Syllabus
From Learning and training wiki
 Syllabus |
Document provided to learners by the instructor at the start of a course. A syllabus outlines course objectives and expectations, organizes course content, gives information about instructional and assessment methods, illustrates the grading policy and sets the tone for class interactions. A carefully planned and well written syllabus can serve as an important resource to learners throughout the course.
Importance of a SyllabusA well designed syllabus will achieve the following:
Functions of a SyllabusA syllabus performs three important functions. It serves as a road map for learners, as an organizational tool and can be seen as a contract between the institution and the learners. Road Map If we think of a course as a journey, a syllabus can be viewed as the road map for that journey. It will show learners the final destination of the journey, enable them to gauge where they stand at each point in time in relation to the final destination, guide their progress, tell them what tools to use to get ahead and help them negotiate the path. An effective syllabus must enable the learner to answer the following questions: |
| Where am I? | Learners must be informed about pre requisite skills or knowledge required to take a course. |
| Where am I going? | Learners must have a clear idea about the content of the course and as to how the course is likely to fit into their larger context of work or study. |
| How will I get there? | A syllabus must contain details about the instructional methodologies that are to be used to achieve each learning objective. Learners appreciate being told upfront about the learning methodology that will be followed. |
| Is there road side assistance? | Assistance in learning can be in the form of instructor support available to students at a specific time and location. Providing details about the instructor’s office hours and location is vital. If there is an online forum or a study group that the instructor is going to facilitate, it is ideal that he/she provides information about these as well. |
| What do I get at the end of the Journey? | Merely gaining knowledge or developing a skill is rarely sufficient motivation for a learner. The learner needs to have clear information about tangible benefits, which could be a certificate, course credits or even the expertise to perform a specific job. |
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Organizational Tool A syllabus can also be viewed as a plan that is created at the beginning of the course. It ensures that there is a schedule that is followed to cover the various topics through the duration of the course. It also helps plan various modes of assessment. For a syllabus to be an effective organizational tool, it must help a learner answer the following questions: |
| What do I need to know? | Providing learners with the list of Learning Objectives is crucial. Learners need to know upfront as to what they will be able to do at the end of the course. An outline of topics that will be covered is also vital to clarify as to how the learning objectives will be met. |
| When will I learn it? | A course schedule will help learners organize their learning. While it may be difficult for an instructor to gauge the exact time required for each topic, an estimate of the hours that will be spent on each area is vital. |
| When are assignments due? | Information about assignments at the beginning of the course is mandatory. Learners have varying abilities and demands on their time. Information about assignment due dates will enable them to plan their time. |
| When are the tests and what will they cover? | Tests often weigh heavy on the minds of learners. Information about test dates and what they will cover will help learners prepare for them. |
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Contract For a course to be successful, it is important to see it as a partnership between the institution and the learners. The syllabus is then a contract that binds this relationship by setting down the expectations of the course, the terms of the class and the evaluation criteria. Clarifying these aspects will prevent misunderstanding and confusion. From the perspective of a contract, the syllabus should answer the following questions: |
| What am I expected to do? | Rules as regards aspects such as class participation, attendance and submission of assignments, class tests, activities, tasks must be clear. |
| How will I be graded? | Inform learners about the various assessment methods that will be used during the course and as to what will be the weightage assigned to each. Learners also need to know about how the final grade will be calculated. |
| What can I expect from the instructor? | Learners will require information about the availability of the tutor, the type of assistance that he/she can provide and location at which he/she can be accessed. |
| See also: Criterion-Referenced Test (CRT), Module, Learning Objectives |
 Developing a Syllabus |
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Learning Objectives Determine the learning objectives of a course before deciding on aspects such as course content, course materials and the instructional approach. This will ensure that that the end learning outcome stays central to the process. Begin developing learning objectives by analyzing if the course will create preliminary awareness about a topic or impart advanced knowledge or will enable learners to apply their knowledge. Also consider if the course is designed to impart declarative knowledge where learners can name, explain and recall ideas or if the course will focus on imparting procedural knowledge, where learners will act and do things as a result of the knowledge they have gained. Start each learning objective with “At the end of the course the learner will be able to…” to ensure that each objective is presented from the learner’s point of view. Follow this up with the behavioral aspect of the objective, which can be measured and evaluated. Example: At the end of the course the learner will be able to recognize the role of social media in the way that information is created, organized and accessed. Course Description This is a brief statement about the course. It is usually presented to the learners so that they can decide if they should take a course. A course description should give a learner a reason to take the course. Ensure that the course description is carefully worded to accurately describe as to what learners can expect from the course. This will attract the right set of learners. A course description should ideally contain the rationale of the course and describe as to how it fits into the larger framework of the learner’s work or study. It must also mention specific pre requisites required to take the course, in terms of prior skills, knowledge or qualification. Course Content and Sequencing Chunk the course content on the basis of the learning objectives to be achieved. Each chunk must contain one or more learning objectives. It helps to envision a course as a book with chapters. Just as in a book, the course must have an introduction, a body and a conclusion, the body containing the significant portion of learning content. It can be very useful to give a brief, three line summary for each topic. One way to arrive at a sequence is to make the course progressively tougher, dealing with easier topics in the earlier part of the course. The other option is to arrive at a conceptual map, where a logical flow is established from one topic to another. See also: Chunking Course Texts & Materials Provide a list of reading material required for each chunk or topic of the course. Also give learners information about where the material can be accessed. If the course has specific requirements such as extensive access to the internet ensure that it is mentioned in under this sub head in the syllabus. Assessment and Evaluation
See also: Criterion-Referenced Test (CRT)
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References
- ↑ www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/syllabus/what/index.html(10 December 2009), [www.brown.edu/sheridan_centre(10 December 2009), www.oct.sfsu.edu/design/syllabus/index.html(10 December 2009), www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/writesyl.htm(10 December 2009), www.iei.uiuc.edu/TESOLonline/topics/definitions.html(10 December 2009), www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/syllabus(10 December 2009)