Speaker 1: Welcome to Creating an Effective Online Course Syllabus. Hello, I'm Ellen Bloomfield, the Instructional Designer at Midway. This presentation will provide Midway faculty and staff the basics of preparing a course syllabus. An easy-to-follow checklist is also available to get you started. It is located on the Midway Teaching and Learning Resources Wiki. Begin by considering the purpose of a course syllabus. A course syllabus is a roadmap you and your students can follow as you navigate the course throughout the semester. The syllabus, then, is a primary source of information to guide your students throughout the semester and should carefully explain the course components. Most likely, the syllabus will be one of the first substantial means of communication between you and your students. The ultimate goal of a well-designed syllabus is to ensure students understand what is expected of them throughout the semester. Therefore, the syllabus should be easy to read, understand, and follow. Increasingly, the syllabus is becoming a learning contract between the student and the instructor, laying out the terms of the class interaction. In the syllabus, you will want to talk about course expectations, grading criteria, the must-dos, and don'ts. There have been issues where litigation has occurred over a lack of specificity in the syllabus. For example, a student alleged this was the reason for a failing grade. As ridiculous as this sounds, it is true, and therefore the syllabus must provide a clear and complete picture of the expectations and learning. The order in which the sections are presented here follows many syllabus models, but it can be arranged to fit your needs. The categories of the syllabus are going to be course information, instructor information, course requirements and assessment, methods for teaching and learning, the course calendar and schedule, and the course resources and policies. Under course information, you should include the course designator and number, section number, the title and credit hours of the course. You will also want to note the location, day or days, and meeting times for the course. Please include any related lab or other off-site programs information, and include the course description from the catalog, and the midway mission statement. In the instructor information section, you want to include your name, title, office location, and hours. Include your telephone number and email address, and other ways in which the students can contact and interact with you. Under course requirements, you will want to list assignments, readings, exams, and describe the requirements for students' successful completion of these activities. Samples of projects and assignments can be made available electronically. Plan activities, assignments, and assessment strategies based on goals and objectives. When planning assignments and class activities, consider listing them with the course objectives which will be achieved when these tasks are completed. By showing relevance of course requirements with related goals and objectives, students will better understand why they have been assigned. Under course assessment, you want to provide a list of standards and criteria for each graded course component, such as assignments, exams, and class participation. So students know your expectations, state how much each graded course activity will count towards the final course grade. Also include the course grading scale so students can keep track of their progress. State how students will be rewarded for effort and progress, and if you allow extra credit. State specifically how final grades will be determined, and provide information such as whether you will weight letter grades, use accumulated points, or if you will grade on a curve. Goals and learning objectives are at the heart of your instruction and should be carefully written. Course goals and objectives represent what students should be able to do after successfully completing the course. They should be observable and measurable and be stated in terms of student outcomes. Select methods and activities and assessment strategies based on these goals and objectives. Consider ways to present course content in different ways, visual, auditory, and hands-on, in order to meet the varied learning preferences of your students. Provide a format that clearly lays out the course meeting dates, assignments, readings, exams, and due dates for each requirement. This can be very useful to help students plan for the semester. If you plan on developing a course calendar schedule, refer to the entire calendar to carefully sequence the exams, quizzes, projects, and assignments to avoid overlapping due dates and other potential conflicts. Please also include a statement that says the schedule is subject to change. Adopt appropriate textbooks and resources and relate required readings to course goals, objectives, activities, and outcomes. Be sure to contact the department chair and or bookstore to ensure the correct edition of the book is available. Under course resources, please identify those which are required and those which are recommended. Provide full resource citation and an edition number for the textbooks. Other course resources state where students can purchase these resources, their cost if known, and if using e-books or alternative sources is acceptable. Include any course-related websites and the link to the Moodle Classroom. If applicable, provide information on support services such as the Center for Accessibility, Writing Center, or tutoring programs. This is especially helpful for undergraduate students. Under course policies, you should provide clear and succinct information on attendance, late or missed work, exams, use of copyrighted materials, and academic integrity. You will also want to be explicit in defining policies for individual or group work. Classroom comportments such as mutual civility and respect also need to be communicated clearly. Decide upon a grading system and check with department chair if necessary to make sure it is consistent with departmental standards. Choose a grading system that is suitable for the course and communicates to the students your expectations about what is important and what you expect from them. Grading criteria can be made available in the form of rubrics and can increase objectivity when grading students' work. In another section in your syllabus, include a statement requesting that students with disabilities contact you regarding accommodation needs. Accessibility resources are available through the Midway Disability Support Services. Include statements about how student success is important to you and that any student who has a disability or any other special circumstance that may have some impact on their work in the class to talk to you early in the semester so that accommodations can be made in a timely manner. In a separate and prominent location of the syllabus, include statements on plagiarism, conduct, and discipline regulations. Plagiarism, conduct, and discipline statements can be found in the Midway Student Handbook. XProctor is an independent authentication system used for educational purposes for online students. XProctor is an electronic proctoring solution that combats academic dishonesty by authenticating the students in an online environment. XProctor is simple and easy to use. Students will need to have webcam and microphone for the program to work properly. Please include this information in your syllabus. You will also want to communicate to the student which exams throughout the course will be proctored. Please provide the XProctor URL in your syllabus. Now let's talk about the overall appeal of the syllabus. Use headings, short sentences, and outlines or lists, charts, and diagrams for organization and quick reference. Use welcoming and encouraging language and what you will do to help your students throughout the semester. Instead of completely filling the page with dense text, consider incorporating some open areas and blank space. You can even incorporate content-related visuals highlighting important information. Be neat, avoid typos, incorrect dates, and other errors. After you have created the syllabus, you will want to review the final copy for clarity and accuracy. Double check the due dates against holidays and other events, and be sure to file a copy of your syllabus with your department for accreditation purposes and as a reference for students searching for course information. We have created a checklist to help you plan your course syllabus based on the information in this video. To access the checklist, refer to our teaching and learning wiki, click on Online Course Improvement Resources, Standard 1.