I agree with P. Butu. Attendance is crucial for success and should be heavily emphasized, but diverging from learning activities and other such "rewards" can be quite counter productive.
Lissa J.
I have found that having a syllabus is important for the class. The syllabus describes the topics to be covered in the course and at what pace. The syllabus sets the climate for the class. It includes the class policies, student assignments, and deadlines. The syllabus gives the course organization and structure and lends a sense of what is relevant information to the course. The syllabus gives a sense of excitemnt for the new knowldege to be covered and learned.
It is important to have a well-prepared syllabus for the course because as a student that is the document that will guide him/her throughout the course. A well-prepared syllabus should have everything that a student may need to reference to such as attendance policy, grading scale, etc.
Dinel,
How do you share this information with your students? Do you read and review your syllabus or use some other form?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
So that students will know your expectations entire course.
Christine,
I like your approach of having the students respond to you by emailing back an "Accept" notation. This holds them accountable for having received the content and enables you to refer to the syllabus when questions arise that involve students claiming they haven't been told about something. Holding them accountable is important for their career development because when they are in the work world they can't claim they didn't know they just have to perform no matter what.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
James,
You make a good point about the value of a well prepared syllabus for students. This is the document from which the course is going to operate so the students need to see the value of the information listed and follow it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I feel that having a well-developed course syllabus requires any instructor to organize early and think precisely about teaching. I feel It will help students know what is expected from them from the start of the course, and the syllabus will allow them to plan their semester efficiently. I feel and know that a well-prepared syllabus is evidence that the instructor takes teaching seriously, which I do. A syllabus also provides the departmental office, faculty, supervisor and others with pertinent information about the course. I always send a welcoming email after my first class. In the email, I ask the students to read and print the syllabus and respond back to my email with “Accept†in the subject. This helps the students to understand what is expected of them and it shows me that they are prepared.
The course syllabus is a critical document for the presentation of pertient subject information.The entire course is"disclosed to the student" to ensure understanding of the course purpose, objectives, methods of instruction and teacher and student responsibilities.Career preperation courses must emphase that the content of the course will "enable" the student to meet and exceed the requirements for certification.
Monica,
Yes it does and that is why it has to be well prepared. This is the most important communication document we share with our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It projects to the students exactly what is expected from an instructor/student perspective. It also focuses on materials and topics that will be discussed which can prompt students to ask more in depth questions when they get to that section during the semester.
Ursula,
Right you are. When the syllabus is shared the instructor needs to review it with the students so they are held accountable for the contents. By doing so you will reduce repetitive questions and student frustration because it is right there in front of them on paper or the screen.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In essence the syllabus is a contract between the student and the teacher. Therefore, as with all good contracts, they should be well written, so that the student has a clear understanding of what will be offered in the course and what is expected of him or her.
Cynthia,
Good for you. A well prepared syllabus is very valuable document for everyone involved in the course. So the more you can attach value to it the more it will be used by the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In my course, I tell me students that the syllabus is the most important document I will hand out to them all term. I tell them to treat it like a book of worship and not to loose it. I inform them that everything they need to know in order to be successful in the class is contained in the syllabus. It is their road map for navigating the course.
James,
Well said in relation to the value of a well prepared and comprehensive syllabus. A good syllabus save valuable time and reduces many redundant questions because the information about policies, requirements and due dates is included for the students to see. They just need to read and follow the information given.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
A well prepared syllabus clearly outlines the course requirements as well as providing useful information on what the student can expect from the course.
Without clearly defined expectations, I have found that students can become anxious about what is coming next. Many students feel unprepared if they are not familiar with what is expected of them.
Also, a clear syllabus encourages the students to trust in the capabilities of the instructor and shows that the instructor is well prepared and in control of the course.
Sherri,
Good point about the value of a well prepared syllabus plus how it reduces student questions because it is there in print. This way you can refer back to it and reinforce that this is the requirement for the course and has been since the first class meeting.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Amy,
You are priming their minds for learning with this approach. They from the first class meeting get an idea that this is going to be an informative and beneficial class well worth their investment of time and money.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important because students need to see what they are going to learn, and how they are going to get there. I love to see them read the syllabus and have a look of , "I'm actually going to know HOW to do this at the end of this class??"
Kind of exciting...
