CREATING A POWERFUL SYLLABUS: DOING WHAT WORKS! Christine - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CREATING A POWERFUL SYLLABUS: DOING WHAT WORKS!

Christine Harrington Ph.D. Middlesex County College www.drchristineharrington.org charrington@middlesexcc.edu

Agenda

Purpose Research Practical Applications

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SYLLABUS?

Turn and Talk

Purpose of the Syllabus

Contract

• Legal document
• Course information and

expectations

Communication Device

• Prevent potential

misunderstandings

• Tone and personality of course

Plan

• Course outcomes or goals
• Strategies to accomplish goals

Cognitive Map

• Clear focus on what’s most

important

• Visual Organization

Matejka, & Kurke, 1994

Purpose of the Syllabus

Encourage and Guide Students Course Learning Outcomes Support for Success

Teaching Philosophy Expectations Policies, Responsibilities

Grunert, O’Brien, Millis, & Cohen (2008)

What do you want students to know, think or do?

Learning Outcomes

Learning Activities

How will students accomplish the learning outcomes?

Need for Accountability: Helping Students Master Content

Mastering Content: Retrieval is a MEMORY tool!!!

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 Immediate Delayed SSSS SSST STTT Roediger & Karpicke (2006)

9

Re-thinking Assignments: An Equity Issue (Taras, 2006)

www.drchristineharrington.org

10

Challenging Assignment First Draft

• r Attempt

Feedback Second Draft or Attempt Feedback Final Product

Assessment

How will you know if students achieved the learning outcomes?

Processing Time…

• How do you hold

students accountable for learning outside of class?

• How can you increase

feedback opportunities for students?

RESEARCH ON THE SYLLABUS (AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS!)

Doolittle, P. E., & Siudzinski, R. A. (2010). Recommended syllabus components: What do higher education faculty include in their syllabi?. Journal On Excellence In College Teaching, 21(3), 29-61. Retrieved from Academic Search Premiere.

WHAT’S IN A SYLLABUS?

What’s Important on a Syllabus?

Step 1

• Reviewed 15 College

Teaching Resources

Step 2

• Discovered 81 suggested

components

Results

• A total of 24 components

were identified by at least 50% of the resources

Doolittle & Siudzinski, 2010

Next Steps

Course Information Instructor Information Grading Information Policy Information

Themes from 24 Components

Reviewed 1000 Syllabi (Google)

Doolittle & Siudzinski, 2010

Prediction Time…

What percentage of faculty included:

• Late/Missed work policies
• Disability statements
• Information about supports available?

What do faculty include?

97 91 84 23 20 7 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Percentage Included

Percentage Included Doolittle & Siudzinski, 2010

Perrine, R. M., Lisle, J., & Tucker, D. L. (1995). Effects of a syllabus offer of help, student age, and class size on college students' willingness to seek support from faculty. Journal of Experimental Education, 64(1), 41-52.

REACHING OUT FOR SUPPORT

The Study

104 College Students

Support Statement

• n Syllabus

“Please come and talk to me”

No Support Statement on Syllabus

Seek help from instructor?

Perrine, Lisle, & Tucker, 1995

Results- Willingness to Seek Help

Potential Problem Supportive Neutral Trouble understanding textbook 4.7 3.7 Low grade on first exam 4.8 4.0 Hard to hear instructor's lectures 4.4 3.8 Study skills ineffective for course 4.7 3.6 Thinking about dropping course 4.9 3.8 Trouble understanding major topic 5.3 4.2

All significantly different!

Perrine, Lisle, & Tucker, 1995

Application

• Explicitly communicate

your interest and willingness to work with students outside

• f class
• Provide specific

information about supportive services (counseling, tutoring, etc.) on campus

Supportive Statements

Campus Resources

How Long Should a Syllabus Be?

Saville, B. K., Zinn, T. E., Brown, A. R., & Marchuk, K. A. (2010). Syllabus detail and students' perceptions of teacher effectiveness. Teaching Of Psychology, 37(3), 186-189. doi:10.1080/00986283.2010.488523

SYLLABUS DETAIL

The Study

97 College Students Brief Syllabus Detailed Syllabus

Survey on Teacher Behaviors

Saville, Zinn, Brown, & Marchuk, 2010

The Syllabus

Brief Version- 2 pages

• Instructor name/contact

information

• Course objectives
• Textbook
• Brief Overview of

Assignments (ex. 6 exams)

• Grading distribution
• Brief overview of policies
• Calendar with due dates

Detailed Version- 6 pages

• Same information with

more detail

• 6 exams consisting of

multiple choice and short answer questions

• Calendar included chapters

that would be covered

Results!

Teacher Characteristic Detailed Brief Approachable/personable 3.17 2.55 Creative/interesting 3.45 2.64 Effective communicator 3.05 2.47 Encouraging/cares for students 3.12 2.13 Enthusiastic 3.60 2.41 Flexible/open-minded 2.97 2.41 Knowledgeable 3.75 2.97 Prepared 3.38 2.81 Present current information 3.53 2.50 Promotes critical thinking 3.50 2.88 Realistic expectations/fair 3.06 2.16

All significantly different!

Saville, Zinn, Brown, & Marchuk, 2010

More Results

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 Recommend Course? Take another course? Brief Detailed Saville, Zinn, Brown, & Marchuk, 2010

An Informal Assessment

Long 61% Short 27% Neutral 12%

Student Preference

Student Comments:

• “A syllabus should be short and simple but have enough

details to explain everything. Lengthy syllabi makes it boring for students to read and that is why some won’t even bother.”

• “A shorter syllabus is less overwhelming.”

Student Comments:

• “I prefer a long syllabus because it has all of the course
• content. I like having it in one place and not having to

look it up on the computer. While a long syllabus may be intimidating at first glance, it’s convenient and helpful to have all the course information in one place.”

• “I prefer a longer syllabus. Shorter syllabi make me feel

insecure about the requirements for the course and makes me feel as though the professor is not organized

• r engaged in the course.”
• “I like to have a longer syllabus because I like to have all
• f the information accessible in one place”.
• “A longer syllabus is more likely to be used instead of only

being looked at on the first day.”

Application

• Add specific information – especially

about course schedule and assignments (i.e. rubrics)

• All essential information is in one

place

• Sends positive message about

instructor, setting a positive tone for course

• Visual images, charts or tools- longer

syllabus but perhaps better!

Consider Adding Inviting Image

Add Photo of Textbook, Shading and Color

Use Graphs

Add Details about Assignments

Consider Adding Rationale

Grigorovici, D., Nam, S., & Russill, C. (2003). The Effects of Online Syllabus Interactivity on Students' Perception of the Course and Instructor. Internet And Higher Education, 6(1), 41-52. Retrieved from ERIC.

ON-LINE SYLLABUS

The Study

49 Undergraduate Students Low Interactivity- 1 page Medium Interactivity- Main Page with 3 links High Interactivity- Main Page with 3 links, Three Pages with 3 more links

Student Perception

• f Instructor

Grigorovici, Nam, & Russill, 2003

Results

More negative impression of professor

High Interactivity

More positive impression of professor

Low or Medium Interactivity Grigorovici, Nam, & Russill, 2003

Application

• Slow down….

Use caution when considering hyperlinks

• Easy access
• Visual organization

Smith, M. F., & Razzouk, N. Y . (1993). Improving classroom communication: The case of the course

• syllabus. Journal of Education for Business, 68(4),

215-222. Retrieved from Academic Search Premiere.

STUDENT USE AND RECALL

The Study

152 Upper Level College Students 72 Males 80 Females

Completed Questionnaire On Syllabus Content and Use

Surveyed at 3 weeks or 7 weeks Smith & Razzouk, 1993

Prediction Time!

What percentage of students report using their syllabus at least once per week?

The Results!

Syllabus Usage Frequency Every day 20% Once a week 57%

Smith & Razzouk, 1993

The Results!

Syllabus Recall Percent Correct Course title, instructor name, credits, textbook 95-100% Project purpose, course code, number

• f exams

85-90% Topic for day, instructor

• ffice information,

textbook author 8-48%

Smith & Razzouk, 1993

The Results!

Course Objectives Percent Recalled One objective 60% Two objectives 8% More than 2 objectives 3% No objectives Almost 30%

Smith & Razzouk, 1993

Applications of Research

First Day of Class

• Avoid Cognitive

Overload- No Need to “Cover” Entire Syllabus

• How can you draw

attention to what’s most important (i.e. learning

• utcomes)?

An Example…

A Better Example…

Processing Time…

• Do you bring attention

to the course learning

• utcomes?
• How might you bring

even more attention to important parts of your syllabus?

What’s the Syllabus Say About the Professor and the Course?

Harnish, R. J., & Bridges, K. (2011). Effect of Syllabus Tone: Students' Perceptions of Instructor and Course. Social Psychology Of Education: An International Journal, 14(3), 319-330. Retrieved from ERIC.

SYLLABUS TONE

The Study

172 Students Friendly Syllabus Unfriendly Syllabus

Students thought they were evaluating an adjunct.

Harnish & Bridges, 2011

Examples from Syllabus

Unfriendly

• If you need to contact me
• utside of office hours,

you may e-mail me….

• Come prepared to actively

participate in this course. This is the best way to engage you in learning….

Friendly

• I welcome you to contact

me outside of class and student hours. You may e-mail me….

• I hope you actively

participate in this course. I say this because I found it is the best way to engage you in learning….

Directly quoted from Harnish and Bridges (2011)

The Results!

Topic Friendly Average Unfriendly Average Approachability 4.07 3.77 Faculty Level of Motivation to Teach 3.6 3.07 Difficulty 3.34 3.72

Harnish & Bridges, 2011

Application

• Syllabus is often first

impression- especially if given

• ut electronically before class
• Use Positive Language and

Tone

• Use “you” instead of

“students”

• Simple changes = powerful

attitudinal shifts

How Should Faculty Address the Syllabus in Class?

Get Students Involved with Syllabus

• Syllabus Quiz
• Interact with syllabus every

class- student or faculty reviews plan for the day

Raymark, P. H., & Connor-Greene, P. A. (2002). The Syllabus Quiz. Teaching Of Psychology, 29(4), 286-288.

SYLLABUS QUIZ

The Study

200 Students Invited to Participate; 125 Students did Participate 7 question syllabus quiz Average score 4.18

• ut of 7

7 question quiz on human nature

21 Question True/False Test

• n Syllabus

Week 2

Raymark & Connor-Greene, 2002

The Results!

Performance Must take it seriously- give credit for correct answers Does not replace faculty-student conversations

Raymark & Connor-Greene, 2002

Ongoing Interactions with the Syllabus are Needed

Syllabus Checklist

• Are core components included?
• Course Information
• Name/Number, Description, Purpose, Learning Outcomes, Content

Areas, Location/Times/Days, Textbooks, Supplemental Readings, Calendar, Due Dates

• Instructor and Campus Support Information
• Name, Office Location/Hours, Phone, E-mail Address, Welcome

Statement/Teaching Philosophy, Campus Resources Available

• Assignments and Grading Information
• Grading Policy, Scale, Assignment Names/Descriptions, Grading

Details/Rubrics, Course Outline with Due Dates and Learning Activities

• Policy Information
• Late/Missed Work Policy, Attendance Policy, Academic Conduct Policy,

Disability Policy

Syllabus Checklist Continued

Organization and Clarity of Information

• Is it well-organized and easy to follow?
• Were there enough details provided? Can you easily see

what is expected of you?

• Were visual tools such as charts used to organize the

information and clearly communicate information?

Syllabus Checklist Continued

Initial Reaction to Syllabus and Professor

• How would you describe this course to someone?
• How would you describe the professor based on this

syllabus?

• Would you be likely to register for this course or take this

professor?

• Would you be likely to suggest that a friend take this

course or take this professor?

• What did you like the most about the syllabus?
• What suggestions do you have to make the syllabus

better?

THANK YOU AND BEST WISHES AS YOU CREATE POWERFUL SYLLABI!

Questions? E-mail me at charrington@middlesexcc.edu