Developing your Online Syllabus

LEARN: What and Why

“The syllabus sends a symbolic message to the students regarding your personality as a teacher and the amount of investment you have made in the course.” (Matejka & Kurke, 2010, p. 115)

 An Effective Online Syllabus:

• Clearly states what students will learn in the course and how they will be assessed
• Establishes expectations of student work and behavior
• Includes an outline of the course with important assignments and dates 
• Includes statements/course policies, re: accessibility, academic honesty and inclusion  
• Sets expectations for communication among students and with the instructor
• Provides information on the resources/technology needed and how to get support in those areas
• States any prerequisites, including digital/technology skills, needed for the course
• Is accessible to all students 

Comparison of Face-to-Face and Online Syllabi

An online syllabus is similar to a face-to-face (F2F) course syllabus, but it must be able to stand alone – i.e. not require any verbal explanation (Henson et al., n.d.).

ENGAGE: How to do it

Components of an Online Syllabus

1. The Course Overview

Components:

• Welcome language
• Brief course description
• The purpose of the course
• Basic logistical information

Sample Text:

Welcome to the Essentials of Online Teaching Course! We’re so happy you’re here. In this course, you will learn to develop and teach effective online courses. You will convert an existing course or develop a new course that meets quality standards. This course aims to create a community of practice—a supportive, collaborative space in which the participants learn from each other, the facilitator, and their own exploration. Most of the course work will be completed on your own time and pace; however, we will have weekly synchronous workshops on Tuesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm.

2. Course Information

Components:

• Name of course and instructor
• Semester/Department
• How to access the course (website)
• Prerequisites​ (if any) skills needed or courses
• Instructor email and phone – and communication expectations
  • Specifically state available or unavailable days/times
  • Provide response time (e.g. within 24 hrs or within 1 business day)
• Times for synchronous activities
• Office hours and expectations (i.e. drop in/by appointment?)

Course Information: Sample Display

3. Learning Objectives

A learning outcome is a statement that describes what a student will know (knowledge), be able to do(skill), and/or value/appreciate (disposition) as a result of a learning experience

The syllabus should list the primary, overarching learning objectives for this course. Individual modules can include more specific learning objectives (UWSP, n.d.).

• Use action verbs to describe what students and you will accomplish through this course.
• A bulleted list is a good way to display these objectives as shown below. For example:
  • Students will be able to:
    • read, interpret, and analyze common reference maps
    • explain the relationship between genetics and disease risk
    • choreograph a dance reflecting a specific dance style
  • See the Learning Objectives page for more info on how to develop these.

4. Course Schedule & Assignment Due Dates

Your syllabus should include clearly presented schedule of topics/units, required reading materials, assignments, assessments, and due dates. You can consider presenting this information in a chart, such as the one here.

5. Grading criteria and policy

• Explanation of grading criteria and components of total grade.
  • Articulate how areas such as ‘participation’ are evaluated
  • Link to rubrics, where applicable 
• Grade percentages or points for all quizzes, exams, graded assignments, and forms of class participation
• Policies on late assignments
• A statement about the timeframe of when students can look for grades. (Henson et al., n.d; UWSP, n.d.)

6. Netiquette Guidelines

• Because teaching and learning in an online space is different from face-to-face, it is suggested to include a section on “Netiquette”: a set of guidelines for behaving properly and respectfully on the internet. (see Mintu-Wimsatt, 2010; Shea, 1994)
• Try to phrase these in positive language rather than a list of “don’t’s”
• "Rules of Netiquette" image credit: (Wistinghausen, 2020). 

7. Accessibility Statement - Sample

The instructor and the University of Massachusetts Amherst are committed to making reasonable, effective and appropriate accommodations to meet the needs of students with disabilities and help create a barrier-free campus. If you know or think you have a disability and require accommodations, please let me know.

If you have not already, please register with Disability Services (161 Whitmore Administration building; phone 413-545-0892). Information on services and materials for registering are also available on the University of Massachusetts Amherst Disability Services page.

8. Academic Honesty Statement - Sample

Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty.

Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient evidence of lack of intent.

Read the University of Massachusetts Amherst Academic Honesty Policy

9. Statements on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Samples

Inclusion: We are all members of an academic community with a shared responsibility to cultivate a climate where all students/individuals are valued and where both they and their ideas are treated with respect. The diversity of the participants of this course is a valuable source of ideas, problem solving strategies, and <discipline> creativity. If you feel that your contribution is not being valued or respected for any reason, please speak with me privately. If you wish to communicate with someone else in the College, please contact <this person>.

Names and Pronouns: Everyone has the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns that they use for themselves. Students can indicate their preferred/chosen first name and pronouns on SPIRE, which appear on class rosters. Please let me know what name and pronouns I should use for you if they are not on the roster. A student’s chosen name and pronouns are to be respected at all times in the classroom. To learn more, read the Intro Handout on Pronouns:  UMass Stonewall Center’s “What are Your Pronouns?” Intro Guide.

Title IX: Any conduct that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance by creating an intimidating, hostile, or sexually offensive educational, academic, residential, or working environment is considered sexual harassment. Faculty have the responsibility to inform students of the resources and reporting options relevant to reporting an incident of sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence or stalking for all genders. You may go to the Title IX webpage at  and  to find more information about resources and reporting options. Please reach out to me if you would like assistance connecting with any of these resources/options. You may also contact William Brady, the Interim Title IX Coordinator, by email at wdbrady@umass.edu or by phone at (413) 545-6204 if you have any questions or want to make a report or file a complaint.

10. Support for Students

Technical Support

• UMass IT User Services is available to assist students through live chat, email, phone, and an online ticketing system. Contact information is available on the UMass IT Get Help page.

Academic Supports and Services

• The Learning Resource Center (LRC)

Health Services

• The University has a number of supports to help increase student success across a variety of topics. Resources for students include:
• University Health Services
• Campus Health and Safety

APPLY to your course

Review your Syllabus

Do you have all the necessary components?

View samples of accessible syllabi

• UMass Accessible Syllabus Template
• Sample Template from UWSP
• Sample Template from Fresno State

Review your syllabus for Equity-Minded Practice

Most universities were founded to meet the needs of White, middle-upper class Christian males, and the practices and policies of those original establishments have not yet adjusted to meet the needs of the diverse groups of learners in institutions today. Syllabi are artifacts of practices and can reflect those policies—but they can also be tools for equity-minded practice. Instructors to utilize the syllabus to demystify the “implicit norms and ambiguous policies” that lead to success in a college course (CUE 2017, p. 3). A syllabus created with equity in mind (CUE, 2017):

• Uses welcoming and inclusive language
• Validates students’ pursuit of a college degree and their ability to obtain it
• Recognizes the hard work needed by students, but positions the instructor-student relationship as a partnership
• Represents the experiences of diverse people in course materials
• Deconstructs the presentation of white students as the norm

The Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California has a thorough, user-friendly Syllabus Review Guide for Equity-Minded Practice.   

Create a UDL Syllabus

CAST has a great resource for creating a UDL Syllabus.

References

Accessible Syllabus. (n.d.).

Ashby, I., Caskurlu, S., Beck, C. and Fiock, H. (2020). Syllabus for Online Teaching Considerations. Purdue University.

CAST (n.d.). UDL Syllabus.

Center for Urban Education (CUE), Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. (2017). Syllabus Review Guide for Equity-Minded Practice.   

Fresno State Center for Faculty Excellence. “Accessible Syllabus Template and Instructions.”

Henson, H., McWherter, J., McKitrick, D. and Morris, D. (n.d.) “Best Practices for Teaching Online: Creating an Online Syllabus.” The University of Texas: Health Science Center at Houston.

Matejka, K., & Kurke, L. B. (1994). Designing a great syllabus. College Teaching, 42(3), 115-117.

Mintu-Wimsatt, A., Kernek, C., & Lozada, H. R. (2010). Netiquette: Make it part of your syllabus. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(1). Retrieved from

O'Keefe, L., Rafferty, J., Gunder, A., & Vignare, K. (2020). Delivering High-Quality Instruction Online in Response to COVID-19: Faculty Playbook. Online Learning Consortium.

Shea, V. (1994). Netiquette. Albion.com.

University of Wisconsin Steven’s Point. (n.d.). UWSP Online. Online Course Syllabus Template.

Wistinghausen, M. (2020). Netiquette for Online Learning.