Why should I think about redesigning my syllabus?

Redesigning your syllabus is a powerful way to help your students find success in your course. Students in large lecture classes are often new to the university system and potentially seeing syllabi for the first time, as many secondary schools do not share syllabi with students. Therefore, it is important that your syllabus reflect what you expect from your students and what your students can expect from you in a manner that is concise, consistent, and transparent.

How can I redesign my syllabus to help my students succeed?

Our first advice would be to use and follow the suggestions from our fine colleagues in the Center for Teaching, who in their Handbook for Teaching Excellence have an extensive list of thoughtful explanations of the most important things your syllabus should include. Find this specific page at this link: Learning-centered syllabus – Handbook for Teaching Excellence (uiowa.edu)

Moreover, the Center for Teaching in collaboration with a group of undergraduate students has compiled the following document: using_an_inclusive_syllabus_to_build_connections_with_your_students.pdf (uiowa.edu) This handout offers meaningful advice on how to improve your syllabus, straight from the mouths of students like yours. It focuses on three main areas of syllabus development:

1. Make your syllabus personal: as the handout states, “Relatively small adjustments to emphasis, tone, and inclusive language can significantly impact our impression of the instructor.”
2. Fostering Transparency and Inclusiveness: having inclusive course policies and making sure that they are presented in clear, unambiguous ways helps empower students to succeed.
3. Presenting your syllabus: make sure that your syllabus is easily searchable, readable, and attractive. Doing so will increase student interaction with the syllabus and therefore keep them well informed of your calendar, policies, etc.

What results can you expect from redesigning your syllabus?

To quote from the handout linked above:

We have all received syllabi that seem impersonal or intimidating, which creates a negative perception of the course and the instructor. The syllabus sets the tone for the course; it is the first substantial connection students have with the course. The impression you leave through the syllabus will remain with them until the course concludes.

By redesigning your syllabus to be more transparent, personable, and inclusive, your students will want to engage with your course more, and will be empowered with the essential information to succeed in the course. Syllabus redesign is not a silver bullet to late work or other complications; however, by having a syllabus that is clear, concise, and consistent, your students will know how to succeed in their course and where to turn if they are having difficulties.

Who can help if you’re interested in incorporating syllabus redesign into your course?

If you are interested in redesigning your syllabus, feel free to use the workbook portions of the Handbook for Teaching Excellence to think about how you can improve your syllabus.

If you would like to explore how you could use this in your course, please reach out to the Center for Teaching for assistance and guidance on how best to implement these activities.