The Straight Scoop Syllabus
There is no shortage of professorial eye rolling when it comes to the subject of students and syllabi. Students might read the syllabus, but they typically
Miriam Bowers-Abbott
October 16, 2020
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Using the Syllabus
Revisiting the Syllabus
The syllabus—most of us use them, many of our students don’t read them. We wondered if this venerable artifact of teaching might merit a revisit.
Maryellen Weimer, PhD
January 31, 2020
A Learner-Centered Syllabus Helps Set the Tone for Learning
At its most basic level, the syllabus is used to communicate information about the course, the instructor, learning objectives, assignments, grading policies, due dates, the university’s academic integrity statement, and, in some cases, an increasingly long list of strongly worded admonitions on what is and isn’t acceptable behavior in the college classroom.
Mary Bart
July 29, 2015
Using Your Syllabus as a Learning Resource
We know students do not take it upon themselves to read the syllabus. Yet syllabus indifference still bewilders me after teaching for 25 years, given that my syllabi are conveniently available online and in hard copy, and are replete with information virtually assuring success with my courses.
Joanne Marciano Crossman, EdD
June 9, 2014
A Syllabus Tip: Embed Big Questions
Much has been written about the course syllabus. It’s an important tool for classroom management, for setting the tone, for outlining expectations, and for meeting department and university requirements. It’s an essential document in a higher education course, but do your students read it? And if they do read it, do they see the real purpose of the course beyond the attendance policy and exam dates? Here’s one strategy that will not only encourage your students to read the syllabus, but it will also allow you to stimulate discussion, create curiosity, and assess students’ knowledge on the first day of class.
Barbi Honeycutt, PhD
April 16, 2012
What Students Expect from Instructors, Other Students
Some years back The Teaching Professor featured an article highlighting Mano Singham’s wonderful piece describing how he moved away from a very authoritarian, rule-centered syllabus (reference below). It’s one of my very favorite articles—I reference it regularly in presentations, and it appears on almost every bibliography I distribute.
Maryellen Weimer, PhD
March 23, 2010
Making the Most of the First Day of Class
The first day of class is an important time. In addition to the usual housekeeping tasks that need to be accomplished, there are other critical functions of the first day of class – not the least of which involves setting the tone for the course.
Rob Kelly
January 13, 2010
Using the Syllabus to Create an Engaging Classroom Climate
It’s important at the beginning of a course for students and their instructor to find out about each other. This exchange of information helps to create classroom climates of respect and fosters a spirit of exchange that can encourage students to ask questions, make comments, and otherwise participate in dialogue throughout the course.
Maryellen Weimer, PhD
August 24, 2009
Student-Centered Teaching: The Academic Leader’s Role in Shifting Paradigms
During the past 10 years or so, higher education institutions have made strides in transitioning from an instructor-centered approach to a learner-centered approach to teaching. These strides, both large and small, have transformed the college classroom environment to provide students with greater opportunities for active learning, collaboration, and engagement.
Mary Bart
May 18, 2009
Using the Syllabus to Lay Down the Law
“You will submit three projects.” “I expect regular participation.” “You must attend class.” “Students bear sole responsibility for ensuring that papers…submitted electronically to the professor
Maryellen Weimer, PhD
September 1, 2008