Tweaking the Syllabus
I find it helpful (and necessary) to review and "tweak" my syllabus addendum each term as I get to know the habits of students. This serves to clarify concerns before they occur, both on my part and on the part of the student.
Hi Rhonda,
Since the syllabus is a contract, I have found that when the course needs to be adjusted to improve the learning then I change some of the learning activities or their sequencing to improve the course. Then I hand out the adjusted syllabus as the updated "contract". Of course it isn't good to do this a lot during the course because it would probably show poor planning.
Initial assessment of student learning on day one of class has been another reason I may choose to "shuffle" the syllabus.
Scott
Hi Rhonda,
Thank you for sharing how you keep your finger on the "pulse" of the class. As you say this way you can "clarify" anything that might be causing confusion or concern so your students can stay focused on learning.
Gary
