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The Syllabus Quiz: Fostering Student Engagement & Accountability for both Course Ground Rules and Technological Expectations. Bruce Saulnier Professor of Computer Information Systems 15 February 2010. The Issue.
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The Syllabus Quiz:Fostering Student Engagement & Accountability for bothCourse Ground Rules and Technological Expectations Bruce Saulnier Professor of Computer Information Systems 15 February 2010
The Issue Question: How many of you spend part of the first day of class going over the course syllabus? Answer: _____ of _______
Student Survey re Syllabus Student Answers to Above Question – student class surveys reveal that over 90% of classes cover the syllabus on the first day of class. Students who say they really pay attention when the professor goes over the syllabus? • Less than 25% -- for most of the information • Over 75% -- for attendance policy and grading criteria
The Problem/Conundrum Problem – Given that students really do not pay attention, what can we do instead to • not waste the first day of class; and • yet make sure that students know and are held accountable for the required information on the syllabus?
Here’s What I Do Using Blackboard, I e-mail every student in the class the day before class starts to (1) welcome them to the course; and (2) ask/tell them to please bring their computers to class on the first day
Here’s What I Do (2) • After taking attendance (got to keep the Registrar’s Office happy, note student nicknames, and insure that everyone knows that they are welcome), • We go the BlackBoard course where we (i) download documents (syllabus and outline) to folders, (ii) go to course materials to point out assignments corresponding to outline; and (iii) go over using the BlackBoard assignment feature to both download assignment documents and submit assignments.
The First Assignment • A Quiz (low stakes – giveaway) over the syllabus to be submitted midnight of the same night. • Results – • Verify they can do all of the required BlackBoard course elements (pick up problems early with low stakes assignment); and • Accountability for Syllabus Contents • Note – I do not cover syllabus itself in class.
Link to MyQ & BlackBoard • https://myq.quinnipiac.edu/facultystaff/Pages/default.aspx • http://blackboard.quinnipiac.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_59649_1&frame=top