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Developing Stellar Syllabi A key to student success

Developing Stellar Syllabi A key to student success. The Jack P. Royer Center for Learning and Academic Technologies Commonwealth College. What’s the Big Deal?.

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Developing Stellar Syllabi A key to student success

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  1. Developing Stellar SyllabiA key to student success The Jack P. Royer Center for Learning and Academic Technologies Commonwealth College

  2. What’s the Big Deal? • “Since I’ve begun distributing a detailed syllabus and lots of handouts explaining criteria for assignments, students have improved both in attitude and performance.”Kilmer • “Students decide to resist and misbehave depending largely on how they interpret two interrelated kinds of teacher behaviors. One is a matter of whether the teacher employs mostly prosocial motivators (‘Do you understand?’ and ‘You can do better’) or antisocial motivators (e.g., threats and guilt induction).”Boice

  3. What’s the Big Deal? • “The second [behavior] is about immediacy—the extent to which the teacher gives off verbal and nonverbal signals of warmth, friendliness, and liking . . . without [immediacy], teachers are seen as cold, uncaring, and incompetent by their students—as deserving targets of incivilities.”Boice

  4. Who Cares? • STUDENTS . . . Need to know what to expect and how to do well in your class. What do you expect of them? What will they have to do to succeed. • YOU . . . Will benefit by establishing clear expectations and explaining your rationale. • THE UNIVERSITY . . . Requires that a written syllabus be distributed during the first ten calendar days of a semester or its equivalent.

  5. What makes a syllabus stellar? • What items should be included in a syllabus? • Which are required. • Which are optional. • How does a syllabus set the tone for a classroom? • What does YOUR syllabus say about you?

  6. What Should a Syllabus Contain? • Basic Course Information • Course Goals and Objectives • Methodology • Course Calendar and Schedule • Course Requirements • Course Policies • Course Resources

  7. Faculty Senate Policies for Students In addition to course content and expectations, the following information must be provided within the first ten calendar days of the course: • Basis for Grades, as detailed as possible • Examination Policies • Evening Examinations if any • Academic Integrity Statement • http://www.psu.edu/ufs.policies for more details

  8. Faculty Senate Policy recommends including • Syllabus Subject to Change Statement • All changes must be published • University Disability Statement • Principles for “Promoting a Vibrant Learning Culture” or a reference to the website http://www.psu.edu/oue/vibrant.html

  9. Look and Feel Rules of Thumb: • Use clear 12 point type • San serif fonts for headings, serif for text • Bullets for clarity • Bolding and italics for emphasis • Two fonts maximum

  10. Crafting a ToneHow a syllabus can set the tone in your classroom. • Phrase expectations in positive terms. • Help students understand the benefits (goals and objectives) of your course.

  11. Crafting a ToneHow a syllabus can set the tone in your classroom. • Be careful and accurate in using pronouns. • Be very clear in how grades will be determined. • “Negative” grading, which puts students in a defensive position, is not conducive to a positive climate.

  12. Where to Get More Information • Syllabi Bibliography • Royer Center • http://www.RoyerCenter.psu.edu • royercenter@psu.edu

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