I think the well-prepared syllabus is nice for the studnet to have to always fall back on for reference. The student is able to plan ahead and know what will be required.
A well-prepared syllabus sets the tone for the course. Syllabus helps clarifying expectations and contained detail assignments description. I think syllabus is like a road map that would help students to complete their journey in the classroom.
With a well-prepared syllabus students will be able to prepare for the learning process both psychologically and emotionally, and, as adult learners who probably have jobs and families, will be better able to add higher learning to their daily schedules. Knowing what is expected makes reaching goals much easier and more successful.
A well-prepared syllabus sets a tone for the class and establishes an early point of contact between instructor and student.
A detailed course syllabus serves as a roadmap of the course for both instructor and student. It gives students an immediate sense of what the course will cover, what work is expected of them, and how their performance will be evaluated.Thus it is anticipated to increase success in your class.
To me the syllabus is an extremely important part of the course. It is the frame that everything else hangs from. It gives the students the course requirements, information on the text books used, the grading scale, in some cases, and what the students need to do in case they have problems.
Having a well defined syllabus and detail list of the class goals helps with the student responsiblity to achieve the best grade possible in the class.
Hi Ellen,
Detail in a syllabus is important. It is easier to explain about what is included rather than having to come back and explain something that is not covered.
Gary
A well prepared syllabus is a guide for the students to follow. If a student should miss a class, he/she still knows where the class is at in the lecture and the exam schedule.
I include EVERYTHING in my syllabus, from office hours, to grading rubrics, to assignment schedules. I do this so there are NO surprises for the students. In addition, I will not accept late work for any reason. This is because students have all the assignments and requirements of the course from day one. I spend a great deal of time going over the syllabus with the students to be sure we all have the same understanding for the course.
It shows the students what they will learn, when they should learn it, and helps keep the instructor on track as well.
Preparing a detailed syllabus not only helps students but it helps the instructor. It is a long range plan of sorts. For example, I list test, project and quiz dates on my syllabus along with what concepts we will cover on each class meeting. When I develop my lesson plans I already have know the subject matter and assessments/activities that are being used that day. At this point its a matter of filling in the blanks. It greatly helps students plan for upcoming projects/tests that they may not have heard announced or possibly have been absent the class before. It also helps them better balance their schedules and classwork with the other classes they may be taking.
Mainly, it lets the student know what to expect from the course they are taking. I have seen many syllabi and there have been good and bad ones. The good ones, as a student you can refer to them throughout the course and know what to expect every time you have class, what you should be studying a particular week, all the important information about the course (i.e. contact information, office hours, etc), and what you need to do to get an A. For the instructor, this is extremely important. It sets the mood of the course, creates a comfortable environment, sets expectations, and eliminates several general questions about the course. A good syllabus should be a resource both the instructor and the student refer to frequently.
Students need to be familiar with the instructor's expectations, policies/procedures, and what they will get out of the class. It is a contract between student and instructor so they both have an understanding of what each party will contribute to the student's learning.
Well, a syllabus is the student's "bible" for the course. The student will refer frequently to the syllabus over the course of a semester. A well-prepared syllabus will direct a student's performance as s/he prepares for class. From it, a student will know not only the subject matter that will be covered during class, but when (on what date) the professor intends to cover it, and what or how the student may wish to prepare for the anticipated topic. In addition, the student will read what is expected of him/her on a daily and weekly basis, indeed, what is expected of him/her for the semester. It also answers the students' questions regarding the professor: how to contact him/her; where is his/her office located; office hours; procedural points important to the professor, etc.
It will set the tone for the class, and the students will feel more confortable, knowing the that they know what to study and prepare for the class
A syllabus is crucial to a class. It keeps students from being in the dark. It is also important because students will know what you expect of them throughout the course.
It can be helpful because it can help students determine whether this is the right class for them or not.
When they receive the syllabus on the first day, they may read it and see what is required and decide that it isn't the right class for them. It's better for them to find out right then and there instead of starting the course and then deciding to drop.
Hi Sheila,
Well put in terms of the role the syllabus plays in instructional planning. The "flight plan" has to be there if everyone in the class is going to be able to see the what the destination is and when they are going to arrive there.
Gary
The syllabus serves to put student and instructor on the same page, so to speak; the rules and expectations are spelled out in the beginning, everyone understands (or should, anyway) and helps to make a student successful.
if the objectives are clear to the students of what is expected they will be successful. if there is not syllabus with no expectation listed the students will not strive to succeed and will not know what is expected. A syllabus is like a flight plan, it states where they are headed with guidence and direction.
A well prepared syllabus is important because it is the first look into what the students see into the course. If it is well done, it can ease student anxiety about what is expected of them throughout the term.
