Is your syllabus working the way it should? Reviewing the use and effectiveness of the syllabus as a contractual document used in teaching online ECO2013.

Goals1. Students actually read the syllabus in the first

week of the course and are prepared to proceed with the course to maximize their learning.

2. Improve student retention

Expected Outcomes1. Reduction in the number of emails received

about the course layout, navigation and policies in the first week of the course.

2. Reduction in the number of student withdrawing from the course.

The ‘state’ of the Syllabus Document• Reading the syllabus appears to be a daunting task for

our students. • It is lengthy as it covers many aspects of the course and

about the institutional policies • Students need to understand, and quickly within the first

week of the session. • Most students skip the syllabus • Proceed straight to the course content, thereby missing essential

information that leads to unnecessary frustration throughout the duration of the course.

• Thus, the hope of this grant application is to review the use and effectiveness of the syllabus as a contractual document used in teaching online ECO2013.

Link to CETL Goals• To encourage faculty to continually strive for

excellence in the teaching, learning and assessment process

• To serve as an incubator for innovative teaching and learning strategies

• To facilitate sharing and enhancing best practices

Source: http://www.spcollege.edu/CETL/?page_id=2

Long Term Impact• To ensure student readiness to the course by the

end of the first week of class, and • To reduce withdrawal rates from the course. • To commence a dialogue for having consistency in

the preparation and delivery of the syllabus document at the institutional level.

Short Term Impact

Grant PreparationTimeline: Spring 20131. Setting up 2 sections of regular online ECO2013 course;

one with the new syllabus contract, and one with the traditional syllabus template.

2. Evaluating the timely submissions of the Icebreaker Introduction Discussion Forum for both syllabus documents

3. Evaluating the submissions of the Syllabus Contract Verification Quiz for the new syllabus document.

4. Review of number of emails related to course layout, navigation and policies in both sections.

5. Examination of the number of students who withdrew from both sections.

Outcome Measurement1. For the first goal, the following improvement will be made to the new syllabus document and section:

• Using the ‘Actions’ feature in Angel to locked down Week 2 to Week 17 contents under the Lessons Tab until the student has read the Syllabus and

• Students complete the Syllabus Contract Verification Quiz with 100% success in Week 1. • The students will be provided three attempts. • Once the student completes the quiz successfully, he will be able to see the rest of the course

content under the Lessons Tab in the Angel LMS. • However, if the student is unsuccessful, he would not be able to proceed with the course.

• The syllabus document itself is renamed as ‘Syllabus Contract’ which is reflected on the tab in the Angel LMS interface

• The syllabus content divided into 7 sections similar to a contract layout. • The 7 sections are hyperlinked such that students can zoom into the desired section

immediately instead of scrolling up and down looking for it. • And in the Syllabus Contract Verification Quiz, the questions itself are demarcated by the

various section numbers. This helps students to refer as well as become familiar with the various sections in the Contract.

2. For the second goal, the comparison of the number of students who have withdrawn from the course will determine which syllabus document helps in retention of students.

Outcome Measurements – Met?

Goals Syllabus Template

Spring Section 4627

Syllabus ContractSpring Section 4241

100% Completion of the Icebreaker Introduction 35/35 students 100 %

31/32 students 96.88 %

20% decrease in the number of emails received in the first week of the session about the course layout, navigation and policies in the section that has the new syllabus documentPrevious sections emails received in Week 1: 30 emails

Week 1 18 emails received

40%

Week 125 emails received

16.67%

10% decrease in the number of students withdrawing from the course with the new syllabus document

3 withdrawalsTotal students: 35

% withdrawn: 8.57 %[1 WF]

2 withdrawalsTotal students: 32

% withdrawn: 6.25 % [1 WF]

100% Completion of the Syllabus Contract Verification Quizbefore the end of the 1st week of class that enables students to access all the content under the Lesson Tab before the end of the 1st week of class in the section that has the new syllabus document

There is a ‘Signature Page’ portion at the

end of the document, but no means of

completing it.

30/32 students 93.75 %

Discussion1. There were 40% less emails received in the course with

the Syllabus Template; 16.67%, with the Syllabus Contract.

2. The withdrawal rate for the course with Syllabus Template was 8.57%; Syllabus Contract, 6.25%.

3. Overall, there is no definite winner in terms of the type of syllabus documentation used. Both types have their unique strengths.

What’s Next?• There are many colleagues without an activity

similar to a ‘Syllabus Quiz’• And there are some who have a quiz tied to their

syllabus without (and some with) locking down the content.

• However, it is an inconsistent practice throughout the college.

• Need a platform for discussion on effectiveness, consistency and usefulness of the syllabus document in promoting excellence in the teaching, learning and assessment processes at the institutional level.

Questions?