Tag: syllabus

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CREATE AN ORGANIZED AND EASY TO NAVIGATE SYLLABUS IN ONENOTE

Mendi Benigni

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Microsoft’s OneNote is available as part of our Office 365 and is available to all Faculty, Staff and Students. This newsletter will show you how you can use it to create and organize your syllabus into something that is more easily digestible by students.

Below is an example of a converted syllabus.

You’ll see from the example that OneNote forms an easy to use navigation on the left side which helps the student to find the exact section of the syllabus they need.

You can easily add graphics and images to your syllabus as well.

If you use the OneNote integration in OAKS to create a Class Notebook, you can import an existing syllabus right in and modify it for that semester. This will also give your students automatic access to the syllabus.

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IMPORTANT NOTE:

This method is not without its downsides.
  • You can only print one section at a time, not the entire syllabus.  This could be difficult when including it in T&P or on a departmental website.
  • You should share it via the Class Notebook link in OAKS, otherwise, the Share link is only good for 30 days.
  • Students have to log in with their CofC credentials to see your class notebook and therefore, your Syllabus.

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Small Teaching Tip 21: It's Time for a Syllabus Redesign
Best Practices, Small Teaching Tip, Teaching Advice, Web 2.0

Small Teaching Tip #21: It’s Time for a Syllabus Redesign

Jessica Smith

If you’re like most faculty, you receive an inordinate number of questions from students that they could have easily answered themselves if they only consulted the syllabus.  For years, I’ve pondered the question: why don’t students read the syllabus?  The answer I’ve come up with after a lot of research and talking with students is that syllabi are boring. Yep, I suggest it’s as simple as that.  As I’ve written about before, syllabi tend to feel cold and sterile like those Terms of Service agreements no one actually reads. In addition, their format hasn’t changed much in the past twenty years to reflect the amazing technological advancements in graphic design and information transmission.  Should it truly surprise us that students avoid reading these inhospitable documents?

In other blog posts, I’ve suggested ways to make your syllabus more welcoming, engaging, and learner-centered.  Today, I’d like to offer two tips specifically regarding the format of your syllabus.

Construct Your Syllabus Like an FAQ

Students likely ask you the same questions from one semester to the next:  Do you accept late work? What is your attendance policy? Can I buy the textbook used or a previous edition? How am I going to be graded? Can I take the final exam early so I can leave campus sooner?  If you’ve been paying attention to these repeat questions, you’ve already compiled a list of FAQs (frequently asked questions) that students seem to care the most about. To encourage students to locate answers themselves, make the information as accessible as possible.  Organize your syllabus into distinct segments with very clear headings so students can scan the pages and quickly find what they’re looking for.  You can also make your syllabus more reader-friendly by using bulleted or numbered lists and constructing shorter paragraphs. These organizational features create greater white space, which is easier on the eyes, and also makes the text seem less dense and, therefore, less intimidating.

Create a Digital Version of Your Syllabus

Rather than presenting students with a Word document or PDF, consider creating a digital version of your syllabus. What do I mean by “digital”?  I’m referring to creating your syllabus using a Web 2.0 application and hosting it online.  For example, creating your syllabus using Google Docs, Google Slides, Populr, WordPress, or Piktochart.

There are numerous reasons to create a digital syllabus.  First, it transforms a traditionally static document into a dynamic and responsive experience.  You can embed links to web pages, documents, or videos, allowing you to share more information while preventing “syllabus bloat.”  Secondly, using an online tool makes it easier to “spice up” your syllabus with color and graphics (such as memes and gifs) which make your syllabus more inviting to students.  Third, a digital syllabus is likely more mobile-friendly than a Word document or PDF.  Most students want to access your syllabus (and other course materials) on their phones but relying on tools designed to create print materials often do not display well on mobile devices.  Finally, the fourth reason to create a digital syllabus is that it is easily shareable.  You can post the link to your syllabus just about anywhere — in an email, on your department’s webpage, on your own professional webpage or blog, and even on your department’s social media accounts to encourage greater visibility which could increase enrollments.

An Important Note About Accessibility

If you decide to experiment with digital syllabi, it’s important to keep accessibility in mind.  You want to ensure all students can consume the information contained in your syllabus regardless of ability.  For example, if you include images in your syllabus, you should also add “alt text” that describes the image so screen readers can detect that information and relate it to the user. I recommend keeping on hand the old version of your syllabus, which is completely text-based, in case you have a student who is visually impaired. If you are unfamiliar with screen reading software or the specific needs of our students with disabilities, I encourage you to reach out to the folks in Disability Services.

Now that I’ve convinced you to create a digital syllabus, check out these examples for inspiration:

Want to learn more?  If you are a graduate of the Distance Education Readiness Course, you can participate in the Distance Education Extension Program and access the “Crafting a Learner-Centered Syllabus” mini-course. If you haven’t taken the DE Readiness Course yet and want to know more, please visit http://blogs.charleston.edu/dereadiness/

Small Teaching Tip 19: Creating a More Engaging and Effective First Day of Class
Best Practices, Small Teaching Tip, Teaching Advice

Small Teaching Tip #19: Creating a More Engaging and Effective First Day of Class

Jessica Smith

Over the years, I’ve written a few blog posts about using the first day of class more effectively.  But since it’s been a while and a new semester is upon us, I thought I’d revisit this topic. So here are a few ideas to spice up that first day (or first week) of class:

Don’t let students go after five minutes

What’s the point of meeting if nothing is going to be accomplished the first day?  I used to think students would perceive me as “cool” if I let them go after only a couple minutes.  Not so.  Most students felt their time was completely wasted.  Put yourself in their shoes.  If you were asked by a colleague to come to campus for a meeting then, after just a couple minutes, they said “Eh, let’s just continue this conversation later,” you’d likely be frustrated.  Take advantage of the opportunities the first day presents to build connections and start forming a supportive learning environment.

Don’t make the first day of class “Syllabus Day”

Avoid reading the entire syllabus to students.  This is a waste of everyone’s time.  Students who care about their learning will read the syllabus on their own.  If you’re wary of putting that onus on students, ask them to sign a syllabus contract or include a syllabus quiz the first week (which is very easy to accomplish using the OAKS quizzing tool).  Perhaps more importantly, write a syllabus that students might want to read rather than one that looks like a Terms of Service agreement.  David Gooblar, lecturer at the University of Iowa, wrote about this in Chronicle Vitae: “Your Syllabus Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Contract.”  If interested, this rubric (bit.do/syllabusrubric) may help you critically examine your syllabi.

Introduce yourself as a human being

If students are so inclined, they can look up your bio on the department’s webpage.  They can Google you.  So instead of telling your academic story, consider telling a more personal story.  Share your hobbies and passions or something students would never guess based on their first impressions of you.  This is more than being personable; it’s about being authentic.  When I introduce myself to the class, I share quirks and pet peeves.  These usually get a chuckle and make me seem like a human being rather than a lecturing and grading robot.  I once had a professor who played a piece of music he wrote as a way to introduce himself.  I still remember him vividly 12 years later.

Establish intentions

Rather than spending time listing policy after policy, consider setting intentions for the semester and involving your students in this process.  What do you hope they accomplish and what do they want to learn?  What do you expect from them and what can they expect from you?  Is there a way both parties can be satisfied?  Here are some ideas I have tried in my own classes:

  • Ask students to think about their favorite classes and the classes they hated.  Then (without revealing identifiable characteristics), ask them to generate lists of qualities that made the classes awesome or terrible.  Students love this activity and it always results in a fruitful discussion of expectations.  It also provides fantastic insight into the minds of both students and professors, which leads to better understanding and empathy.
  • I also ask students to compile a list of what they would like from me.  Punctuality, availability, and fairness are usually mentioned and these are qualities that I already deem important.  But because students composed the list themselves, it gives them the sense that I’m willing to share my power and that I’m open to their perspectives.
  • Consider establishing a classroom code of conduct.  Some of you may find this infantile, but I believe it’s one of the best and easiest ways to establish a respectful classroom culture.  When students generate the rules, they’re more likely to own them.

Focus the first class on making connections instead of giving directions

Rather than spending 50 or 75 minutes telling students what they can and cannot do in your class, spend time getting to know one another.  That first day tells students a lot about who you are and what kind of teacher you will be.  If you spend it giving them “do’s and don’ts” they won’t learn much about you except you like rules.  According to Joe Kreizinger from Northwest Missouri State University, focus the first class on:

  • connecting students to instructor: put your teaching philosophy into student-friendly language and explain how you approach classroom management and student learning.
  • connecting students to content: explain why this class matters and how it applies to your students’ current and future lives.
  • connecting instructor to content: tell students the story of how you discovered your discipline.  How did you know it was the field for you?
  • connecting students to students: icebreakers can be corny, but they are also effective at forcing students to talk to one another rather than stare at their cell phones.

Build icebreakers into the entire first week, even beyond

Most professors include some type of “getting to know you” activity on the first day.  But the class roster doesn’t solidify until after the add/drop deadline. Therefore, I suggest icebreakers are even more important during the third and fourth class periods.  This doesn’t have to take much time.  I typically incorporate self-introductions into roll call, asking students silly questions to make them chuckle.  I’m consistently surprised by the number of times students find unexpected connections: “Seamus Finnigan is my favorite Harry Potter character too!!!”  Some students may be grumpy about icebreakers, which is understandable considering they do them in every class, but that encourages me to find new ones each semester.  For example, I’ve had them do “speed dating,” play 6 degrees of separation, and go on scavenger hunts.  There are so many possibilities!  Google “icebreakers that aren’t lame” or ask your colleagues how they facilitate introductions.

Showcase course content

Some of you may disagree with me on this point as well, but sometimes we have to convince students to buy what we’re selling.  The first day is all about introductions and the course content should be included.  But rather than provide a regurgitation of the course catalog description, pitch the course as something students will find exciting and, yes, applicable to their lives.  And just as important, tell students why this is content you love and why this is a course you want to teach.  Enthusiasm is contagious.  I also recommend you start teaching the first day.  Students may look at you with incredulity, but it communicates that you take the course and their learning seriously.  In contrast, if you let them go after ten minutes, it communicates the course isn’t important.  So use this time to jump in and provide an outline of the fantastic content you’ll be sharing.

The first day of class is ripe with possibilities. Make the most of it and it will set you up for a successful and enjoyable semester!

Best Practices, Pedagogy

Is Your First Day of Class “Syllabus Day”?

Jessica Smith

At college campuses across the country, a new semester has begun, allowing us to once again begin anew.  Few professionals have the opportunity to start fresh every couple of months but professors, if they’re so inclined, can modify their classes every semester based upon self and student evaluations.  One part of teaching that I have consistently reflected upon is the very first day of classes.  How much time should I spend on the syllabus?  Are there any icebreakers that aren’t incredibly corny?  Should I teach course material that day?

Do I even need to go

If students’ social media posts are any indication, professors can’t seem to win:  if they spend time talking about the syllabus, students complain; if they launch right into course material, students complain.  Check out the Twitter hashtag #syllabusweek for a glimpse into the minds of our students.

So what’s a professor to do? Based upon my own experiences and those of many other professors I’ve learned from, here’s my advice:

Read Aloud

Don’t make the first day of class “Syllabus Day.”  Avoid reading the entire syllabus to students.  This is a waste of everyone’s time.  Students who care about their learning will read the syllabus on their own.  If you’re wary of putting that onus on students, include a syllabus quiz the first week or ask students to sign a syllabus contract.  Perhaps more importantly, why not write a syllabus that students might want to read rather than one that looks like a Terms of Service agreement.  For tips on making your syllabus more student-friendly, check out “Crafting a Learner-Centered Syllabus.”

Don’t let them go after five minutes.  What’s the point of meeting if nothing is going to be accomplished the first day?  I used to think students would perceive me as “cool” if I let them go after only a couple minutes.  Not so.  Most students felt their time was completely wasted.  Put yourself in their shoes.  If you were asked by a colleague to come to campus for a meeting then, after just a couple minutes, they said “Eh, let’s just continue this conversation later,” you’d likely be frustrated.

Only Lasted 5 Minutes

Focus the first class on making connections instead of giving directions.  Rather than spending 50 minutes telling students what they can and cannot do in your class, spend time getting to know one another.  That first day tells students a lot about who you are and what kind of teacher you will be.  If you spend it giving them “do’s and don’ts” they won’t learn much about you except you like rules.  According to Joe Kreizinger from Northwest Missouri State University, focus the first class on:

  • connecting students to instructor: put your teaching philosophy into student-friendly language and explain how you approach classroom management and student learning.
  • connecting students to content: explain why this class matters and how it applies to your students’ current and future lives.
  • connecting instructor to content: tell students the story of how you discovered your discipline.  How did you know it was the field for you?
  • connecting students to students: icebreakers can be corny, but they are also effective at forcing students to talk to one another rather than stare at their cell phones while they wait for class to begin.

Build icebreakers into the entire first week, even beyond.  Most professors include some type of “getting to know you” activity on that first day.  But the class roster doesn’t solidify until after the add/drop deadline.  Therefore, I suggest icebreakers are even more important during the third and fourth class periods.  This doesn’t have to take much time.  I typically incorporate self-introductions into roll call, asking students silly questions to make them chuckle.  I’m consistently surprised by the number of times students find unexpected connections: “Seamus Finnigan is my favorite Harry Potter character too!!!!”  Some students may be grumpy about icebreakers, which is understandable considering they do them in every class, but that encourages me to find new ones each semester.

I hope these tips help you design an engaging and productive first-week routine.  Best wishes for an enjoyable semester!