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:
- define what you mean by “participation” (assuming this will form part of the assessment
- manage expectations regarding your availability and responsiveness (“I will do my best to respond to your emails within [24] hours” / “Please feel free to contact me by phone, but no earlier than … and no later than …”)
- clarify your expectations for students: How many hours you expect them to prepare for each class meeting / what you expect them to know or be able to do when they arrive at the class meeting
- set up procedural guidelines: How announcements will be made / how quizzes and tests will be handled / how homework is to be submitted / what your policies are on late submissions / how the Honor Code applies to this course (see Assessment → Academic Integrity).
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:
- URLs for all websites connected with the course
- all pertinent emails: yours / technical help / other students (with permission)
- instructions on how to label homework files to be sent to you
- instructions for finding ...
- a “map” for going through the daily homework sequence itself: what to read first; what to listen to or watch, how often, how to learn and review new vocabulary, and what will be expected of students in the class session, once they've listened to or watched the assigned audio/video resources.
assignments
weekly class schedules
texts, audio files and video files for assignments
answer keys
comments / forums in Canvas
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:
- detailed descriptions of daily or weekly assignments (including text, audio and video sources), with detailed information regarding what students are expected to have read / researched / learned (for language courses: grammar structures, vocabulary, cultural content) for each class session
- submission deadlines for all homework assignments (taking into consideration time zone differences)
- dates for all quizzes and tests, with detailed procedures describing how they will be administered.
“Weekly teaching guides are critical elements in the syllabus.”
Boettcher & Conrad, p. 114
A few more tips:
- Be sure students know where to find the syllabus from the very beginning of the course.
- Refer to it often — not merely on the first day, as is often the case in F2F courses, but periodically throughout the course.
- Review the guidelines and procedures as assignments and tests come up.
- Provide links in Canvas to all assignments, and to the relevant section(s) of the syllabus where procedures, guidelines and expectations are laid out in full.
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.