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Início Planejamento Acadêmico PREPARING A SYLLABUS

PREPARING A SYLLABUS

 

The value and utility of a good syllabus should not be underestimated. The time you spend planning the course and writing a syllabus will have far-reaching and time-saving benefits throughout the semester. In chapter 1 we discussed some of the general principles involved in planning a course. This appendix provides additional practical guidance in writing a syllabus, as well as some useful examples. The first item is a checklist for reviewing syllabi that was prepared by participants in the Course in College Teaching. You and a colleague might use the checklist to review each other's syllabi, or you can use it by yourself to reflect on your own syllabus. The list is intended to be comprehensive, but not prescriptive. Some items, such as home phone, are clearly optional. Others, such as lab safety, are relevant only in certain courses. The University Faculty Senate does require that students be provided the following information during the first ten days of class: the examination procedures and grading policy, the academic integrity policy, and the evening exam schedule for daytime courses. Beyond these basic requirements, the merit of any item depends on what information the instructor wants to communicate to the students at the beginning of the semester.

Syllabus Checklist

 
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Course Information:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Course title
 
 
 
 
 
·  Course number
 
 
 
 
 
·  Credit hours
 
 
 
 
 
·  Prerequisites
 
 
 
 
 
·  Permission from instructor requred?
 
 
 
 
 
·  Classroom location
 
 
 
 
 
·  Lab/recitation location
 
 
 
 
 
·  Meeting days
 
 
 
 
 
·  Class hours
 
 
 
 
 
·  Lab/recitation hours
 
 
 
 
 
·  Department location
 
 
 
 
 
·  Web page
 
 
 
 
 
Instructor Information:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Full name
 
 
 
 
 
·  Title
 
 
 
 
 
·  Office location
 
 
 
 
 
·  Office phone number
 
 
 
 
 
·  Office hours
 
 
 
 
 
·  E-mail address
 
 
 
 
 
·  Department phone number
 
 
 
 
 
·  Home phone number
 
 
 
 
 
·  Teaching Assistant(s)
 
 
 
 
 
·  TA name(s)
 
 
 
 
 
·  TA office location(s)
 
 
 
 
 
·  TA phone number(s)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Texts, Readings, Materials:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Textbook authors, titles, editions
 
 
 
 
 
·  Textbook price(s)
 
 
 
 
 
·  Supplementary reading
 
 
 
 
 
·  Supplementary reading price(s)
 
 
 
 
 
Course Description/Objectives:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Catalog description
 
 
 
 
 
·  General course content
 
 
 
 
 
·  Instructional methods
 
 
 
 
 
·  General course goals
 
 
 
 
 
·  Objectives for students
 
 
 
 
 
·  Description of major assignments
 
 
 
 
 
Course Calendar/Schedule:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Readings
 
 
 
 
 
·  Homework
 
 
 
 
 
·  Assignments
 
 
 
 
 
·  Paper due dates
 
 
 
 
 
·  Exam dates
 
 
 
 
 
·  Quiz dates
 
 
 
 
 
·  Required special events
 
 
 
 
 
Course Policies:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Attendance
 
 
 
 
 
·  Lateness
 
 
 
 
 
·  Class participation
 
 
 
 
 
·  Missed exams
 
 
 
 
 
·  Missed assignments
 
 
 
 
 
·  Lab safety/health
 
 
 
 
 
·  Academic dishonesty
 
 
 
 
 
·  Grading
 
 
 
 
 
·  Support services
 
 
 
 
 
·  Extra Credit
 
 
 
 
 
Other:
 
 
 
 
 
·  Disability statement
 
 
 
 
 
·  Statement to cover possible changes in syllabus
 
 
 
 
 
This checklist covers most of the basics, but many Penn State teachers have explored additional options and possibilities. For example, Harold Schobert (Materials Science) includes a list of "commonly asked questions about this course," which answers questions such as "How much math do I need for this course?" and "What are the exams like?" Likewise, Kelly Madole (Psychology) provides a page of "advice for successful performance" in the course as part of her syllabus (see below).
Many faculty and TAs now also post their syllabi on the World Wide Web. Not only does this provide easy access for students, but it also allows them to create a syllabus that includes more than a paper syllabus can. For example, John Harwood (English) links from his syllabus to style manuals, assignment sheets, and student projects. Anthony Verstraete's (Management Information Systems) on-line syllabus provides links to University policies, on-line study pages for each exam, and exam keys and answer explanations. Other syllabi allow students to write e-mail to the instructor and link to other useful resources on the World Wide Web. In addition, a Web-based syllabus can be updated more easily and frequently than a paper one, and many teachers add links to homework solutions, exam keys, and student samples as the semester progresses. A syllabus posted on the Web also reaches beyond Penn State, allowing users all over the world to access the objectives, assignments, and other materials for the course. For example, Douglas Arnold's (Mathematics) calculus page has been accessed over 55,000 times and has won national recognition.
If you are writing a syllabus for the first time or revising a syllabus you have used previously, you will find it helpful to see what others have done. You can find many examples on-line by browsing the Penn State Web site, and many departments keep copies of old syllabi on file. In addition, we've included the following examples offered by Penn State teachers. Remember, though, that each syllabus is a unique and individual document. These models may provide some ideas, but ultimately your own syllabus will reflect who you are as a teacher.