Introducing the Courses You Teach
Often, the syllabus is a learner’s first introduction to who you are and what you value as an instructor, as well as the expectations and objectives of the course. Defining these aspects in your syllabus will create a culture of transparency and
foster relationships with learners.
Introducing You, the Instructor
How might you infuse your syllabus with your personality, teaching style, how you prefer to be addressed, and a little about your professional background? Such alterations feel awkward, though students want to see your human side; the Learner-Centered
Syllabus allows you to send an unspoken message that you and your students are co-learners (Slattery & Carlson, 2005). For example, consider the below example from a content-centered syllabus versus a learner-centered syllabus:
| Content-Centered Syllabus | Learner-Centered Syllabus |
Instructor: Dr. Jane Doe Office: 321 Smith Hall Office Hours: T-TH 9-10am in office; MWF 1-2 in Study Room #123 in Library, or by appointment Office Phone: 989-555-5555 Email: jdoe@cmich.edu | Instructor: Dr. Jane Doe (Please feel free to address me by first name or as “Dr. J”) Office: 321 Smith Hall (third floor, south of the main elevator, fourth door on the right) Office Hours and Locations:
Office Phone: 989-555-5555 Cell Phone: 989-555-4444 (call or text is okay- please make sure to identify yourself in the text). Note: Please do not call after 10 pm as you may wake me from a pleasant slumber. Email: jdoe@cmich.edu Twitter: @JaneDoe_CMU About Me: I have been teaching at the college level for twenty years. Before teaching, I worked in the non-profit sector, where I had my share of successes and, yes, failures! I look forward to sharing these experiences as you
think about forging your own professional paths. |
Defining the Course via a Learner-Centered Lens
Rather than default to the generic definition of your course, think about how you would define your course. A learner-centered syllabus perpetuates a distinct set of characteristics that differ from a content-centered syllabus, specifically
in tone, tips or “nudges” on how to be successful, and a clear explanation as to why content is relevant in the immediate future and beyond. With this in mind, consider the course description in a content-centered syllabus versus a
learner-centered syllabus:
| Content-Centered Syllabus | Learner-Centered Syllabus |
The course will examine the theory and research of training and development. Students will conduct and evaluate training and development programs. | A recent article described corporations as victims of “the great train robbery” where, literally, billions are spent on training and development each year, only for employees to revert to old ways (Beer, Finnstrom, & Schrader,
2016). Yikes! As prospective developers or educators yourselves, this is a dismal and expensive truth! But not all is lost. Regardless of where you come from, your current role, the climate of your organization, you are an agent of
change! This course will give you the foundation to develop training that inspires change. Stay with me this semester, and I’ll show you how. In this class, we’ll examine the theory of research on training and development (T&D). We’ll also examine why many trainings fail; specifically, we will examine common roadblocks from a limited budget, lack of buy-in, weak
leadership, poor institutional or organizational mission, etc. In understanding the challenges and setbacks common in the T&D field, we’ll develop a hypothetical training program that inspires and models the elements
of change leadership. |
Defining Student and Instructor Expectations
A recent study suggested that students enrolled in courses grounded with a learner-centered syllabus expressed “having significantly more student engagement…,” and students perceived their instructors “as more receptive, reliable,
and fair” (Richmond et al., 2016). While “housekeeping” rules are easy to list for our students, what would your expectations look like through the lens of a student? Chances are students will be more motivated to engage and learn
if they understand just how important their success is to you. Consider the differences in how course expectations are communicated in a content-centered syllabus versus a learner-centered syllabus:
| Content-Centered Syllabus | Learner-Centered Syllabus | |
Student Expectations
| Student Expectations
| Instructor Expectations
|
Table adapted with permission from “Constructing a Learner-Centered Syllabus: One Professor’s Journey” by A.S. Richmond (2016, Sept.) IDEA Paper #60. Retrieved from https://www.ideaedu.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/IDEA%20Papers/IDEA%20Papers/PaperIDEA_60.pdf
Defining Course Goals
A learner-centered syllabus enables students to form a better perception of you, your expectations, and the learning goals of the course (Palmer, Wheeler, & Aneece, 2016). In their most basic form, course learning objectives are goals that you will cover in class. How you communicate goals contributes to a positive learning environment, as evidenced in the below example; the instructor has connected the course goals with overarching learning outcomes and included a brief explanation as to how the course will be useful in future endeavors, as well as how the learning will be measured:Course Goals and Student Learning Objectives
The major goal of this course is to increase students’ understanding of calculus. The information you learn here will be relevant to all students, whether as a general education requirement or studying to be an engineer or scientist or teacher. For example, the concept of chopping solids into tiny slices and piecing them together is the big idea behind 3D printers. The learning objectives cover both content standards and standards for mathematical practice. We will organize these into four main categories with the specific mathematics content falling into each. Below is a graphic that summarizes the student learning outcomes for the course. By the end of the course, students should be able to complete the following Student Learning Objectives:- Solve problems using multiple representations.
- Communicate a conceptual knowledge of key concepts and their relationships.
- Provide logical arguments for mathematical observations.
- Evaluation expressions and values using both technology and by hand method.