Faculty Focus

MAY 15, 2025

Many were enrolled in leadership-focused sections of FSHN 101 and 120 and took on active roles in the analysis, writing, and design of the final open-access book: What Your Students Arent Telling You. A reworded syllabus, an anonymous feedback survey, or a mid-semester check-in can shift a students entire trajectory.

Disabilities 54

Disabilities Course Design Lecturing Students 54

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Ever wonder why students dont read the syllabus, despite the time and effort we put into creating it? In many classes, professors go over the syllabus during the first week (Richmond, 2016), so frequently that students have dubbed it syllabus week not exactly the most exciting start to a semester! Think-Pair-Share.

Syllabus 124

Syllabus Students Activities Instructors 124

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 30, 2024

Reimagining the traditional “syllabus day” to an engaged “preview day” provides an opportunity to set a desired tone for the semester. In the final 20 minutes of class, I tend to shift focus to the syllabus. These questions reside in a discussion board so all students can see responses.

Syllabus 124

Syllabus Lecturing Discussions Science 124

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 30, 2024

Reimagining the traditional “syllabus day” to an engaged “preview day” provides an opportunity to set a desired tone for the semester. In the final 20 minutes of class, I tend to shift focus to the syllabus. These questions reside in a discussion board so all students can see responses.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Lecturing Discussions Science 111

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Ever wonder why students dont read the syllabus, despite the time and effort we put into creating it? In many classes, professors go over the syllabus during the first week (Richmond, 2016), so frequently that students have dubbed it syllabus week not exactly the most exciting start to a semester! Think-Pair-Share.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Students Activities Instructors 98

eSchool News

OCTOBER 7, 2015

Whether it’s multiple times a week or every day, using communication tools such as discussion boards or announcements will help keep students from feeling isolated. Discussion boards encourage critical and creative thinking and supports students in their own reflections and inquiries. Establish good course practices.

Education 279

Education Syllabus Instructors Feedback 279

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 17, 2022

Instead of handing students a syllabus with a set of class rules, engage your students in the process of co-constructing classroom agreements about behaviors. Role-playing exercises position the students as active agents in the learning process and provide them with the opportunity to be creative. What caused them to feel unsafe?

Learning 370

Learning Syllabus Evaluation Discussions 370

Faculty Focus

MARCH 12, 2023

The first day or week of the semester is often referred to as what students call “syllabus week,” because professors typically spend the first day of class reviewing the syllabus—interject a big yawn here. I consistently wanted to integrate community building activities for the students to participate in and feel safe and comfortable.

Student Engagement 116

Student Engagement Activities Syllabus Instructors 116

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Historically, I start the semester by walking through the syllabus, our canvas site, and previewing the course topics. I decided to go back to my learnings objectives for this activity. Since it is the first day of class I ask for volunteers to discuss their posts. As I listened, I thought about my first day of class routine.

Activities 110

Activities Syllabus Learning Knowledge 110

Faculty Focus

MARCH 12, 2023

The first day or week of the semester is often referred to as what students call “syllabus week,” because professors typically spend the first day of class reviewing the syllabus—interject a big yawn here. I consistently wanted to integrate community building activities for the students to participate in and feel safe and comfortable.

Student Engagement 98

Student Engagement Activities Syllabus Instructors 98

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Historically, I start the semester by walking through the syllabus, our canvas site, and previewing the course topics. I decided to go back to my learnings objectives for this activity. Since it is the first day of class I ask for volunteers to discuss their posts. As I listened, I thought about my first day of class routine.

Activities 98

Activities Syllabus Learning Knowledge 98

Edsurge

FEBRUARY 19, 2019

For the techy wonks, there are discussions on blockchain and interoperability. This session, moderated by EdSurge’s senior editor Jeff Young, will take the form of a series of lightning talks by Jill Buban (Unizen), Martin Kurzweil (Ithaka S+R) and Robert Ubell (New York University), followed by a panel discussion with the speakers.

Syllabus 115

Syllabus Science Learning Styles Testing 115

Edsurge

JULY 21, 2025

Their middle school benefits from stable funding, high-quality teachers, and a strong IT department, all leading to discussions about AI in their sixth grade classrooms. The AI’s clarity helped me understand the syllabus better than just reading it on my own.” That idea alone changed how I’m approaching this class.”

English 149

English Syllabus Ethics Students 149

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

When Suparna Chatterjee was taking a graduate online course at New Mexico State University two years ago, she had to complete an ice-breaker activity where she was asked to create her own superhero. She also lets them decide if they want to reflect in a discussion forum with their classmates, or personally send her their reflections. “I

Culture 153

Culture Teaching Syllabus English 153

Faculty Focus

MARCH 14, 2023

The following includes a few strategies and examples to ensure clarity: A clear, inclusive syllabus with a course calendar of class activities, routines, materials, links to rubrics, etc. Clear expectations for all assignments, homework, activities, etc. Wisner, 2022). A clear agenda for each class.

Syllabus 131

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 131

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 21, 2025

Collaborative syllabus design: During the first class, engage students in setting community and classroom norms and goals. A co-created syllabus session fosters accountability and trust, as students feel ownership of the course structure (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Agarwal, 2019).

Plagiarism 123

Plagiarism Syllabus Ethics Feedback 123

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

Successful syllabus While there are mandatory components of a standard syllabus, I also add welcoming elements. I always begin my syllabus with an inclusive and inspirational quote. The teacher facilitates this rotation to keep the activity dynamic and engaging. I incorporate graphs and charts to clarify grading.

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Lecturing Instructors Feedback 122

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 22, 2024

The kinds of confusions and challenges that we discuss over coffee with colleagues at conferences, that we laugh about in the taxi ride back to the hotel after that keynote that wasn’t particularly interesting. But we have a legal obligation to cover the syllabus. I am happy to discuss in more detail—email me!—but

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Discussions Beliefs Questions 111

Faculty Focus

MAY 13, 2025

Furthermore, teaching should aim to prepare students for active civic engagement. The instructor typically arrives, distributes a syllabus outlining course policies and expectations, explains assignments and grading criteria, and may include a brief activity or icebreaker. Often, class ends early.

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Instructors Learning Confidentiality 105

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 22, 2024

The kinds of confusions and challenges that we discuss over coffee with colleagues at conferences, that we laugh about in the taxi ride back to the hotel after that keynote that wasn’t particularly interesting. But we have a legal obligation to cover the syllabus. I am happy to discuss in more detail—email me!—but

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Discussions Beliefs Questions 105

Edsurge

APRIL 30, 2020

On the latest installment of our monthly online discussion forum, EdSurge Live , we explored accessibility in this unusual era of emergency remote teaching. So instead of having a three-hour class, we've tried to break our lectures down into 10 minutes, followed by an interactive short activity. It's, “Did you miss the video?

Accessibility 217

Accessibility Disabilities Universal Design Syllabus 217

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 20, 2024

I know you may be thinking that play is an activity for children, but in his book “Play”, author Stuart Brown reminds us of the positive benefits of play in adulthood , which include reducing stress, fostering relationships, and enhancing one’s mood. Exhibit 2: Thompson’s Barbie themed class syllabus (Spring 2024). Let Them Play!

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Attention Assignments Activities 111

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 20, 2024

I know you may be thinking that play is an activity for children, but in his book “Play”, author Stuart Brown reminds us of the positive benefits of play in adulthood , which include reducing stress, fostering relationships, and enhancing one’s mood. Exhibit 2: Thompson’s Barbie themed class syllabus (Spring 2024). Let Them Play!

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Attention Assignments Activities 111

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

Successful syllabus While there are mandatory components of a standard syllabus, I also add welcoming elements. I always begin my syllabus with an inclusive and inspirational quote. The teacher facilitates this rotation to keep the activity dynamic and engaging. I incorporate graphs and charts to clarify grading.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Lecturing Instructors Feedback 111

Edsurge

MAY 26, 2019

It’s a 6-lesson course that gathers coworkers to discuss trending educational topics and philosophies, and our colleagues have found that it has been helpful in helping them succeed in their roles. Engage Edtech Employees in Extended Learning We call the program Freshman Seminar.

Syllabus 157

Syllabus Education Failure Knowledge 157

Faculty Focus

MAY 13, 2025

Furthermore, teaching should aim to prepare students for active civic engagement. The instructor typically arrives, distributes a syllabus outlining course policies and expectations, explains assignments and grading criteria, and may include a brief activity or icebreaker. Often, class ends early.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Instructors Learning Confidentiality 98

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Instead of thinking about the LMS as simply a repository for course essentials (syllabus, contact information, etc.), Ensure content in the LMS course matches syllabus content and information (it’s ok to have information in both the syllabus and the LMS). Ensure the course navigation menu is clear, hiding any unused items.

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 122

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

In fact, the long-term impact of discussing academics with the instructor was greater than that of participating in study groups and clubs (Schudde, 2019). You could include personal information and/or a photo, in addition to the course syllabus and other course-related information. The same kind of activity could be used in-person.

Instructors 122

Instructors Syllabus Attention Teaching Assistants 122

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 18, 2024

I was handed a syllabus, a classroom, and students, and left to figure out the rest on my own. In preparing that first course, I focused on what I thought were the essentials of teaching: finalizing the syllabus, picking the readings, and writing the assignments. Co-create classroom norms with your students.

Teaching 119

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 119

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 13, 2024

As generative AI evolves rapidly, it is essential to explore and discuss its impact on teaching and learning for both faculty and students. When asked if they were using AI to support academic activities, the majority of faculty who responded stated they did not use AI to support academic activities.

Syllabus 119

Syllabus Assignments Feedback Teaching Assistants 119

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 21, 2025

Collaborative syllabus design: During the first class, engage students in setting community and classroom norms and goals. A co-created syllabus session fosters accountability and trust, as students feel ownership of the course structure (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Agarwal, 2019).

Plagiarism 98

Plagiarism Syllabus Ethics Feedback 98

Faculty Focus

JUNE 2, 2024

Aside from a bare-bones syllabus, the professor never showed up. Here are some tips for where to begin: Use intentionality when creating content, learning activities, and assessments Instructors should mindfully consider the content they present to students, the learning activities students complete, and the assessments within the class.

Syllabus 131

Syllabus Course Design Learning Students 131

Edsurge

JUNE 6, 2024

Now that such tools are out there, Watkins suggests that professors look for more ways to do active learning in their classes, and to put more of what he called “intentional friction” in student learning so that students are forced to stop and participate or to reflect on what is being said.

Lecturing 216

Lecturing Education Assignments Syllabus 216

Faculty Focus

MARCH 14, 2023

The following includes a few strategies and examples to ensure clarity: A clear, inclusive syllabus with a course calendar of class activities, routines, materials, links to rubrics, etc. Clear expectations for all assignments, homework, activities, etc. Wisner, 2022). A clear agenda for each class.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 98

Faculty Focus

MAY 29, 2025

After 13 years of testing higher-order active learning modalities in the classroom, collecting data, building a database, and analyzing student learning results in bi-annual principles of marketing classes, my colleague and I saw two important results emerge. What are the Necessary Steps to Specifically Help SES Students?

Student Engagement 93

Student Engagement Syllabus Learning Students 93

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 13, 2024

As generative AI evolves rapidly, it is essential to explore and discuss its impact on teaching and learning for both faculty and students. When asked if they were using AI to support academic activities, the majority of faculty who responded stated they did not use AI to support academic activities.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Assignments Feedback Teaching Assistants 111

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 18, 2024

I was handed a syllabus, a classroom, and students, and left to figure out the rest on my own. In preparing that first course, I focused on what I thought were the essentials of teaching: finalizing the syllabus, picking the readings, and writing the assignments. Co-create classroom norms with your students.

Teaching 111

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 111