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Having clear objectives for your course will help you know exactly what to teach, and will help your students realize what they should be learning. Objectives are meant to give you a way of measuring whether you and the course have achieved what you need to. Think about: Who are your students? What curricular needs do they and/or your department have? What would you like students to have achieved by the end of the course? Write out a set of learning goals for your course (using action verbs) and include it as one of the first sections on your syllabus. You don't need to have a great number of learning goals for your course; including a few well-thought out goals is best. You don't have to only teach what is included in your stated goals, but they will serve as a guide. Some examples of learning goals used in actual courses are: Demonstrate the ability to read, evaluate and interpret general economic information. Apply research methods in psychology, including design, data analysis, and interpretation to a research project. Communicate effectively in an oral presentation. Formulate a well-organized argument supported by evidence. Identify major figures and ideas in peace movements from around the world. Once you have developed a set of learning goals, you will want to make sure your students are meeting them. Typically, you will determine this based on how students perform on the assignments you provide, but there are other options as well. You will want to write a more or less detailed description of assignments/assessment tools to include in your syllabus. Some typical ways of assessing learning include: Quizzes and exams Learning activities (fill in the blank, practice equations, etc.) Presentations Writing assignments (essays, research papers, etc.) Portfolios that gather and introduce a collection of finished work Self-reflective exercises (ask students to describe what they have learned from the course) In order to determine how a student is performing on any given assignment, you'll want a rubric. Rubrics help you measure student achievement by comparing it to certain levels that you've set. Most rubrics operate on a points or letter-grade scale, such as A/B/C etc. A rubric has four components: A description of the task. This should be a clear set of instructions about what you are asking students to do, such as write an analytical essay or conduct a scientific experiment. Characteristics you will be rating. These are the skills, knowledge, or behavior that you will be observing and grading. For example, you might measure clarity of language for an essay or use of the scientific method for an experiment. Usually, these are listed in rows on the left of the rubric sheet. Levels of mastery. These levels measure how well the student displays the rated characteristics. You can use names (e.g., Exceeds expectations/Meets expectations/Below expectations) or grades (A, B, C, etc). Usually, these are listed in columns across the rubric sheet. Description of each characteristic at each level of mastery. This will explain what each characteristic looks like at each level of mastery. For example, you might say something like "Student has fewer than 5 grammatical errors" for an "A" level of mastery in "clarity of language." You can find many samples of rubrics online, or you can ask fellow instructors in your department to share theirs with you. Aside from teaching the content of a particular course and giving assignments, you will also need to articulate expectations and requirements for managing the course. Consider, for instance: Will students be required to purchase textbooks or other materials? Or will they be optional? How will you ensure that course materials are affordable? Will students have to purchase materials all at once, or can they stagger the purchases throughout the term? What will your grading policy be? Your institution, department, or supervisor might require a certain grading policy. If not, you will have to determine how different components of a course will factor into a student's overall grade or evaluation. Will you accept late or incomplete assignments? Will you allow students to resubmit assignments on which they did not perform well? Is attendance required in your course? If so, how will you keep track of it, and evaluate it? If it is not required, how will you ensure that students are meeting your learning goals? Will you allow students to use electronic devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) in class? Not at all? Only at certain times? How will you accommodate students who may have special needs? Many institutions have an office dedicated to this concern; if you are not sure if yours has one, ask your supervisor about it. This office may even require that you include an accommodation statement on your syllabus, so check with your department. Figure out how many weeks and class meeting there are for your course in a given term, and sketch out a basic calendar. Decide which topics, readings, concepts or activities will be covered each session. In addition, schedule examinations, when assignments are due, and any other important dates. You can modify your schedule later, if you need to, but always think about how to schedule your course to help students meet your learning objectives. For instance, you might plan to cover more complex topics and assignments later in the term. Likewise, you might schedule activities early in the term that help you see how prepared students are for the course, and to identify any areas that might need special attention. Think about scheduling assignments and activities at a pace students can handle. For instance, you might not want to assign a major assignment immediately before or after a major examination. Remember to block out holidays or other days on which your school is closed. Nothing is worse than working out a beautiful syllabus only to find out that you have scheduled an exam for a holiday. The specific components of a syllabus, as well as the order in which they appear, will vary based on the course and/or institutional requirements. However, syllabi commonly include sections on: Basic information (course title and/or number, meeting times, office hours, contact information) A course description Learning goals Materials (books or other supplies required for the course, and/or a list of helpful resources) Requirements (examinations, writing assignments, presentations, participation, etc.) Grading/evaluation policy Course management policies (attendance, use of technology, etc.) Statement on accommodation Statement of honor code (describing expectations to combat plagiarism, for instance) Schedule of class meetings, examinations, assignments, and other significant dates.
Establish your goals for the course. Include a statement of learning goals on your syllabus. Think about how you will assess if students are learning. Develop rubrics for your assignments. Consider course policies. Draft a course schedule. Write a version of your syllabus.