This is a good point: those returning to school after, sometimes, years of being away from a learning environment, may need some extra help/encouragement. We have worked with returning students who have been out of the classroom for up to 20 years. It can be daunting to get back into the study habit, and even to "relearn" how to read and decipher the syllabus. The student base is certainly diverse, as Miriam said, so being attentive to their needs is imperative.
Hi Lawrence ,
We need to always give our students as much clarity as possible so that they have a better understanding.
Patricia Scales
If the student understands the requirements & competiencies they can goal themselves toward understanding the whole syllabus and make a plan to acheive those requirements and ask questions if they don't understand them. It paints a broad picture for them and what is expected of them.
Of course, and I believe this to be true with all of us. Ever tried to program or figure out a VCR/DVD machine? Anything we can do to aid the student is a small effort well worth spending. Consider all the other classes they are trying to make sense of. I think a breakdown of the syllabus, for example, is a definite asset in their success in progressing satisfactorily as it tends to clarify on important points from the syllabus.
Hi Lawrence ,
Students need and want clarity. Students tend to do better when things are clarified.
Patricia
I am new to teaching and will be starting as a clinical instructor for a dental hygiene program. Our students have a concise and detailed list of the clinical criteria they must complete and what they need to do to complete the requirements satisfactorily. This is very important as we must make these students competent and efficient in these skills in order to pass their clinical board exams which will ultimately decide their future in dental hygiene!
Yes, I agree with that, and think that a properly structured syllabus is the starting point. Addional handouts utilized to clarify/emphasize the syllabus are also helpful. In conjunction, a question/answer period at the end of each class to prepare the students for the following class, I think, are very useful.
Hi Jennifer,
You do an awesome job to ensure your students fully understand what is required of them. Your students cannot play the "I did not know" card.
Patricia
Hi Lawrence,
We need to provide as much clarity as possible to ensure our students get a full understanding of everything.
Patricia
Hi Thomas,
Sometimes we do need to put ourselves in the students shoes to ensure that we are providing information in a clear way in order for them to understand.
Patricia
Hi Eva,
Clarity is a must so that students cannot put the blame on you. Once it has been fully explained to the students what is expected of them and the due date, the rest is on them.
Patricia
In my courses we have the students sign a letter that delineates our policiies on late/missed assignments: how to make them up; how much time they have, etc. Then we make a copy (after they've signed it) and return that copy to the student as well as putting the original in their file. I think the biggest stumbling block we have is getting over the high school mindset: I can get it done whenever, and hand it in and everything will be fine.
I agree with you-I do the same thing in my online class: at the beginning of the week I post what the expectations are for that week. This even though it is clearly laid out in a handout that I have already prepared and sent out. I have found that probably 75% of the handout is not read or understood completely.
Typically, a handout or topical outline that serves as an adjunct to the syllabus. And periodic follow-ups throughout the course to make sure they are staying on track, and understand what is in the handout.
I try to view the course from the student's perspective; anticipate likely questions, and provide a syllabus that answers those questions.
Hi Melissa,
The more you teach a course, the better you become. I have been teaching for more than 22 years, and I still tweak my repetitive courses each time I teach them to try to make things that much better for the students. You also figure out what topics in the course that students will always find as a challenge.
Patricia
It usually takes me one or two times teaching a new course to figure out just what needs clarification too. Student feedback is essential to that as well.
Putting the syllabus on the large screen, highlight each assisgnment as you go through it and as you are talking about it. The students also have hard copy in front of them. Also its great to upload it to their portal.
Another great option is to give the students a "grade sheet". They can record the title of the title of the assigment, how many points possible and how many they earned. Divide it out to get a percentage. This helps tremendously with student accountability with grades.
I agree. A clear syllabus and overview of all expectaions of the course helps a lot. Students rely on the information given to them by instructors in order to prepare for the course
Hi Louis,
I have found that reviews really help most of our students. Reviews make things a lot clearer for students.
Patricia
