Learning-Centered and Equity-Minded Syllabus

Some faculty view their course syllabus as a roadmap for the structure of their course and guide their students' success in the course.  The syllabus conveys the three main elements of your course:

• Why is the syllabus important?
• What are the key components of a syllabus?
• How can I design a learning-centered and equity-minded syllabus?
• How can I ensure that my syllabus is accessible and has good visual design? 
• How do I ensure that my students read and engage with the syllabus?
  

Why is the syllabus important?

• The well-crafted syllabus demonstrates that you take your teaching seriously and that you care about students’ learning. It helps the students form an initial impression of the course and also of the instructor.
• The syllabus establishes the purpose, nature, and tone of a class and serves as an early point of contact between instructor and student.
• A detailed course syllabus promotes transparency by articulating the learning objectives students will achieve through the course, the activities they will engage in and outside of the class, and an overview of the assessments and how their performance will be evaluated.
• The process of creating a syllabus can aid in the design and development of a course by helping you clarify the course's goals and structure. 
• The syllabus provides pertinent information about your course to your colleagues and department such as how your course aligns with the IU Indianapolis Profiles of Learning for Undergraduate Success and your program's outcomes/competencies.
• Your syllabi can be included in your teaching portfolio since it provides an overview of your course and communicates your teaching philosophy.

What are the key components of a syllabus?

Even if you've never taught a course syllabus, you'll likely have access to a syllabus from a previous instructor of your course. In addition to your department's required components, consider including the following components: 

1. Course number, section, title, and length (e.g., 8, 13, or 16 weeks)
2. Course format
   • if teaching in person, specify meeting days, time, room, and building
   • if teaching online, specify any opportunities for synchronous interactions even if it's optional. Include information about time zones if needed. 
3. Your name, title, office number, telephone, email, web address, office hours
4. Required purchases: textbooks and other supplies
5. Required technology: access to internet, Canvas, MS Office tools, etc.
6. Prerequisites
7. Course description: In addition to the description on the registrar's website, motivate your students by briefly describing how the course relates to their field of study and future careers
8. Course goals or objectives
9. Schedule and brief description of assignments, including time zones if needed: readings, exams, papers, and other required learning assessment activities
10. Grading standards and criteria: students should know what elements of the class will determine their final grade and what grading scale you will use in assigning the final grades
11. Course policies regarding attendance: participation; make-ups; late assignments; tests or examinations; extra credit; extensions; illness; cheating and plagiarism; and P/F, I, and W grades.
12. Additional school, departmental, and university policies such as administrative withdrawal, inclement weather, fee and refund schedule, etc. 
13. A statement about the additional policies regarding religious holidays, academic integrity, sexual misconduct, accommodations for students with disabilities, etc. 
14. Statement that provides an estimate of the student work load. How much time should students plan to spend on readings, assignments, and other activities?
15. Statement about civility in the classroom.
16. Statement about the list of campus resources for tutoring and academic support that can be found on the left side navigation menu on Canvas. 
17. Tips to help students succeed in the course, e.g., studying, note taking additional readings or resources.
18. Space for names and telephone numbers of two or three classmates.
19. Statement on your beliefs about teaching and learning and instructional methods you will use.
20. Statement about how students will be notified about changes to the course or syllabus. 

How can I design a learning-centered and equity-minded syllabus?

Learning-Centered Syllabus Rubric

Palmer, Bach, and Streifer (2014) describe a learning-centered syllabus as having the following core characteristics:

1. Learning goals and objectives are not an afterthought but are a central element of the course.
2. All major assessment activities positively support the learning objectives.
3. The course schedule is a learning tool that guides students through the learning environment.
4. The learning environment is supportive and invites students to engage in and take ownership of the own learning. 
5. The classroom is a dynamic place and takes advantage of evidence-based teaching practices. 

These characteristics may be evident in multiple components of a syllabus. Palmer, Bach, and Streifer developed a learning-centered syllabus rubric for instructors to self-assess the degree to which their syllabi have the core characteristics of a learning-centered syllabus. The rubric developers have created user guide which includes scored and fully annotated sample syllabi to guide instructors in using the rubric for their syllabus design.  

Equity-Minded Syllabus Review Guide

Student may often be often unclear about terms and policies written in a syllabus, especially if they are first generation students or other historically excluded groups. Furthermore, the language in syllabi can signal the extent to which a student may feel they belong in the classroom and feel supported and valued in their learning experiences.

The Center for Urban Education's Syllabus Review Guide is intended to help instructors review their syllabi to identify and revise language that to promote equity and shape classroom dynamics in a race-conscious way. You can use the guide's reflection prompts to annotate your syllabus and plan revisions. The appendix includes an overview of the purpose of a syllabus, frequently asked questions about evidence-based syllabi design, and examples of welcoming and unwelcoming language. 

How can I ensure that my syllabus is accessible and has good visual design?  

• Use headings for each section
• Use strong contrast in color when emphasizing text
• Refrain from using decorative images Include alternative text for all images and tables
• Use a consistent and readable font
  • Use serif fonts for main text, sans serif for headings, captions, etc.
  • Using bold text to highlight words or short phrases that students are most likely to miss.
  • Use italics sparingly. Italicized text could appear less important as it's harder to read, smaller, and lighter in color compared to regular text. 
• For more information on accessibility:
  • Self enroll in the Creating an Accessible Syllabus using Microsoft Word IU Expand course.
  • Peruse National Center on Disability and Access to Education's "cheat sheets" to create accessible content. 
• Be consistent in your formatting.
• Include page numbers.
• Proofread before you publish your syllabus. 

For more information, check out the chapter on visual design from the Online Course Development Basic Pressbook. 

How do I ensure that my students read and engage with the syllabus?

• Syllabus Reconnaissance
  • Instruct students to spend 2 – 3 minutes to scan the syllabus.
  • Have students read through the entire syllabus and annotate the following:
    • Place a star next to five important facts
    • Place a question mark next to anything they have a question about
  • Have students work in groups of three for 5 to 10 minutes to share their selections and compare them with their groupmates’.
  • Debrief the activity by answering any student questions about the syllabus.
• Syllabus Quiz
  • Create a Canvas quiz with common questions about the course.
  • Instruct students to access the syllabus and quiz on Canvas. 
  • Have groups work together to complete the quiz.
  • Your students can use a mobile device to complete the quiz.
• Syllabus Experts Exercise
  1. Organize class into groups.
  2. Give each group a different section of the syllabus to review and master.
  3. Have each group present their section to the class 
• Expectations Exercise
  1. Organize class into groups or pairs.
  2. Instruct each group to discuss what they expect on a syllabus and why (or what questions they have about the course content and structure).
  3. Have students access the syllabus on Canvas. 
  4. Have each group compare their list of expectations or questions with the actual syllabus.
  5. Follow up with a discussion to address any remaining questions or concerns.
  6. Consider having the groups identify one thing they learned about the class that surprised, shocked, or interested them, or about which they want to learn more.

References

Barkley, E.F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C.H, & (2005). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bensimon, E. M. (n.d.). Cue Syllabus Review Tool. Center for Urban Education Syllabus Review Guide. Retrieved September 2, 2021, from https://cue-equitytools.usc.edu/

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Grunert O’Brien, J., Mills, B.J., Cohen, M.W. (2008). The course syllabus: A learning-centered approach (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

McGlynn, A. P. (2001). Successful beginnings for college teaching: Engaging your students from the first day of class. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.

Palmer, M., Bach, D., & Streifer, A. (2014). Measuring the promise: A valid and reliable syllabus rubric. Guide to Assessing the Focus of Syllabi.

Stephan, J. (2000). The Syllabus and lesson plan. In D. E. Grieve (Ed.). Handbook II advanced teaching strategies for adjunct and part-time faculty (pp. 55-62). Ann Arbor, MI: Adjunct Advocate.

University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning (n.d.). Syllabus tutorial. Retrieved from http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/syllabus/what