Hi all.

I have begun giving a quiz and homework assignment on my syllabus in
many of my classes, and I'm very pleased with how well it works.

I found myself increasingly unhappy with spending much of the first
class going over my syllabus with my students, only to find that half of
the students weren't really listening.  So I now I now give them a pep
talk that reviews all the interesting things we'll cover, briefly go
over the central requirements and structure of the course, then give
them the syllabus (or tell them to get it from my website) and tell them
there will be a quiz on it in the next class.  I tell them that the quiz
will not be picky about details (how many points for what), but they are
expected to know all the major course requirements (whether there will
be a mid-term, final, major paper, etc).  The quiz in fact is just a
simple set of questions about what will or will not be required.

I also give a homework assignment on the first day: the students must
bring to the next class a paper with at least one question they have
about the syllabus.

I'm happy with how this works.  Instead of spending lots of class time
going over an increasingly long list of rules, I can talk about all the
things we will go over, and try to get the students excited about (or at
least interested in) the course. If several students add the class late,
they haven't missed my going over the syllabus and they have the same
assignment to read it that everyone else had.  Most students do read it
carefully, which I think was not happening before.  And the homework
assignment is very helpful - after reviewing the student's questions I
usually go over many of their questions in the next class to clarify any
expand on any areas of confusion.  

When I first started realizing how few students read the syllabus, I
began saying I should give an exam on it, but I didn't really mean what
I said.  When I finally DID start giving a quiz, I was glad I had done
so.

Walter vom Saal


-----Original Message-----
From: Teaching Breakfast List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Harry Pence
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 2:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The Function of the Syllabus: Posted to TB List by Jim
Greenberg

Dear Jim,
    The list of objectives that can be accomplished with a syllabus is
truly
impressive.  My only question is, do the students actually have to read
the
syllabus in order to produce all these much desired outcomes?  I find
that
written notices plus frequent verbal reminders of even the most basic
information often fail to get through to some of my students, so the
suggestion that a syllabus can do so much must mean that many students
can
assimilate all this without ever reading the syllabus.
    My working assumption is that the communication of written material
goes
down by the square of the number of pages of material (i.e. two pages of
material is one fourth as likely to be read and absorbed as one page).
I
readily admit that some students are exceptions to this gloomy
evaluation,
but for many in my classes I believe that this generalization is true.
Based on this experience, I try to limit handouts to essential
information
on the minimum number of pages given out when the students actually need
the
information. Does anyone else have this experience, or am I just being a
skeptic?
                                    Harry Pence


> From: Jim Greenberg <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 15:55:46 -0400
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: The Function of the Syllabus: Posted to TB List by Jim
Greenberg
>
> For those of you preparing you syllabi for next semester...
>
> The syllabus has been a topic of discussion at past TBs.  I posted
this
> knowing some folks on this list are interested...
>
> Jim Greenberg
>
>       THE FUNCTION OF THE COURSE SYLLABUS
>
> Syllabus Functions
>
> Your syllabus can serve a wide variety of functions that will support
and
> challenge students as they engage in their educational activities.
>
> 1) Establishes an Early Point of Contact and Connection Between
Student and
> Instructor
>
> Research has shown that students want more frequent interaction with
> faculty.  You can begin to communicate your availability by including
basic
> information such as your name, address, telephone numbers, e-mail
address,
> office hours, how to arrange for a conference.  [See Examples, Part
II] You
> can also include a page soliciting biographical information (also
address,
> phone #, e-mail, etc.) that will help you to learn students' names,
their
> interests, and why they are in the course.  To encourage interaction
with
> other students in the course, you might use this information to
develop a
> student roster (including name, address, phone #, e-mail, etc.) that
is
> particularly useful for group work and work time out of class.  You
can
> include similar information about other important student contacts,
such as
> TAs, technicians, main office staff, and librarians, when appropriate.
This
> contact information will be useful in case plans change during the
course of
> the term or semester.
>
> 2) Helps Set the Tone for Your Course
>
> Your syllabus communicates much about your attitudes toward students
and
> learning.  The way in which you communicate your views helps students
to
> understand whether your class will be conducted in a formal or
informal
> manner.  Communicating an openness to questions, concerns, and
dialogue
> begins with the syllabus.
>
> 3) Describes Your Beliefs About Educational Purposes
>
> You can explain whether your course has a product or a process
orientation
> and how that determines your expectations of students.  Explain how
you have
> set your agenda for the course, how the course structure reinforces
goals
> and objectives, how the activities and assignments will help them to
meet
> both product and process goals.  You may describe learning strategies
and
> techniques you will use and your rationale for using them.  You can
make
> explicit how your criteria and standards for both their work process
and
> products are aligned with course goals.
>
> 4) Acquaints Students with the Logistics of the Course
>
> Courses vary in terms of the days classes meet, the instructors for
each
> class, and the type of sessions which occur (i.e., guest lecturer,
teamwork
> sessions, simulations, films, etc.).  Your syllabus can detail this
> information so that students will know what to expect and can be
prepared
> for each class meeting.  Providing students with a course calendar
helps
> them to plan their work.  Noting holidays and any days on which class
will
> be canceled or rescheduled allows students to plan ahead and prevent
> misunderstandings.  It also shows that you respect the value of
students'
> time.  [See Examples, Part II]
>
> 5) Contains Collected Handouts
>
> Faculty often distribute handouts as they become appropriate to the
topics
> covered.  Often students put them into whatever notebook is at hand
and then
> find it difficult to retrieve them.  By planning your course,
preparing the
> necessary handouts, and including them in your syllabus, you help
students,
> among other things, to keep all course material together and
accessible.
> These items, among other things, might include biographical
information
> forms, detailed information on assignments, various evaluation forms,
or
> diagrams and other visual representations.
>
> 6) Defines Student Responsibilities for Successful Course Work
>
> Your syllabus can help students to achieve some personal control over
their
> learning, to plan their semester, and to manage their time
effectively.  If
> your students have a clear idea of what they are expected to
accomplish,
> when, and even why, they will be more likely to finish assignments
within a
> reasonable time and be appropriately prepared for classes and exams.
>
> 7) Describes Active Learning
>
> Students often conceive of learning as the acquisition of correct
> information, but they may not know what it means to take an active
role in
> the process, beyond rote memorization and recall.  You can include a
> description of your expectations for student initiative in your
syllabus.
> If critical thinking, problem solving, and inquiry are part of your
course,
> it is helpful to tell students that they will be asked to consider
multiple
> viewpoints and conflicting values and to imagine, analyze, and
evaluate
> alternate positions on issues or solutions to problems.
>
> It is also important to describe what students can expect from you in
your
> role as teacher: content expert, formal authority, socializing agent,
> facilitator, role model, experienced learner, resource consultant,
coach,
> counselor.
>
> 8) Helps Students to Assess Their Readiness for Your Course
>
> What are the prerequisites for your course?  In addition to specific
course
> prerequisites, students should be given some idea about what they
should
> already know and what skills they should already have before taking
your
> course so they can realistically asses their readiness.  Your syllabus
can
> provide information about the challenges students will face, the
assumed
> skill level, the skills they will build upon, and the skills they will
learn
> during your course.  You may also include information about
institutional or
> other sources for academic support.  Some faculty include
self-assessment
> tools and learning contracts to assist students with this process.
>
> 9) Sets the Course in a Broader Context for Learning
>
> Your syllabus can provide a perspective that allows students to see
> instructors in your discipline as active and experienced learners
engaged in
> inquiry in their professional fields or disciplines.  Many students
are
> unaware that their instructors are involved in research and creative
> professional activity beyond the classroom, that they are not simply
> transmitters of knowledge and skills.
>
> You can encourage your students to approach the learning situation as
> apprentice learners in a community of scholars.  You can help them to
see
> you and other faculty as experienced active learners who can provide
expert
> guidance about general and specialized knowledge of content and
practice in
> your field.
>
> Your syllabus can provide information that shows students how your
course
> fits within the discipline or profession, the general program of
study, and
> their own educational plans.  You can make students aware that every
> discipline or field has its unique way of knowing.  You can encourage
> students to approach the field actively as ethnographic fieldworkers
who
> want to understand the social and intellectual practices of the field.
> Assure them that you will guide them while they learn how to use the
> characteristic tools and modes of inquiry, patterns of explanation,
> discourse practices, and they types of artifacts that are valued and
> produced in their field.
>
> 10) Provides a Conceptual Framework
>
> Your syllabus can support major ideas, topics, and factual
information.
> Include in it questions or issues for students to think about that
range
> from major issues or key questions in the discipline to the meaning of
a
> significant passage in a course reading (Bean, 1996).  Such a
framework will
> help students organize information and focus their learning.
>
> 11) Describes Available Learning Resources
>
> You can list campus resources such as libraries, reserve desks,
reading
> rooms, laboratories, computer clusters, and studios that students may
use
> (including their locations, availability, and policies) as well as any
> information concerning the location and use of aids such as tape
recordings,
> copy services, CD ROMs or videos.  You may also note the locations of
> specific books, videos, and sites on computer networks.  [See
Examples, Part
> II]
>
> 12) Communicates the Role of Technology in the Course
>
> Computers and computer networks have increased our ability to access
> information and communicate with each other.  Computers are working
tools
> that students use for their own learning: to enhance their thinking;
plan
> and revise learning goals; monitor and reflect on their progress; set
up and
> access their own personal knowledge files; share a common database;
build
> their own database; use a spreadsheet; run statistical software; keep
a
> journal; write, illustrate, and revise texts; and build up a
portfolio.  You
> can use computers as a resource tool to provide direct instruction of
new
> content, tutorials, and interactive simulations; to model extremely
small or
> large phenomena (Brown, 1993; Davis, 1993a).
>
> E-mail is a practical way to interact with your students.
Assignments,
> comments on their work, important class information, and questions to
you
> and to other students, and extended classroom discussions are all
possible
> uses and allow documents to be prepared, sent, received, and read by
the
> recipient at convenient times.
>
> Institutions, individual faculty, and students are creating their own
home
> pages on the World Wide Wed or using information servers to share
course
> materials on-line, such as your learning-centered syllabus, reading
lists,
> lecture outlines or notes, collaborative software, and other course
> information.  When you use servers and the World Wide Web, you can
control
> the information you want to access by navigating through the system to
> explore any topic of interest at your preferred pace and level of
detail.
>
> Studies have shown that students derive much benefit from environments
which
> encourage collaborative/cooperative learning.  The Web and groupware
(such
> as Lotus Notes) provide opportunities for asynchronous collaboration
> (participants can share work that may be done at different times and
> places).  Networked writing environments encourage students to write
more
> and to learn from each other.  On-line discussion groups can lead to
fuller
> participation in class discussions by students who may not participate
in
> face-to-face classroom environments (Polyson, S., Saltzberg, S., &
> Goodwin-Jones, R., 1996).
>
> 13) Can Expand to Provide Difficult-to-Obtain Reading Materials
>
> There are times when courses are developed before comprehensive
literature
> is available on the topic.  The syllabus can include copies of
articles you
> want your students to read, as well as supplemental information not
found in
> course texts.  You can include materials that expand on, synthesize,
and
> facilitate critical reflection on issues presented during formal
> instruction.  You might include materials that fill in the gaps not
covered
> by class presentations, or present questions raised by other points of
view.
> When you use the syllabus in this way, be certain that you obtain
necessary
> copyright clearances for reading selections.
>
> 14) Can Improve the Effectiveness of Student Note Taking
>
> Good, carefully written notes are a significant resource for active
> learning.  Active thinkers keep notebooks and journals of ideas from
> readings, lectures, presentations, and their own ruminations about
topics.
> It is important to make every effort to help students improve the
quality of
> this form of writing.  As a model, you may want to include outlines
that
> provide an orientation to topics for lectures and presentations,
making it
> clear what you want students to remember, and providing room for their
own
> interpretations and elaborations of the material.  You can use
notetaking
> pairs (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991) intermittently during or at
the end
> of a lecture.  (In this case, two students work together to review
major
> concepts and pertinent information, to clarify unresolved issues or
> concerns.)  It is also helpful to include any detailed formulas and
diagrams
> that students will be required to use.  You may want to include study
> techniques that are specific to your course.  In this way, the
contents of
> the syllabus will help to organize and focus student notetaking and
> learning.  [See Learning Tools, Part II]
>
> 15) Can Include Material that Supports Learning Outside the Classroom
>
> Much learning takes place outside of the classroom.  You can transform
> student study time outside of class by providing strategies in your
syllabus
> that help students to interact more critically with the textbook,
> supplemental readings, or other work, so that they will be better
prepared
> for class.  For example, along with the readings you might give
students a
> short (one page or less) writing assignment that asks them to support,
> reject, or modify the thesis or claims in the reading.  You might
include a
> guide for troubleshooting a story or a drawing.  You can also provide
> self-check assignments that allow students to monitor their progress.
>
> 16) Can Serve as a Learning Contract
>
> As an agreement or contract defining mutual obligations between
instructor
> and students, your syllabus also speaks for the college and
university.
> "You should realize that this fact gives you responsibilities but also
gives
> you protection against complaints or challenges to your teaching.  For
> example, the conditions, goals, and requirements you state enable
> (department chairs and academic administrators) to support your
decisions on
> grades, teaching methods, readings, and topics of inquiry.  That is
only
> possible, of course, if you and the administration (and the students)
have a
> record of what you promised and planned, and if your syllabus conforms
> broadly to program goals and policies" (SU Project Advance, 1995).
You will
> need to be familiar with institutional policies regarding attendance,
> examinations, drop/adds, course withdrawals, learning disabilities,
and
> academic integrity.
>
> Equipped with an understanding of the myriad ways a learning-centered
> syllabus can function, you can begin to use it in your course.
>
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