A syllabus is both a map of your course and an agreement between you and your students. It’s a resource that you can refer students to throughout the course. Having an organized, approachable, and accessible syllabus helps to set a positive tone for the course and supports students’ confidence in you as the instructor.

An online course syllabus is generally similar to a well-structured traditional syllabus in many ways. All syllabi should be clearly written, well organized, readable, and complete. In an online class, unless you are doing an in-person or synchronous video orientation, it’s recommended to take the time to record a brief syllabus overview or include a syllabus “scavanger hunt” or quiz.

Having a complete syllabus at the beginning of the course is often much more important for online students than for on-campus students.  Changing the focus of a week, swapping out an assignment, and replacing readings and resources are all easier for students to deal with in an in-person course where they see you every week.  For online students, lack of evidence of clear planning tends to make them anxious when they don’t feel a personal connection with the instructor – especially for students who have had a poor experience with a previous online course.

A Learning-Centered Syllabus

Research into syllabus construction and the influence of the syllabus on student motivation and retention has influenced the growing popularity of a learning-centered syllabus which can be an especially useful form for online students. While still containing much of the “standard information,” a learning-centered syllabus also communicates enthusiasm, mutual accountability, and a belief in students’ learning potential, as well as respectfully socializing them to the roles and norms of the class (Habanek, 2005; Sulik & Keys, 2014). Conveying a belief in students’ learning potential, also known as a growth mindset, can make a positive difference in students’ perceptions of both the class and the instructor.

Palmer, Bach, and Streifer’s (2014) rubric for learning-focused syllabi include items such as:

• being well organized and easy to navigate
• being written in a positive, respectful, and inviting way
• directly addressing the student as a competent, engaged learner
• indicating a learning environment that fosters positive motivation
• clearly communicating high expectations and projecting confidence that students can meet them through hard work (given a level playing field)

In an online course, it is also important to define expectations and responsibilities upfront and in a positive, encouraging manner.  Making sure participation expectations, as well as other expectations such as writing quality, citation format, etc., are detailed in the syllabus is helpful to both your students and to you as the semester progresses.

For more information on writing a welcoming and learning-focused syllabus, please see the following two resources:

• Harnish, R. J., O’Brien McElwee, R., Slattery, J. M., Frantz, S., Haney, M. R., Shore, C. M., Penley, J. (2011) Creating the foundation for a warm classroom climate. Observer Magazine, The Association of Psychological Sciences. (3 pages without references and Table 1)
• Palmer, M. S., Bach, D. J., & Streifer, A. C. (2014). Measuring the promise: A learning-focused syllabus rubric. To improve the academy: A journal of educational development, 33 (1), 14-36. (~8 pages without references and appendices)

Being Welcoming

A welcoming syllabus that shares your enthusiasm for the course and encourages students to actively participate – especially in a fully asynchronous online course – can make a big difference. Writing your syllabus in second person form, rather than third-person, academic-style form, will make it (and you) appear friendlier and more approachable. Using “you” and “your,” “me,” “we,” and “us” helps students to think about the course as an active connection between people and not as a separate, inanimate object. This is true not just in the syllabus, but also when describing your activities, assignments, concepts, and evaluation criteria.  Being positive and focusing on what students will learn and do can improve their motivation to do well. On the other hand, “talking down” to students, focusing mainly on rules and punishments, and sounding disinterested in the course yourself all can reduce student motivation.

When writing your syllabus, also be aware of the amount of jargon, acronyms, and technical terms you use. Are these terms students will understand at the beginning of the semester or are they things they will learn in the course? While some technical terms are normally necessary, take the time to spell out acronyms that your students may find unfamiliar and replace jargon with lay terms to both improve readability and set a more welcoming tone. Using this kind of language is another example of a learning blocker that can make students start out feeling like they shouldn’t be there and reduce their motivation to complete the course.