Syllabus Design


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Syllabus Design

A syllabus is often one of the first items people think of when they plan a course for development. I've placed it towards the end of our Introductory workshop, however, because it builds upon course design elements we have now covered in this module and in previous modules.

 

Some of you may be experienced instructors who do not need much practice creating syllabi. Likewise, some institutions offer their instructors templates to help them put their content together according to the school's recommendations. For everyone else, it's helpful to have some guidance in terms of creating a useful syllabus for an online course.

 

If you are starting from scratch, a simple web search for syllabus templates will turn up several options. You can refer to these as examples for formatting and information you would want your students to know.

 

Recommended Syllabus Elements

In terms of content, a syllabus should clearly state the requirements for successful completion of the course and disclose information that students need to know about contacting you, acquiring necessary materials, and finding assistance like technical support and disability services:

 

 

Assembly & Revision

You might consider the following questions as you create and revise your syllabus:

 

 

The following questions may help you consider the "strength" of your syllabus. Overall, if you were a student, how would you respond to the syllabus? Do you think it effectively communicates course information?

 

 

 

Exercising Your Knowledge

Create a draft for an online course syllabus, following the guidelines above. Then, post your draft as a new thread in the Syllabus Design Forum and respond to at least two others' messages in this forum for credit toward the Certificate of Completion. You may wish to refer to the questions above to help you provide your feedback. This is meant to be a positive, productive environment to help you create and cultivate your own syllabi.

 

Lawton, Pat. (2005). Syllabus Design. Syllabus analysis questions retrieved from a 2005 online workshop on Introduction to Online Pedagogy for the WISE Consortium.

 

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