2.2 Creating a student-centred syllabus for online learners

"Based on the feedback from thousands of students who have taken my online courses over the last eleven years, I recognize that one of the main ways to empower students is to share a clear, well-organized syllabus available right when a course begins. This should include course learning goals and layout, introductions to the instructor and TAs as well as the best way to contact each of these people, the course schedule, the grading scheme, and where to get help if they get stuck. " - Louise Longridge, Instructor, Dept. of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

A course syllabus is often viewed as a technical document; some may even view it as a ‘contract’ between the instructors and the students (Bart, 2015). UBC requires instructors to provide students with a syllabus, and having an organized, approachable, and accessible syllabus helps to set a positive tone for the course and supports student learning. A syllabus may be a creative and personal statement of teaching philosophy and style, so there are many different ways to approach how you develop a syllabus. At UBC, faculty are increasingly taking a student-centred approach to developing their syllabi. Instead of focusing on course contents and rules, a student-centred syllabus focuses on the needs of students, fosters a learning community, facilitates the academic success of students, and approaches learning as a partnership between instructor(s) and students. Regardless of how you develop your syllabus, it’s important to keep the diversity of your students (abilities, identities, perspectives, learning approaches, access to technology, time zone or lived experiences) in mind and integrate that diversity into the learning plan you communicate through your syllabus. See the “Going Further” section of this module for more information on UBC Vancouver’s Syllabus policy and associated resources.

While you probably have a course syllabus already, you may need to revise your syllabus for your online course. Because there are fewer opportunities for informal communication online, there may not be easy opportunities to discuss confusing points or to clarify instructions and expectations with students. Therefore, it is critical that the syllabus be clearly written, well-organized, and complete. The syllabus needs to convey expectations and responsibilities upfront and in a way that all students can understand. Given that your ability to develop personal rapport with your students can be limited in online learning environments, it is important to communicate your approach to teaching and set an inclusive and supportive tone in your syllabus. Some ways you can do this are:

Tone: Writing in second person form rather than the third person, academic style will make your syllabus more approachable for students. Using personal pronouns like "you", "me," "we," and "us" helps students to think about the course as an active connection between people. Be sure to use this style throughout your syllabus. If you’re not sure how readable your syllabus is, run your text through a Readability Checker. Links to an external site.
Examine hidden/implicit messages: Besides the tone of your writing, be mindful that your syllabus might communicate implicit rules and messages or hidden biases that may exclude certain students. You can see examples of this and a sample syllabus in the “What does a syllabus ‘say’ about a course?” section of the Introduction to Inclusive Teaching Practice module.

Other important considerations for an online course syllabus include:

When and how are you available to your students. Many instructors find that holding online open office hours is less effective than asking students to request a meeting and finding a mutually acceptable time. It's also helpful to offer multiple meeting options such as phone or videoconferencing. Providing more than one option for contacting you (text, email, online discussion forum, etc.), and stating how quickly you will respond to meeting requests signals to students that you are accessible to them should they have a question or a concern.
How the time zone of the course affects deadlines and other communication. If your assignments are due at midnight, make sure students understand you mean midnight (12:00AM) in the Pacific time zone. Clarifying time zones for synchronous activities is also critical as time differences are not something most people think about on a regular basis and can be challenging for students (and faculty). You may wish to include an application on your course home page that displays Pacific time for students. Several of the course templates shared later in this module include these.
How the course progresses through the semester. Many students come to online courses with the expectation that it will work like a correspondence course - they can do what they want, when they want. The fact that there are deadlines, interaction, and potentially group work involved may be a surprise. Make sure students understand the pace of the course from the beginning so they can develop realistic expectations for their participation.
What learning support and resources are available for students. We encourage all instructors to include a prominent link to Keep Learning. The Keep Learning website compiles resources to help students set up, learn effectively online, understand the technologies used at UBC, take care of themselves, and get support online. You may wish to copy and paste the text below into your course syllabus so students can easily access this resource.

Education at UBC is undergoing unprecedented change. You, your instructors, and peers are all figuring out how to teach and learn in a fully online environment. This transition comes with natural challenges and means your learning may not look or feel like what you expect. Know that you are not alone in navigating these changes. UBC is an exceptional community doing all we can to support one another. The Keep Learning website (https://keeplearning.ubc.ca/) compiles resources to help you set up, learn effectively online, understand the technologies used at UBC, take care of yourself, answer questions, and get support in this new context. Together we can and will overcome the challenges. Be well and keep learning.

FInally, It is also important to ensure students are able to find your syllabus. Canvas has an easily editable Syllabus link Links to an external site. built into every course. It can display instructor information, course description, course objectives and the course grading scheme. You may also choose to email a copy of your syllabus to students. To encourage communication around the course expectations and prevent future misunderstandings, you may also want to consider starting the term with a synchronous video orientation to your course, syllabus and expectations. If this isn’t possible, an alternative is to invite students to ask questions about these topics in a discussion forum.