New Class Syllabus

Today I'm working on my syllabus. Now, this is something you should really never start from scratch. Most colleges have a model syllabus and there may even be one on your specific class on file somewhere. That is a good place to start. Also, if you college has model syllabus language for common things like the accessibility statement, instructions for using things like the library and tutoring center, work with that as well. There is no point reinventing the wheel. 


The possible downside is that most of these statements were designed for face to face instruction. Some modification may be necessary for your online or hybrid class, so be sure to read your entire syllabus carefully and edit where needed. Students really pick up on language that does not apply to their online class.


I have a checklist that I share with my faculty called Syllabus Checklist for Teaching with Technology. It is designed to call out those areas that people might not think about when teaching a face to face class with some technology components or when using a face to face syllabus as a template for an online class.


Also, I'm just thinking it would be helpful to think about what Quality Matters items I would expect to see in a syllabus. Here is my basic list (I put in bold the things I still need to work on in my syllabus):

• 1.2 Students are introduced to the purpose and structure of the course
• 1.3 Etiquette Expectations for online discussions, email, and other forms of communication are stated clearly
• 1.4 Course and /or institutional policies with which the student is expected to comply are clearly stated or a link to current policies is provided (I have some of these, but I want to be sure I have them all)
• 1.5 Prerequisite knowledge in the discipline and/or any required competencies are clearly stated
• 1.6 Minimum technical skills expected of the student are clearly stated.
• 2.1 The course learning objectives describe outcomes that are measurable.
• 2.3 All learning objectives are stated clearly and are written from the student perspective ( I have to find out from my college whether I am allowed to change the learning objectives, which don't meet this currently. QM takes that into consideration when courses are reviewed.)
• 2.4 Instructions on how to meet the learning objectives are adequate and stated clearly (in progress - I can't really do this until I am done writing all of the activities)
• 2.5 The learning objectives are appropriately designed for the level of the course.
• 3.1 The course grading policy is stated clearly
• 5.3 The instructors plan for classroom response time and feedback on assignments is clearly stated.
• 5.4 The requirements for student interaction are clearly articulated.
• 7.1 The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to access it.
• 7.2 Course instructions articulate or link to the institution's accessibility policies and services.

Now, other people might craft this list differently. When I do a Quality Matters course review, I look first in the syllabus for these things. Other stuff might also be in the syllabus, but these are the things that I think really need to be there.  I've never listed the QM standards in this way, as a sort of syllabus checklist, but I think could this is a useful way to think about the syllabus in the context of QM adequacy. 

What do you all think?  For those of you familiar with QM, are there things you would add or take away? Why?

Resources:
American Government Syllabus


See the Quality Matters Rubric in the Resources link on the right.