We found 159 results that contain "syllabus template"
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Creating Your Syllabus: Strategies, Resources, and Best Practices
This is a collection of resources from the CTLI and other contributors on iTeachMSU focused on syllabi at MSU. Topics include syllabus design, requirements, considerations, MSU resources and templates, and policies. Feel free to email any new syllabus resources for this playlist to the CTLI [teaching@msu.edu]
Image credit: Apunto Group Agencia de publicidad via Pexels
Image credit: Apunto Group Agencia de publicidad via Pexels
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Posted on: GenAI & Education
Generative AI Syllabus Guide
A good portion of your students will likely use AI to some extent this semester, so plan accordingly. Many students are aware of generative AI, and at least some of them will use these tools for their course work. Critically considering your course design in the context of generative AI is an important educator practice.
The following MSU-specifics should be used to inform your decisions...
Overall guidance: We collectively share the responsibility to uphold intellectual honesty and scholarly integrity. These are core principles that may be compromised by the misuse of GenAI tools, particularly when GenAI-generated content is presented as original, human-created work.
Permitted uses in Teaching & Learning: Instructors are expected to establish a course-specific guidance that defines the appropriate and inappropriate use of GenAI tools.
Students may only use GenAI tools to support their coursework in ways explicitly permitted by the instructor.
Non-permissible uses:
Do not Use GenAI to deliberately fabricate, falsify, impersonate, or mislead, unless explicitly approved for instruction or research in a controlled environment.
Do not Record or process sensitive, confidential, or regulated information with
non-MSU GenAI tools.
Do not Enter FERPA-protected student records, PII, PHI, financial, or HR data into unapproved tools; comply with MSU’s data policy and all regulations.
Do not Use export-controlled data or CUI with GenAI tools unless approved for MSU’s Regulated Research Enclave (RRE).
The following MSU-specifics should be used to inform your decisions...
Overall guidance: We collectively share the responsibility to uphold intellectual honesty and scholarly integrity. These are core principles that may be compromised by the misuse of GenAI tools, particularly when GenAI-generated content is presented as original, human-created work.
Permitted uses in Teaching & Learning: Instructors are expected to establish a course-specific guidance that defines the appropriate and inappropriate use of GenAI tools.
Students may only use GenAI tools to support their coursework in ways explicitly permitted by the instructor.
Non-permissible uses:
Do not Use GenAI to deliberately fabricate, falsify, impersonate, or mislead, unless explicitly approved for instruction or research in a controlled environment.
Do not Record or process sensitive, confidential, or regulated information with
non-MSU GenAI tools.
Do not Enter FERPA-protected student records, PII, PHI, financial, or HR data into unapproved tools; comply with MSU’s data policy and all regulations.
Do not Use export-controlled data or CUI with GenAI tools unless approved for MSU’s Regulated Research Enclave (RRE).
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Posted on: #iteachmsu
CISGS Syllabus Template (Natural Science)
Here is a syllabus template that 1) meets MSU requirements as of 2023, 2) is accessible for online documents, 3) meets or describes how to meet most Quality Matters rubric criteria, and 4) encourages an inclusive and welcoming class. This includes a thorough list of student resources, statements that reduce the hidden curriculum (such as describing the purpose of office hours), and notes that continually encourage students to seek assistance from the instructor or resources.This template was developed for the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science (CISGS), College of Natural Science, but most of it is appropriate for other departments. The CISGS-specific aspects are highlighted in green (or search for CISGS in the file) and therefore can be easily removed. The template begins with an introduction to instructors so that you can learn more about the development of the syllabus. It was developed summer 2023 and is periodically updated- if you notice any issues (e.g., broken URL links), then please contact Andrea Bierema (abierema@msu.edu). To see any updates since last you looked at the template, once in the file, click "File," click "version history," select any version dates since last you looked at the file, and turn on "show changes."Check out the syllabus template, use whatever information you find useful, or start from the beginning by downloading and editing the template for your class!Featured Image: curriculum by Candy Design from <a href="https://thenounproject.com/browse/icons/term/curriculum/" target="_blank" title="curriculum Icons">Noun Project</a> (CC BY 3.0)
Authored by: Andrea Bierema
Navigating Context
Posted on: d2l
Using D2L Templates
D2L Templates
Along your journey towards the start of a new semester you will encounter a crossroads decision: Do you create a new course site from scratch and populate it with previous or familiar materials? Or, should you take the path of the tried and tested? The latter is far more effective, and in a lot of cases, it is the path least traveled. Many instructors and developers are not familiar with the extremely valuable and helpful template resources available within D2L.
Using The D2L Course Templates
Go to https://d2l.msu.edu/d2l/home/1339707 - This is a shell template that you will you to populate your own course site. Notice that this template is consistent throughout. You will be able to modify this once you have copied this template into your course site. It is important to highlight and point out that this template contains all of the policy statements and links for technical assistance. This template conforms to the Quality Matters course design standards. For this reason instructors are encouraged to use this template for building their courses.
Go to your course shell or the course which you are building.
Go to the ‘Course Admin’ tab
Look for the link to ‘Import / Export / Copy Components’
5. Select the ‘Copy Components from another Org Unit’. Uncheck the ‘Include protected resources’ if checked. Select ‘Search for offering’ (See below).
6. In the ‘Search for offering’ search textbox, search for ‘template’. You will see the following as one of the options.
Select the radio button for the ‘Course Design Model - V3 Templates’. Then select ‘Add Selected’.
7. Select ‘Copy All Components’ (see below) 8. Your newly copied template should be within your course shell and look like the image below.
This template contains:
A Getting Started section to add an introduction for your course.
A syllabus section with links to MSU policy statements.
Thirteen modules to edit and modify for your course.
Editing the Course Template
Now that you have imported the course template into your course shell, it is time to add content and make this course your own. There are several things you can do within D2L to make your course more appealing. One key feature within D2L are the templates for pages you build to present your content. Outlined below are the steps to using the course page templates within D2L.
Jazzing Up Your Course Using D2L Templates
Select ‘Create a File’ (See below)
2. Enter a title for the file (page) you are going to create. Next, choose the ‘Select a Document Template’ drop down menu. Look at the options and see the previews before selecting the ‘Save and Close’ option.
The templates are very clean looking in appearance. More importantly, these templates include the MSU digital branding standards and color scheme. You can make modifications to these pages. However, it is recommended to stick to the templates and use the formatting that is embedded within the page. You may encounter some challenges with modification of the accordion or tabs pages if you require more spaces for your content. Thankfully, there are lots of resources to help you when you encounter these issues.
Watch Sue Halick’s presentation on using the D2L templates
https://mediaspace.msu.edu/media/D2L+Content+Templates+for+Consistent+Course+Design+%2808.04.22%29/1_g7em6knt
Along your journey towards the start of a new semester you will encounter a crossroads decision: Do you create a new course site from scratch and populate it with previous or familiar materials? Or, should you take the path of the tried and tested? The latter is far more effective, and in a lot of cases, it is the path least traveled. Many instructors and developers are not familiar with the extremely valuable and helpful template resources available within D2L.
Using The D2L Course Templates
Go to https://d2l.msu.edu/d2l/home/1339707 - This is a shell template that you will you to populate your own course site. Notice that this template is consistent throughout. You will be able to modify this once you have copied this template into your course site. It is important to highlight and point out that this template contains all of the policy statements and links for technical assistance. This template conforms to the Quality Matters course design standards. For this reason instructors are encouraged to use this template for building their courses.
Go to your course shell or the course which you are building.
Go to the ‘Course Admin’ tab
Look for the link to ‘Import / Export / Copy Components’
5. Select the ‘Copy Components from another Org Unit’. Uncheck the ‘Include protected resources’ if checked. Select ‘Search for offering’ (See below).
6. In the ‘Search for offering’ search textbox, search for ‘template’. You will see the following as one of the options.
Select the radio button for the ‘Course Design Model - V3 Templates’. Then select ‘Add Selected’.
7. Select ‘Copy All Components’ (see below) 8. Your newly copied template should be within your course shell and look like the image below.
This template contains:
A Getting Started section to add an introduction for your course.
A syllabus section with links to MSU policy statements.
Thirteen modules to edit and modify for your course.
Editing the Course Template
Now that you have imported the course template into your course shell, it is time to add content and make this course your own. There are several things you can do within D2L to make your course more appealing. One key feature within D2L are the templates for pages you build to present your content. Outlined below are the steps to using the course page templates within D2L.
Jazzing Up Your Course Using D2L Templates
Select ‘Create a File’ (See below)
2. Enter a title for the file (page) you are going to create. Next, choose the ‘Select a Document Template’ drop down menu. Look at the options and see the previews before selecting the ‘Save and Close’ option.
The templates are very clean looking in appearance. More importantly, these templates include the MSU digital branding standards and color scheme. You can make modifications to these pages. However, it is recommended to stick to the templates and use the formatting that is embedded within the page. You may encounter some challenges with modification of the accordion or tabs pages if you require more spaces for your content. Thankfully, there are lots of resources to help you when you encounter these issues.
Watch Sue Halick’s presentation on using the D2L templates
https://mediaspace.msu.edu/media/D2L+Content+Templates+for+Consistent+Course+Design+%2808.04.22%29/1_g7em6knt
Authored by: Jay Loftus
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
MSU Teaching Dossier Template
MSU Teaching Dossier Template
These are 'suggested' sections for a dossier / portfolio. Consider these as starting points to building your dossier and highlighting your work.
Rationale
“...many teacher educators continue to believe that teachers learn to teach over time. In fact, it is the consensus in the teacher education community that we are never done learning to teach, because each group of new students brings new challenges and possibilities, and because as societies change, the problems and issues that teachers confront also change." (Cochran-Smith, M., 2012, p.2)[1]
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to help organize the development of a teaching dossier. As suggested in the above quote, teaching is an ongoing and evolving process. Your teaching dossier is an opportunity to organize and reflect on your instructional practice and related contributions to pedagogy such as professional learning and scholarship. This resource will help you to organize and highlight these efforts.
How to use this template
You should view your teaching dossier as a living document. Unlike a CV your dossier affords you the opportunity to include reflections, artifacts, and examples of your work to highlight your efforts, contributions, and growth as an educator. This document helps to outline core or common elements to be included to show your experience and perspective on teaching and learning. You may wish to omit or emphasize other areas of your work in this resource. Therefore, view this template as a starting point or organizer to begin the development of your dossier.
Biographical Statement
Provide a brief history of the journey to your current teaching position. Consider this your introduction. Provide a little background about your teaching experience but leave the specific details about your experience and current responsibilities for that section of the dossier.
Approach to Teaching / Teaching Philosophy
These are personal statements of your beliefs about teaching and learning. You can support your claims with anecdotal evidence and personal experiences. You may also highlight specific approaches that you employ in your practice. Your statement can summarize a general plan or goals for your teaching. The statement should be descriptive, but brief (1 to 2 pages). This isn’t a critique or analysis of various philosophies or theories of learning. It is your statement.
Teaching Methods & Examples
What types of instructional strategies do you use or rely on? Are you a proponent of active learning, peer instruction, problem-based learning, case-Based learning, or project-based learning? Maybe your instructional strategies are more didactic because these align with your philosophy of teaching. Here is where you can provide a description of the methods you use and show some examples of your work. You may consider including sample course materials such as:
Assignment descriptions
Course modules
Lab assignments / projects
Descriptions of activities
Outline of technologies used
Teaching Responsibilities & Activities
Offer a description of your teaching responsibilities and courses. You may describe the courses (modality, level, size, credit hour, etc.). Highlight your role in the design and delivery of these courses. You may consider including the syllabi for the courses that you are currently teaching or have taught. If you are involved with non-credit teaching such as seminars and workshops, include these as well.
Professional Development & Scholarship
Highlight your participation and commitment to ongoing professional development. What courses or sessions have you participated in? Are you a member of a professional learning community? If you have contributed to the academic community through a presentation, publication, or session related to the practice of teaching and learning than these efforts should be highlighted. Include links to artifacts and evidence.
Reviews & Feedback
Course reviews can be artifacts of effectiveness. You may have received peer or student feedback to highlight your efforts and effectiveness. It is important to show the alignment between your approach to instruction and the results highlighted in feedback and outcomes. Consider comments received via iteach.msu.edu “Thank an Educator”, or through peer feedback sessions (i.e. Peer Dialogues)
Awards and Recognition
Provide a description of the nominations, awards, and various forms of recognition that you have received for your contributions to teaching. These may include “Thank an Educator” awards from iTeach.msu.edu to invitations to speak or present about your work.
Summary & Reflections
Include a summary or reflection to add a narrative to the experiences you have had during instruction. Identify things that worked well, or things that could be modified to work better the next time. Reflect on things that you have learned, areas where you believe you have been successful and areas where you would like to improve or grow. You may outline goals in this portion of your dossier.
Appendices / Evidence
In a document format of your dossier, you would include links to resources and a list of citations outlining your work and contributions to teaching and learning. In a digital format you would be able to provide evidence more directly. As you build your dossier, you may want to outline the artifacts and evidence you will include in your dossier here.
[1] COCHRAN-SMITH, Marilyn. A Tale of Two Teachers: Learning to Teach Over Time. Kappa Delta Pi Record, v. 48, n. 3, p. 108-122, 2012. DOI:10.1080/00228958.2012.707501.
These are 'suggested' sections for a dossier / portfolio. Consider these as starting points to building your dossier and highlighting your work.
Rationale
“...many teacher educators continue to believe that teachers learn to teach over time. In fact, it is the consensus in the teacher education community that we are never done learning to teach, because each group of new students brings new challenges and possibilities, and because as societies change, the problems and issues that teachers confront also change." (Cochran-Smith, M., 2012, p.2)[1]
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to help organize the development of a teaching dossier. As suggested in the above quote, teaching is an ongoing and evolving process. Your teaching dossier is an opportunity to organize and reflect on your instructional practice and related contributions to pedagogy such as professional learning and scholarship. This resource will help you to organize and highlight these efforts.
How to use this template
You should view your teaching dossier as a living document. Unlike a CV your dossier affords you the opportunity to include reflections, artifacts, and examples of your work to highlight your efforts, contributions, and growth as an educator. This document helps to outline core or common elements to be included to show your experience and perspective on teaching and learning. You may wish to omit or emphasize other areas of your work in this resource. Therefore, view this template as a starting point or organizer to begin the development of your dossier.
Biographical Statement
Provide a brief history of the journey to your current teaching position. Consider this your introduction. Provide a little background about your teaching experience but leave the specific details about your experience and current responsibilities for that section of the dossier.
Approach to Teaching / Teaching Philosophy
These are personal statements of your beliefs about teaching and learning. You can support your claims with anecdotal evidence and personal experiences. You may also highlight specific approaches that you employ in your practice. Your statement can summarize a general plan or goals for your teaching. The statement should be descriptive, but brief (1 to 2 pages). This isn’t a critique or analysis of various philosophies or theories of learning. It is your statement.
Teaching Methods & Examples
What types of instructional strategies do you use or rely on? Are you a proponent of active learning, peer instruction, problem-based learning, case-Based learning, or project-based learning? Maybe your instructional strategies are more didactic because these align with your philosophy of teaching. Here is where you can provide a description of the methods you use and show some examples of your work. You may consider including sample course materials such as:
Assignment descriptions
Course modules
Lab assignments / projects
Descriptions of activities
Outline of technologies used
Teaching Responsibilities & Activities
Offer a description of your teaching responsibilities and courses. You may describe the courses (modality, level, size, credit hour, etc.). Highlight your role in the design and delivery of these courses. You may consider including the syllabi for the courses that you are currently teaching or have taught. If you are involved with non-credit teaching such as seminars and workshops, include these as well.
Professional Development & Scholarship
Highlight your participation and commitment to ongoing professional development. What courses or sessions have you participated in? Are you a member of a professional learning community? If you have contributed to the academic community through a presentation, publication, or session related to the practice of teaching and learning than these efforts should be highlighted. Include links to artifacts and evidence.
Reviews & Feedback
Course reviews can be artifacts of effectiveness. You may have received peer or student feedback to highlight your efforts and effectiveness. It is important to show the alignment between your approach to instruction and the results highlighted in feedback and outcomes. Consider comments received via iteach.msu.edu “Thank an Educator”, or through peer feedback sessions (i.e. Peer Dialogues)
Awards and Recognition
Provide a description of the nominations, awards, and various forms of recognition that you have received for your contributions to teaching. These may include “Thank an Educator” awards from iTeach.msu.edu to invitations to speak or present about your work.
Summary & Reflections
Include a summary or reflection to add a narrative to the experiences you have had during instruction. Identify things that worked well, or things that could be modified to work better the next time. Reflect on things that you have learned, areas where you believe you have been successful and areas where you would like to improve or grow. You may outline goals in this portion of your dossier.
Appendices / Evidence
In a document format of your dossier, you would include links to resources and a list of citations outlining your work and contributions to teaching and learning. In a digital format you would be able to provide evidence more directly. As you build your dossier, you may want to outline the artifacts and evidence you will include in your dossier here.
[1] COCHRAN-SMITH, Marilyn. A Tale of Two Teachers: Learning to Teach Over Time. Kappa Delta Pi Record, v. 48, n. 3, p. 108-122, 2012. DOI:10.1080/00228958.2012.707501.
Authored by: Jay Loftus
Navigating Context
Posted on: Center for Teaching...
Syllabus Policy Examples: Attendance
This article provides an overview of example syllabus language for discourse, especially for Fall 2024. This post is the third part of the Civil Discourse in Classrooms series and playlist.
Attendance policies can vary widely for various factors, such as educator values, classroom size, and discipline. MSU does not have a specific attendance policy, but does state:
There is no university-wide regulation requiring class attendance. However, attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process. In any course in which attendance is necessary to the achievement of a clearly defined set of course objectives, it may be a valid consideration in determining the student's grade. It is the responsibility of the instructor to define the policy for attendance at the beginning of the course.
This statement makes it clear that while attendance is important to learning, there is not a specific policy from the university. However, if an educator wants to have a policy, then they must communicate this at the beginning of the course being sure to be clear how it will factor into grades, if applicable. Below, we will provide various pathway examples of attendance policies that can be adapted to individual educational contexts.
Attendance Policy Unrelated to Grades Example
Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has smaller class sizes without exams, values students’ agency to make their own decisions about attendance to place flexibility with life events. This educator believes that there is a natural consequence built in already if students don’t attend class, which is that they miss content.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Active learning and discussion needs everyone to participate and be present to their capacity. I understand that absences may occur and no excuse notes are needed.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Regularly missing class makes it difficult for your own and others’ learning processes.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “If there’s a regular pattern of absence, we will have a conversation about ways we can better support your learning.”
Attendance Policy Linked to Participation Grade Example
Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has discussion-based classes, values regular attendance because it is integral to everyone’s learning. They also want to build in some flexibility to life events.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Discussion and participation is an integral part of this class. Attendance is recorded for each class session and contributes to the participation component of the final grade.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students may miss 3 class periods without question, and additional absences must be documented and communicated with the instructor as soon as possible. Excused absences with documentation include medical emergencies, family emergencies, religious observances, and university-sanctioned events.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Unexcused absences beyond 3 missed class periods will result in no participation points for that day’s class (see grading scheme for more details on final grade calculation).”
Attendance Policy Linked to Final Grades Example
Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has hundreds of students in each class, values regular attendance to ensure students are engaging with the content. They want to make it transparent that they use a systematic attendance recording method.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students must sit in their assigned seats for each class period. Attendance is recorded within the first five minutes of each class period based on presence in one’s assigned seat. Students must attend at least 90% of class sessions.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “For students that go below 90% of missed class sessions, there will be a 1% drop to the final grade for each class period below the 90%.”
Continue to read more about in the next article, “Classroom Norms & Disruptions,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.
Attendance policies can vary widely for various factors, such as educator values, classroom size, and discipline. MSU does not have a specific attendance policy, but does state:
There is no university-wide regulation requiring class attendance. However, attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process. In any course in which attendance is necessary to the achievement of a clearly defined set of course objectives, it may be a valid consideration in determining the student's grade. It is the responsibility of the instructor to define the policy for attendance at the beginning of the course.
This statement makes it clear that while attendance is important to learning, there is not a specific policy from the university. However, if an educator wants to have a policy, then they must communicate this at the beginning of the course being sure to be clear how it will factor into grades, if applicable. Below, we will provide various pathway examples of attendance policies that can be adapted to individual educational contexts.
Attendance Policy Unrelated to Grades Example
Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has smaller class sizes without exams, values students’ agency to make their own decisions about attendance to place flexibility with life events. This educator believes that there is a natural consequence built in already if students don’t attend class, which is that they miss content.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Active learning and discussion needs everyone to participate and be present to their capacity. I understand that absences may occur and no excuse notes are needed.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Regularly missing class makes it difficult for your own and others’ learning processes.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “If there’s a regular pattern of absence, we will have a conversation about ways we can better support your learning.”
Attendance Policy Linked to Participation Grade Example
Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has discussion-based classes, values regular attendance because it is integral to everyone’s learning. They also want to build in some flexibility to life events.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Discussion and participation is an integral part of this class. Attendance is recorded for each class session and contributes to the participation component of the final grade.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students may miss 3 class periods without question, and additional absences must be documented and communicated with the instructor as soon as possible. Excused absences with documentation include medical emergencies, family emergencies, religious observances, and university-sanctioned events.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “Unexcused absences beyond 3 missed class periods will result in no participation points for that day’s class (see grading scheme for more details on final grade calculation).”
Attendance Policy Linked to Final Grades Example
Reflect: In this example, this educator, who has hundreds of students in each class, values regular attendance to ensure students are engaging with the content. They want to make it transparent that they use a systematic attendance recording method.
Frame: An example framing could be, “Attendance is an essential and intrinsic element of the educational process.”
Set Expectations: An example of setting expectations could be, “Students must sit in their assigned seats for each class period. Attendance is recorded within the first five minutes of each class period based on presence in one’s assigned seat. Students must attend at least 90% of class sessions.”
Communicate Outcomes: Finally, this policy will end with outcomes, and an example ending could be, “For students that go below 90% of missed class sessions, there will be a 1% drop to the final grade for each class period below the 90%.”
Continue to read more about in the next article, “Classroom Norms & Disruptions,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.
Posted by: Bethany Meadows
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Designing Your MSU Syllabus (Aug 2024)
The CTLI's Designing Your MSU Syllabus workshop and its resources are meant to introduce MSU educators to the role of the syllabus at MSU, its required and recommended components, and institutional resources for writing and improving syllabi. In August 2024, this hybrid workshop comprised part of our Semester Start-Up programming for MSU educators during the CTLI's first-ever Plan-a-thon, a day dedicated to course and assignment planning. The takeaways from these sessions were:
Think about your syllabus as a learning tool AND an agreement within your classroom community.
Some syllabus components are required while others are recommended (try not to overwhelm!)
Consider inclusion and flexibility
MSU and departments / colleges have many resources available to help support you build your syllabus
You can access the slide deck for this workshop here (requires MSU login) including links to many resources for course instructors, including sample statements and policy language. We also have an Creating Your Syllabus iTeach Playlist of further syllabus resources, including the CTLI's new Inclusive Syllabus Template created by Bethany Meadows.
The recording of this hybrid workshop is available below.
Feel free to reach out to Ellie Louson and/or Monica Mills in the CTLI if you have any questions about the Designing Your MSU Syllabus workshop or our syllabus resources.Photo by Blessing Ri on Unsplash
Think about your syllabus as a learning tool AND an agreement within your classroom community.
Some syllabus components are required while others are recommended (try not to overwhelm!)
Consider inclusion and flexibility
MSU and departments / colleges have many resources available to help support you build your syllabus
You can access the slide deck for this workshop here (requires MSU login) including links to many resources for course instructors, including sample statements and policy language. We also have an Creating Your Syllabus iTeach Playlist of further syllabus resources, including the CTLI's new Inclusive Syllabus Template created by Bethany Meadows.
The recording of this hybrid workshop is available below.
Feel free to reach out to Ellie Louson and/or Monica Mills in the CTLI if you have any questions about the Designing Your MSU Syllabus workshop or our syllabus resources.Photo by Blessing Ri on Unsplash
Authored by: Ellie Louson
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Important Syllabus Statements: Emergencies
Here is a model of an emergency statement to be included in your syllabus:“In the event of an emergency arising within the classroom setting, the professor/instructor will notify the students of actions that may be required to ensure their safety. It is the responsibility of each student to understand the evacuation or “shelter-in-place” guidelines posted in each facility and to act in a safe manner.
If an evacuation is ordered, please ensure that you do it in a safe manner and facilitate those around you that may not otherwise be able to safely leave. You are allowed to maintain cellular devices in a silent mode during this course, in order to receive emergency messages distributed by the university. When a student receives such a notification or observes an emergency situation, they should immediately bring it to the attention of the professor/instructor in a way that least alarms your fellow students." Check out this article for more information on syllabus basics.
Also note:The Michigan State University Police Department is responsible for developing and distributing Timely Warning and Emergency Notification messages. These messages are intended to warn the community about certain crimes and notify it of potentially dangerous situations on or near campus. These messages inform community members about incidents that may pose an ongoing threat and provide information to promote safety and prevent similar crimes. The decision to issue a Timely Warning or Emergency Notification is based on a variety of factors.The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (or Clery Act) is intended to provide students and their families, as higher education consumers, with accurate, complete and timely information about safety on campus. One of the mandates of the Act is to provide these Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications to the campus community. These warnings and notifications can be delivered via three main platforms: voice messages to phones, e-mail and SMS text messaging.Students and families can learn more, and access the ALERT portal at alert.msu.edu. Photo by DDP on Unsplash
If an evacuation is ordered, please ensure that you do it in a safe manner and facilitate those around you that may not otherwise be able to safely leave. You are allowed to maintain cellular devices in a silent mode during this course, in order to receive emergency messages distributed by the university. When a student receives such a notification or observes an emergency situation, they should immediately bring it to the attention of the professor/instructor in a way that least alarms your fellow students." Check out this article for more information on syllabus basics.
Also note:The Michigan State University Police Department is responsible for developing and distributing Timely Warning and Emergency Notification messages. These messages are intended to warn the community about certain crimes and notify it of potentially dangerous situations on or near campus. These messages inform community members about incidents that may pose an ongoing threat and provide information to promote safety and prevent similar crimes. The decision to issue a Timely Warning or Emergency Notification is based on a variety of factors.The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (or Clery Act) is intended to provide students and their families, as higher education consumers, with accurate, complete and timely information about safety on campus. One of the mandates of the Act is to provide these Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications to the campus community. These warnings and notifications can be delivered via three main platforms: voice messages to phones, e-mail and SMS text messaging.Students and families can learn more, and access the ALERT portal at alert.msu.edu. Photo by DDP on Unsplash
Authored by: Patti Stewart
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Building on the bare necessities of the syllabus as an administrative tool, we’re going to try to effectively and efficiently communicate the planned curriculum of the course. This way, we can help our students, other educators/administrative see more than just the topics we’re covering, but the learning activities we plan to facilitate them. The inclusion of these topics will make your syllabus a helpful artifact during evaluations and help determine course equivalency across instructors.
Provide an overview of the topics listed in the last step.
Briefly describe each of the course topics.
This is helpful as students get a basic overview of what will be expected of them in the coming semester.
Reflections/Questions to Consider:
What are your desired learning outcomes for the topic?
What are the key components of each topic?
What questions are you expecting students to have on each topic?
How can you use the syllabus to address that concern?
Course Structure:
Breakdown of a student’s Course Grade:
List of Assignments, Exams, Projects, Quizzes, etc.
A brief description of what each item is worth in terms of the grade.
A Description of how grades are represented at your institution and how your course grades relate.
A Description of the Daily Structure of Class:
Whether the course is synchronous or asynchronous.
Whether this class is primarily lecture/discussion based.
If your style of course structure has a name, please name it here:
For example, a reversed classroom is a popular form of instruction.
A Description of student expectations prior to course meetings.
Reflections/Questions to Consider:
How many timed assessments are you planning to give?
What effect does this have on students with accommodations on test time?
Does participation impact a student’s grade?
Do students have any opportunities to earn extra credit?
Do you feel the weight of each grade item corresponds to the expectations/responsibilities on the student to complete it?
Do you want to provide in-class workdays for projects or homework?
If you have any Teaching Assistants:
What is their role in/out of the classroom?
Do students interact with the TA? Is the TA prepared for that?
How often do you discuss the class with the TA?
If you plan to have peer-to-peer discussions:
What types of discussions do you want students to have?
Are you allocating enough time for students to explore the ideas of the discussion?
Do you provide any descriptions/specifications of any of the assessments? For example:
What material is covered on an exam?
How many group members are there for a particular project?
Timelines for homework completion
Etc.
Lastly, and this can be applied to every step above and to this process, remember to ask yourself:
“Why did I make this choice?”
University/Course Policies:
Often institutions have any universal policies they want addressed in the course syllabus. However, you may also want to add to this list to make your stance on particular topics clear. Examples may include policies on/about:
Academic Honesty
Disability Services
Use of Generative AI
Violence and Misconduct
Etc.
Reflection:
Discuss with your peers their thoughts and recommendations on what makes a good course policy and what types of policies they include on their own syllabi.
With this part of the syllabus completed, you now have a detailed overview of your course. Anyone reading the syllabus should have a clear understanding of what is/was covered and the approach you used to teach the material.
Syllabus as Representative of the Planned Curriculum
Building on the bare necessities of the syllabus as an administrative tool, we’re going to try to effectively and efficiently communicate the planned curriculum of the course. This way, we can help our students, other educators/administrative see more than just the topics we’re covering, but the learning activities we plan to facilitate them. The inclusion of these topics will make your syllabus a helpful artifact during evaluations and help determine course equivalency across instructors.
Provide an overview of the topics listed in the last step.
Briefly describe each of the course topics.
This is helpful as students get a basic overview of what will be expected of them in the coming semester.
Reflections/Questions to Consider:
What are your desired learning outcomes for the topic?
What are the key components of each topic?
What questions are you expecting students to have on each topic?
How can you use the syllabus to address that concern?
Course Structure:
Breakdown of a student’s Course Grade:
List of Assignments, Exams, Projects, Quizzes, etc.
A brief description of what each item is worth in terms of the grade.
A Description of how grades are represented at your institution and how your course grades relate.
A Description of the Daily Structure of Class:
Whether the course is synchronous or asynchronous.
Whether this class is primarily lecture/discussion based.
If your style of course structure has a name, please name it here:
For example, a reversed classroom is a popular form of instruction.
A Description of student expectations prior to course meetings.
Reflections/Questions to Consider:
How many timed assessments are you planning to give?
What effect does this have on students with accommodations on test time?
Does participation impact a student’s grade?
Do students have any opportunities to earn extra credit?
Do you feel the weight of each grade item corresponds to the expectations/responsibilities on the student to complete it?
Do you want to provide in-class workdays for projects or homework?
If you have any Teaching Assistants:
What is their role in/out of the classroom?
Do students interact with the TA? Is the TA prepared for that?
How often do you discuss the class with the TA?
If you plan to have peer-to-peer discussions:
What types of discussions do you want students to have?
Are you allocating enough time for students to explore the ideas of the discussion?
Do you provide any descriptions/specifications of any of the assessments? For example:
What material is covered on an exam?
How many group members are there for a particular project?
Timelines for homework completion
Etc.
Lastly, and this can be applied to every step above and to this process, remember to ask yourself:
“Why did I make this choice?”
University/Course Policies:
Often institutions have any universal policies they want addressed in the course syllabus. However, you may also want to add to this list to make your stance on particular topics clear. Examples may include policies on/about:
Academic Honesty
Disability Services
Use of Generative AI
Violence and Misconduct
Etc.
Reflection:
Discuss with your peers their thoughts and recommendations on what makes a good course policy and what types of policies they include on their own syllabi.
With this part of the syllabus completed, you now have a detailed overview of your course. Anyone reading the syllabus should have a clear understanding of what is/was covered and the approach you used to teach the material.
Authored by: Erik Flinn
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Short-form Syllabus Template
This short-form syllabus template guides you to including all the elements required by the code of teaching conduct. Adhering to this template will help ensure that your syllabus meets MSU's digital content accessibility requirements.
The template has been updated with relevant date and policy changes for Spring 2024.
To use the template, download the file, open it in MS Word, then edit all areas enclosed in ***.
This short-form syllabus template guides you to including all the elements required by the code of teaching conduct. Adhering to this template will help ensure that your syllabus meets MSU's digital content accessibility requirements.
The template has been updated with relevant date and policy changes for Spring 2024.
To use the template, download the file, open it in MS Word, then edit all areas enclosed in ***.
Posted by: Jeremy Van Hof
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Comprehensive Syllabus template
• This syllabus template meets all MSU syllabus content requirements and is fully compliant with accessibility standards for both printed and online documents.
• Using the template helps ensure a uniform and accessible point of entry into courses.
• Consistency in syllabus design and branding ensures that all students can easily access critical course and MSU information, policies, and procedures.
• All headings, tables, web links, and sample text are formatted to optimize the document for all students, including those students who rely on assistive technologies to read their syllabus.
More robust than the short-form syllabus, this template provides supplemental policy language, sample design ideas, and greater level of detail for documenting your course plan for your students.
To use the template, download the file, open it in MS Word, resolve all comments, delete un-needed material, and edit all content enclosed in ***.
• This syllabus template meets all MSU syllabus content requirements and is fully compliant with accessibility standards for both printed and online documents.
• Using the template helps ensure a uniform and accessible point of entry into courses.
• Consistency in syllabus design and branding ensures that all students can easily access critical course and MSU information, policies, and procedures.
• All headings, tables, web links, and sample text are formatted to optimize the document for all students, including those students who rely on assistive technologies to read their syllabus.
More robust than the short-form syllabus, this template provides supplemental policy language, sample design ideas, and greater level of detail for documenting your course plan for your students.
To use the template, download the file, open it in MS Word, resolve all comments, delete un-needed material, and edit all content enclosed in ***.
Posted by: Jeremy Van Hof
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Example Basic Needs Syllabus Statement
Any student in this class who experiences difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in our course, is urged to contact an academic advisor for support. You may also contact the MSU Student Food Bank (http://foodbank.msu.edu) for help getting access to healthy foods. Furthermore, if you are experiencing any other challenges with basic needs, you may also notify me, and I will work to connect you with any further resources that I have access to.
The above is an example of a basic needs statement that you can include in your syllabus, from an actual course, using language developed from an MSU Basic Needs & Advising Workshop. The CTLI is working on a template Basic Needs statement for our syllabus resources playlist https://iteach.msu.edu/pathways/364/playlist and I'll update this post once it's available.
Any student in this class who experiences difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in our course, is urged to contact an academic advisor for support. You may also contact the MSU Student Food Bank (http://foodbank.msu.edu) for help getting access to healthy foods. Furthermore, if you are experiencing any other challenges with basic needs, you may also notify me, and I will work to connect you with any further resources that I have access to.
The above is an example of a basic needs statement that you can include in your syllabus, from an actual course, using language developed from an MSU Basic Needs & Advising Workshop. The CTLI is working on a template Basic Needs statement for our syllabus resources playlist https://iteach.msu.edu/pathways/364/playlist and I'll update this post once it's available.
Posted by: Ellie Louson
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Syllabus as an Administrative Tool Rubric
Posted by: Erik Flinn
Pedagogical Design
Posted on: MSU Online & Remote...
Can I modify my syllabus and/or adjust my grading?
Posted by: Makena Neal
Assessing Learning
Posted on: #iteachmsu
"Adjusted Syllabus" by Brandon Bayne of UNC - Chapel Hill (spring 2020)
Shared with our community by Dr. Alyssa Dunn in the 02/17/2023 Rebuilding Hope webinar. Webinar details can be accessed here: https://iteach.msu.edu/iteachmsu/groups/iteachmsu/stories/2469?param=post
Shared with our community by Dr. Alyssa Dunn in the 02/17/2023 Rebuilding Hope webinar. Webinar details can be accessed here: https://iteach.msu.edu/iteachmsu/groups/iteachmsu/stories/2469?param=post
Posted by: Makena Neal
Pedagogical Design
Host: MSU Libraries
Data Management Plans: Yes, you need one and here is how to create them
An overview of why data management plans are important and often required, and how to develop one. We will look at the items commonly included in all data management plans regardless of agency/institutional requirements, some examples of specific funding agency templates and review what resources are available to help you draft your plan.
Navigating Context
Host: CTLI
CTLI Plan-A-Thon
Join us for the CTLI Plan-a-thon! A day dedicated to preparing for a fall semester of teaching and learning. During the event you will have the opportunity to meet with CTLI Teaching Center and MSU IT consultants, work alone, collaborate on course planning or syllabus writing, and attend optional workshops. Stay for the whole day, a part of the day, or come and go as you're able. Connect with us in the ways that are most meaningful to you over warm beverages and conversation.
An optional hybrid-format breakout session includes:
Designing your Syllabus (hybrid from 10-11am)
Open Office hours will be available all day, focusing on pedagogical support and educational technology.
The in-person location for this session is the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Please join us in the Main Library, Room W207 (Training Room 1). For directions to W207, please visit the Room Locations page.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
Navigating Context
EXPIRED