syllabus basics

Syllabus

The Basics

A syllabus for a remotely taught course must acknowledge the students’ need for details regarding expectations, procedures and resources.

Like a syllabus for a F2F course, the syllabus for a remotely taught course typically contains a description of the course, information pertaining to the course goals, assignments and tests, weekly schedule, grading policies and standards for academic integrity.

But in comparison with a F2F syllabus, it will serve students well if it's more detailed and explicit. Students should be informed about the instructor’s expectations, where to find materials or technical support, and confident about procedures for submitting assignments — especially if parts of the course will be conducted asynchronously.

In order to avoid misunderstandings and frustration about these course components, Ko and Rossen (2017) suggest that instructors conceptualize the syllabus as a fusion of three metaphors:

Contract | Map | Schedule


Contract

The syllabus should be seen as a kind of legal contract between the instructor and the students — an authoritative reference when questions arise regarding grading policies and expectations. As such it must be sufficiently detailed, clear and comprehensive.

Specifically, it should:


Map

Remote courses typically entail a variety of digital materials, platforms and apps — all of which should be identified and described in the syllabus so that students know where to turn as they carry out the course assignments.

This map should include:


Schedule

Where an instructor in a F2F course may or may not choose to list weekly readings or assignments depending on how these will be announced, the syllabus for a remote course should do so. The schedule should include:

“Weekly teaching guides are critical elements in the syllabus.”

Boettcher & Conrad, p. 114

A few more tips:


Referances and Resources

Boettcher, J. and Conrad, R-M. (2016). Phase 1: Course beginnings (Chapter 6, pp. 107-171). The Online Teaching and Survival Guide (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ko, S. and Rossen, S. (2017). Creating an effective online syllabus (Chapter 5, pp. 111-137). Teaching Online: A Practical Guide (4th ed.). New York and London: Routledge.