BEST PRACTICES IN SYLLABUS CONSTRUCTION

http://blog.zsr.wfu.edu/teaching/2009/01/29/best-practices-in-syllabus-construction/

The more precisely you describe what you expect your students to do,
the more clearly they will understand your expectations.
With a clearer understanding,
they will be more likely to succeed.

Content & Scheduling

• Course planning is a matter of material and time, with unlimited material and finite time.

• We tend to err on the side of more content.

• Less (material) equals more (learning). -Paul Ramsden in The Experience of Learning

Get the content

• Material includes topics, lectures, discussions, readings, exam

• Determine the course material inductively or deductively:

• Inductive: brainstorm all topics, phrase topics as questions, match topics to schedule

• Deductive: look at other’s syllabi, consider topics from textbook chapters, match topics to
schedule

Narrow down the content

• Aiming for continuity and coherence:

• Sequence questions and topic along rational for how course will progress. (chronological,
simple to complex, theory to applied, etc.)

• Consider what students need to know at what point in course, and at what point in their in
college career.

• Look for themes: gender, class, status, agency, etc. Cluster and see if topics make sense.

• Divide course into units. Are any longer than others? Is the schedule balanced?

• What questions, topics, themes, can be eliminated while still fulfilling the course promise (from its
title and goals)?

• What topics would professional colleagues rank as indispensable or central to the subject?

Lauren Pressley, Instructional Design Librarian

http://users.wfu.edu/pressllm | pressllm@wfu.edu | x5538
Class Sessions
• Semesters are long; build variation into second half.

• Ideas: guest lectures, a film, activities, field trip, changed meeting location

• Include a TBA or Q&A class in case you need more time or classes need to be cancelled.

Cognitive Sequencing

• New knowledge builds on older knowledge.

• This concept is built into math and science, but often is not part of humanities or social studies.

• For example: Plato is not the easiest reading, but is often the first philosophy read.

• Humanities topics tend to move laterally rather than building on previous knowledge.

• Cognitive skills: What you want students to do?

• Start with your course aims and outcomes.

• Consider hidden skills and knowledge areas. For example, being able to identify a flaw with a
theory assumes the student knows what the theory is.

• Set cognitive expectations through interactions with students throughout the semester.

• Change syllabus as needed to meet a given group’s needs.

Benjamin Bloom’s Classic Ladder of Cognitive Skills

1. Recall (define, describe, list, name, identify)

2. Understand (put in your own words, discuss, explain, classify)

3. Apply (apply, illustrate, demonstrate)

4. Analyze (analyze, compare, contrast, criticize, examine)

5. Synthesize (compose, create, design, formulate)

6. Evaluate (appraise, argue, assess, support, attack, recommend)

Lauren Pressley, Instructional Design Librarian

http://users.wfu.edu/pressllm | pressllm@wfu.edu | x5538
Simplified version:

1. Knowing (memorize, comprehend)

2. Understanding (recognizes and sees relationships)

3. Thinking (applies learning, create something new)

Focus on the earlier steps of Bloom’s ladder earlier in the course. You can move towards more
interesting and sophisticated issues as the course progresses.

Lectures
5 Keys to Success
(from Peter Filene’s The Joy of Teaching: A Practical Guide For New College Instructors)

1. Pose a question either at beginning or partway through a lecture, perhaps as part of a vignette.

2. State significance of the question for the day and how it relates to the larger questions of the
course.

3. Compare two schools of thought on a subject, or work with evidence.

4. Offer your own answer with evidence and conclusion (demonstrating the best way to deal
with the question of the day).

5. Leave your students with questions to consider.

Designing Lectures

• Students can retain 2-3 new ideas per lecture.

• Attention spans lag after 20-30 minutes.

• Consider learning preferences. Visual learners might find pictures, maps, or illustrations useful.
Audio learners might prefer powerpoint sounds, audio files, or students reading quotations.

• Let the students reflect. Asking “is there anything I need to clarify?” gives you an understanding of
where the students are in their learning. If they don’t respond:

• Ask them to “have a discussion with themselves” by writing what they’ve learned so far, then
ask them if anything needs clarifying again.

• Ask that they think about the topic for a few minutes, discuss in pairs, then each pair shares a
point or question.

Lauren Pressley, Instructional Design Librarian

http://users.wfu.edu/pressllm | pressllm@wfu.edu | x5538
Assignments
• Typical course: midterm, final, research paper

• Recent research: students learn more if they write several shorter writing assignments rather
than one long one.

• Learning improves with repetition.

• Consider assigning shorter papers more often/shorter readings more often.

• Consider grading when scheduling assignments.

• Make sure grading each assignment is worth your time.

• Consider # students * # papers * #minutes to grade= total time grading papers for a class

• How many classes are you teaching? How many classes are your students taking? Everyone is
busy in this environment.

Presentation
• Blackboard

• Document (Word, PDF)

• Graphic Syllabus

• Website (traditional, wiki, blog, etc)

Lauren Pressley, Instructional Design Librarian

http://users.wfu.edu/pressllm | pressllm@wfu.edu | x5538