in your syllabus whether you can be reached at home, how to get messages to you, whether someone else (e.g., your TA) can help, or any other "special" rules which may be used in emergency situations.

 

-    SPECIFY A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS MAY LEAVE MESSAGES, PAPERS,

    ETC., FOR YOU

 

If students need to leave messages, papers, late assignments etc. for you, specify where they can be left.

 

-    INDICATE "HELP" OR TUTORING HOURS

 

If you have special times set aside for student help or tutoring, put down the times, locations, and person(s) responsible in your syllabus.

 

 

Include a list of required and recommended materials (e.g., texts, articles, maps, calculators) in your syllabus, along with:

 

     - Suggestions on where the student can find them (if not

       readily available in the bookstore).

     - Listings of materials held on reserve in the library.

     - Indications of which materials are required and which are

       recommended.

     - Supplementary reading lists

 

 

The course description serves as an introduction to your course.  It can help to orient your students, as well as to create interest and motivate learning. 

 

Research indicates that students enjoy learning more and retain more information if they feel motivated to learn (Erickson).  This motivation stems less from extrinsic factors such as grades, than from intrinsic factors such as how interested they are in the subject matter and how they see the information as relating to them personally.  Results from research on student ratings indicate that the strongest single predictor of how students will rate the course and the instructor (overall course and teaching ratings) is how well they feel the instructor "inspires excitement or interest in the content of the course."  Interest in course content is also a significant factor in determining how much a student will learn from a course, ranking second only to how well the course is organized.

 

The course description is no substitute for your verbal introduction on the first day of class, but it does serve as a reminder to the student of:

 

     - What the course is about.

     - Why the course is important (i.e., how it fits into the

       curriculum or field as a whole; how it might fit in with the

       student's major or plan of study).

     - What your goals and objectives are (i.e., what the student

       will get out of the course).

     - How the course will be taught.

     - What the course's prerequisites are.

 

The following are some suggestions for writing your course description:

 

-           MOTIVATE STUDENT INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION

 

A course description can create or enhance student interest in your subject matter and help to motivate learning.  Von Harrison & Derr (1977) suggest that one way to do this is to relate the rationale for the course to the student's point of view.  Your students will be interested in how the course will be relevant to their needs or goals, as well as how the course fits in with the required curriculum.  

 

Another way to do this is to be "friendly":  direct the description to the students (use "you," "we," and "I"), use everyday language and phraseology.  Avoid being stiff or intimidating.

 

-           STATE WHAT YOUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE

 

It is important for the student to know what your goals are in     teaching the course - what are you planning to do, and what do you expect the student to come away with?

 

For the purpose of this module, we are defining "goals" as being your overall aims for teaching the course.  "Objectives" are the ways in which you will achieve these goals.  Goals are written in broad terms, such as the following set written for a course on the origin and evolution of land plants:

 

Objectives are more specific, and are the means by which your goals will be achieved.  The following set of goals were written for the above course on the origin and evolution of land plants:

 

Whether or not you include both goals and objectives in your course description depends upon your course and your teaching style.  Some courses do not lend themselves well to the statement of specific objectives.  In other courses, you may want to set preliminary goals, and then change them according to student wants or needs.  You may want to set course goals with your students, or set goals ahead of time and set specific objectives with your students.

 

The point is that statements of goals and/or objectives serve to    communicate the purpose of your course to your students, and also to indicate your expectations.   Where goals or objectives are emergent, he syllabus can state a preliminary set which serve as the starting point for mutual discussion and goal-setting.

 

Determining what your goals are in teaching the course is also helpful in course design.  Your goals will determine how you teach the course (e.g., students learn facts better by lecture, and concepts better by discussion), what content you will include or exclude, which textbooks and materials you select, what assignments you give your students, and what you include on your exams.

 

-           STATE HOW COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WILL BE ACHIEVED

 

How will you teach your course - lecture, discussion, laboratory,    etc.?   What learning activities will students engage in - fieldtrips?  Research projects?   Group work? 

 

-           INDICATE THE SCOPE/COVERAGE OF YOUR COURSE

 

What will your course cover?  How does your course fit in with the field as a whole, or within the curriculum?   Is your course a    prerequisite to other courses, or an introduction to other courses the student may take?

 

-           STATE THE PREREQUISITES TO YOUR COURSE

 

What courses does the student need to have taken before taking your course?  (The student may be in your course by mistake, and may be missing one or more prerequisites.)  If there are no formal prerequisites, what background knowledge do you expect your students to have?

 

 

Every course a student takes is run differently.  Each professor has his or her own style and expectations.   Explicitly and clearly spelling out your policies and rules in your syllabus serves as a written reminder to students, answers questions, and does much to solve potential disputes.  In addition to making your policies clear, you should state the consequences of failure to meet these policies.

 

General course policies and rules include:

 

-           Attendance

If attendance is important, state that it is important, why it is    important, how many absences are allowable, and what effect, if any, attendance has on the final grade.

 

-           Class participation

Some instructors feel strongly that students should not only attend class, but should also participate actively.  If you expect students to participate in class, you state this in your syllabus, indicate if it will count in the final grade (and how much weight it will have), and state what constitutes "good" or "acceptable" class participation.

 

-           Lateness

What is your policy on late assignments?  Do you accept late    assignments?  Do you mark down late assignments?  How much are they marked down?  How late can these assignments be before the student gets an F?

 

-           Missed work/exams

What is your policy on missed classwork, quizzes, or exams?   What    excuse(s), if any, will you accept?  Can the student make up the     missed work?  How much will missed work affect their final grade?

 

-           Incompletes/pass-fail/withdrawal

What is your policy on giving incompletes, or allowing students to withdraw from the course?  Can the course be taken on a pass-fail basis?

 

-           Cheating/plagiarism

What are your policies on cheating and/or plagiarism?  What constitutes cheating or plagiarism?

 

     - Lab instructions (e.g., health & safety rules)

What are your policies for work in the lab (e.g., health & safety rules)?

 

Course requirements include:

 

     - ASSIGNMENTS, such as readings, problems or case studies,

       diaries/journals, laboratory work, clinical or practicum

       work, papers, presentations, group work.

 

     - ACTIVITIES, such as viewing films, using computer-assisted

       instruction, or listening to tapes.

 

     - EXAMS, including announced or unannounced quizzes,

       midterms, and finals.

 

ASSIGNMENTS

 

Some instructors prefer to give students specific information on assignments (e.g., term papers) and exams in their syllabi; others prefer to present general information in the syllabus and use separate handouts closer to the time when the assignment is due, or when the exam is to be taken.  In either case, explicitly state your expectations by providing students with: (a) criteria for success - what are you looking for?; and (b) ideas of what to pay particular attention to.

 

It is also helpful to tie course requirements into your course objectives to show students how instructional activities will contribute to their learning from the course.

 

-           READING ASSIGNMENTS / HOMEWORK

 

Reading and homework assignments and due dates are generally handled in the course schedule (see the section on Course Calendars and Topic Outlines).   However, it is useful to also indicate when you expect assignments to be completed (e.g., whether reading assignments must be completed before class), whether they need to be handed in, and whether they will be graded.

 

-           WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

 

What writing assignments (e.g., papers, diaries, case studies, problem sets) will the students need to prepare?   What will you be looking for in these assignments?

 

-           LAB WORK

 

What lab work (e.g., scientific lab work, language lab work) will the student need to perform?  How much will the lab component count towards the final grade? 

 

-           FIELD WORK

 

What field work will your students need to do?  Will they need to write a report about the results.

 

-           PERFORMANCES/PRESENTATIONS

 

Will students need to give performances (as in dance classes), perform  a skill (as in physical therapy classes), or make presentations?  What do they need to do?  What are your criteria for success? 

 

-           GROUP WORK

 

Will you have students working together on group projects?  What is the group to do, and on what criteria will it be graded?   How will students be graded - individually, or as a group?

 

ACTIVITIES

 

Will you have additional learning activities (either required or recommended) outside of class - e.g., films, computer exercises, videotapes, language labs?  If so, you should specify:

 

     - What these activities are

     - Whether they're required or recommended

     - What their purpose is

     - Whether students will need to prove completion

    

In addition, you should provide the students with instructions on access and use.

 

EXAMS & QUIZZES

 

How many exams and quizzes will you have?  Will the quizzes be announced?  What will the exam(s) cover?  Will the final exam cover the entire term, or just the material presented since the previous exam?  What material will the exam(s) cover (e.g., will your exam test material presented in class only?  Readings only?  A mixture?)  What kind(s) of exams will you give?  - open book?  take home?  closed book?  essay?  multiple choice?  short answer?  Research indicates that the kind of notes a student takes in class, as well as what tactics a student uses to study, will be influenced by how the student expects to be tested.  For example, if a student expects exams testing factual information, she will take detailed notes, and will use strategies such as mnemonics to memorize facts.  On the other hand, if a student knows that the exam will be testing higher order knowledge (e.g., analysis or synthesis) via essay questions, his notes will reflect concepts rather than facts.  Specifying what your exams will cover and what types of questions will appear on them will aid students in note-taking and studying.

 

EXTRA CREDIT WORK, OPTIONS, and GRADING POLICY

 

Will you allow students to do extra credit or make-up work to pull up a bad grade?  You should indicate whether you will accept make-up work, and what form this work should take.

 

Some instructors give their students options on what work will be required during the term (e.g., the student may elect to write a paper rather than take an exam, or not take the final exam because they have been performing satisfactorily in the course).  If you give your students options on what work is required, you should outline clearly what these options are in your syllabus.

 

When stipulating grading policy, you should state which factors will be used to compute final grades, and how much each factor counts.  No matter which grading system you use, clearly indicate which course factors will be used to compute final grades, and how much each factor counts.   If you allow students to dispute grades, state it in your syllabus.

 

 

The course calendar is important because it provides information on when topics will be covered, as well as indicating when assignments are due.  

 

Course calendars should include:

 

     - DATES OR SESSION NUMBERS - dates are preferable, because

       students can lose track of session numbers as the course goes along.

     - DAILY TOPICS - these can take the form of outlines, brief

       words, or more detailed descriptions.

     - DATES ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE

     - EXAM DATES

     - SPECIAL EVENT DATES, such as field trips, guest

       lecturers, etc.

 

 

TOPIC OUTLINES

 

For courses that lend themselves to it, course calendars can take the form of topic outlines, which help the student to organize course material, and see how material being presented on a particular day fits in with the course as a whole.   As mentioned earlier, TCEP results indicated that how well a course is organized is the strongest predictor of how much a student learns.  Providing students with topic outlines helps them to see course activities, homework, readings, etc. in relation to each other.

 

STUDY GUIDES AND SESSION OBJECTIVES

 

Including both study questions and the purpose of each session provides the student with an advance organizer of what will be covered and why.  This gives the student an idea of what to look for, both in class activities and in readings.  Study questions and objectives help students to understand the organization of the course, and to organize the course in their minds.

 

 

Other things to consider including in your syllabus, or handing out separately the first day of class include:

 

     - Questionnaires regarding student background/interest in

       your subject

     - Study tips

     - Study guides

 

-           QUESTIONNAIRES

 

Questionnaires on student backgrounds, experience, and interest in your subject area can provide you with valuable insights.  Having information on your students can help you to gear the course to their needs and interests as well as to their skills  and knowledge levels.  These questionnaires may be elaborate or as simple as asking for information on the student's work experience and career plans.

 

-           STUDY TIPS

 

Study tips can be very helpful to your students, particularly if these tips are directed toward your content area.  Many students, particularly those in introductory courses, will have little background in your content area and will therefore need help in determining how and what they should study.  For example, students in the sciences will need to learn how to read formulas and problems.  Business students will need to learn how to extract important information from case studies.  Students in literature courses will need to learn how to look for metaphor and imagery.  Providing students with study tips in your syllabus can aid student learning.

    

-           STUDY GUIDES

 

Study tips are general hints on how to study - either in general, or in your subject area.  Study guides, on the other hand, are specific guides to student learning.  Study guides provide information on what to study and how to study it.   Study guides can take many forms, including:

 

     - Statements of objectives

     - Lecture notes

     - Sample papers/sample exams

- Study questions

 

 

 

Some tips for writing your syllabus:

 

-           BE BRIEF:  Don't overwhelm your students with lengthy prose - the syllabus should merely serve as a reference document and reminder to students. 

 

-           USE SHORT SENTENCES:  Short sentences are easier to read and understand than long, involved sentences.

 

-           USE LISTS:  Lists are easier to read than continuous prose.

 

-           BE FRIENDLY:  Use everyday words and address the syllabus to the student.  For example, use "you," "we," and "I," rather than "the student," "your professor," or "the instructor."

 

Some tips for designing your syllabus:

 

-           USE HEADINGS:  Since the syllabus acts as a reference document, the student should be able to easily scan it to find pertinent information.

 

-           HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  Use capital letters, italics, bold type or underlining to emphasize important information.  However, use highlighting sparingly (i.e., only for important information), or the purpose of the highlighting will be lost (the student will ignore it).

 

-           USE PLENTY OF WHITE SPACE:  Don't crowd too much on a page.

 

-           BE NEAT:  Avoid messiness, typos, etc. (particularly when you don't accept messiness and typos from your students).

 

 

 

A syllabus is not meant to stand alone as a piece of communication with your students.  The syllabus cannot and should not replace your face-to-face interactions with your students (except in cases where this interaction is impossible, as in self-instructional courses).

 

On the first day of class, it is important to hand out your syllabus and then go through it carefully, point by point, with your students.  Do not count on their reading and understanding it on their own.  Make sure that all questions your students may have are answered, and that all points of potential misunderstanding are cleared up.

 

Once the course has started, reinforce syllabus content by referring to it in class. 

 

 

 

An important component of using any classroom technique is determining whether or not it works - and different techniques will work better with one group of students than with another.

 

BEFORE TRYING OUT A NEW SYLLABUS:  Have a colleague or a former student read it for clarity.

 

WHILE USING A NEW SYLLABUS:  After going over the syllabus on the first day of class, ask students if there are any points that they find confusing.

 

Another possibility is to give students an anonymous, ungraded quiz on syllabus contents the second day of class; quiz results should give you a clear indication of what area(s) students had difficulty with.  If, for example, most of your students get a question on your grading policy wrong, this could be an indication that your policy statement wasn't clearly worded.

 

AFTER USING A NEW SYLLABUS:  To find out whether your syllabus was effective, engage in some classroom research.  This research could take the form of an informal questionnaire or survey of students asking them to report on their use of your syllabus.  Did they look at it often?  Why or why not?   What did they like or dislike about your syllabus?  Did the syllabus suit the purpose(s) for which it was intended?  Were your goals in writing the syllabus met?  For example, if one of your goals in writing the syllabus was to answer all logistical questions the student may have about the course, were you asked a lot of questions anyway?   Which part(s) of the syllabus confused your students?

 

 

 

Erickson, Stanford C.  (1984)  The essence of good teaching.  San

     Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

 

Von Harrison, Grant, & Derr, Kenneth  (1977)  Writing a student

    syllabus.  Provo, UT:  Brigham Young University.

 

Wilkerson, LuAnn, & McKnight, R. Thomas  (1978)  Writing a course

     syllabus:  A self-study packet for college teachers. 

 

To obtain a copy of the original document which contains scores of samples

 from actual syllabi, please contact:

 

Michael Theall, Ph.D.

Assoc.  Prof. & Dir., Center for Teaching and Learning

University of Illinois at Springfield

Brookens 460

PO Box 19243

Springfield, IL  62794-9243

============================================================================

 

 GENERAL LOGISTICAL INFORMATION

 

    Have you included:

    - The course number and title?

    - Meeting days and times?

    - Meeting location(s)?

    - Lab days and times?

    - Lab location?

    - Instructions on how to contact you/

    - Required or recommended course materials and where to

      locate them?

 

THE COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

    - Does it provide a rationale for the course from the

      perspective of the student's goals and objectives?

    - Does it state what your goals and objectives are in

      teaching the course?

    - Does it state how you will achieve course goals?

    - Does it indicate course scope and coverage?

    - Does it indicate course prerequisites?

    - Is it "friendly"?

 

GENERAL COURSE POLICIES AND RULES

 

    Have you:

    - Included all general policies?

    - Stated your policies clearly?

    - Indicated how failure to meet these policies will

      affect the course grade?

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING POLICY

 

    Have you:

    - Clearly delineated all course requirements?

    - Specified your expectations and criteria for success?

    - Clearly stated your grading policy?

    - Indicated how much each course requirement will

      weight towards the final grade?

 

COURSE CALENDARS/TOPIC OUTLINES

 

    Have you:

    - Included dates, daily topics, and assignment due dates?

    - Included exam dates?

    - Provided students with a topic outline, study questions, and/or session objectives?

 

OTHER THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR SYLLABUS

 

    Have you considered including, or handing out separately:

    - Questionnaires regarding student backgrounds or interest in your subject?

    - Study tips?

    - Study guides?

 

WRITING YOUR SYLLABUS

 

    Have you:

    - Shortened the prose sections of your syllabus?

    - Used short sentences?

    - Used lists?

    - Addressed the syllabus to your students?

    - Used everyday words?

 

DESIGNING YOUR SYLLABUS

 

    Have you:

    - Used headings?

    - Highlighted important information?

    - Left plenty of white space?

    - Corrected any typos, grammatical errors, etc.?

 

USING YOUR SYLLABUS EFFECTIVELY

   

    Have you:

    - Handed out your syllabus on the first day of class?

    - Gone over the syllabus point by point with your students?

    - Cleared up all points of misunderstanding?

 

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR SYLLABUS

 

    Have you:

    - Had a colleague or a former student go over the  syllabus before you use it?

    - Checked for points of confusion at the beginning of the course?

    - Asked students for their comments at the end of the course?