The CETL Weekly Teaching Tips Series presents: How to Know They Read the Syllabus: Quiz Questions and Beyond. We can’t help but feel frustrated when students ask for information we have painstakingly provided in the tell-all course document--the syllabus. But let’s admit it: everyone glosses over long documents filled with policy language.
So how can students be held accountable to the content and understand its value to their success? Using a syllabus quiz has become a popular strategy, but there are additional authentic ways to make students adept syllabus navigators. Let’s start with the quiz strategy. Ask questions that require more than a keyword search. Get students to think about situations for consulting the syllabus, such as missing class or holidays. Additionally, use questions to give students a preview of what they will learn.
A quiz like this can also invite students to express concerns. You could end a syllabus quiz by asking a simple yes/no question about whether they are concerned about their ability to succeed in the course. If students indicate they are concerned about the course, the question allows students to write an explanation. Whether or not students add detail, you can follow up with each student who answers YES as you may be able to quell these concerns from Week
1.
Faculty teaching larger courses could follow up with a stock message inviting these students to meet with you on campus, consult their academic adviser, or email you. From this point, plan how you will continue to engage students with the syllabus. Show students how the course is progressing by starting or ending each week with the syllabus. Start or end each week with the question, “Where are we in the syllabus?”
This gives students plenty of practice with the syllabus’ organization and reinforces that class activities are planned within the larger design of the course. Ask students to link class activities to course learning outcomes. Course learning outcomes appear early in the syllabus, but are often glossed over. Connecting individual activities to these learning outcomes shows students how they are building their observable skills, which makes them more invested in giving each activity their best effort. Invite directed student feedback on the syllabus.
This works best at the beginning of the semester, but can be done at any point. To avoid being met with blank stares, use a simple survey or notecards in class to ask students one or a few pointed questions, which could be about what is helpful, what is missing, what would make it easier to use, and about the policies. Whenever students provide feedback, follow up by explaining how you have considered and implemented their feedback. For more syllabus design considerations, visit our Syllabus Resources page. That’s all for now from the CETL Weekly Teaching Tips series.
How to Know They Read the Syllabus : Important Tips for Every Teacher
So how can students be held accountable to the content and understand its value to their success? Using a syllabus quiz has become a popular strategy, but there are additional authentic ways to make students adept syllabus navigators. Let’s start with the quiz strategy. Ask questions that require more than a keyword search. Get students to think about situations for consulting the syllabus, such as missing class or holidays. Additionally, use questions to give students a preview of what they will learn.
A quiz like this can also invite students to express concerns. You could end a syllabus quiz by asking a simple yes/no question about whether they are concerned about their ability to succeed in the course. If students indicate they are concerned about the course, the question allows students to write an explanation. Whether or not students add detail, you can follow up with each student who answers YES as you may be able to quell these concerns from Week
1.
Faculty teaching larger courses could follow up with a stock message inviting these students to meet with you on campus, consult their academic adviser, or email you. From this point, plan how you will continue to engage students with the syllabus. Show students how the course is progressing by starting or ending each week with the syllabus. Start or end each week with the question, “Where are we in the syllabus?”
This gives students plenty of practice with the syllabus’ organization and reinforces that class activities are planned within the larger design of the course. Ask students to link class activities to course learning outcomes. Course learning outcomes appear early in the syllabus, but are often glossed over. Connecting individual activities to these learning outcomes shows students how they are building their observable skills, which makes them more invested in giving each activity their best effort. Invite directed student feedback on the syllabus.
This works best at the beginning of the semester, but can be done at any point. To avoid being met with blank stares, use a simple survey or notecards in class to ask students one or a few pointed questions, which could be about what is helpful, what is missing, what would make it easier to use, and about the policies. Whenever students provide feedback, follow up by explaining how you have considered and implemented their feedback. For more syllabus design considerations, visit our Syllabus Resources page. That’s all for now from the CETL Weekly Teaching Tips series.
EmoticonEmoticon