Graphic Syllabus
I would like to implement the use of a graphic syllabus in a future course I would teach such as Introduction to Neuroscience. As a student I have had syllabi in the past that are extensively long, and it is difficult to find the key information that is most important to students to succeed in the class. I would often have to go through the entire syllabus with a highlighter to ensure I knew about key dates and how to contact the professor. Similarly, as a TA I have found that many students do not remember what is on the syllabus and don’t go back to reference it. It seems that many students are viewing the syllabus as a contract that they have to go through at the beginning of the semester and then never look at again. I would like to implement graphic syllabi in my course to ensure that the key information is readily accessible to students and is in a learner friendly manner rather than feeling like a multipage contract.
Implementation plan:
I would start with making a complete syllabus for the course (the contract style type). This would include all the detailed information about the course, all required information from the college, key dates, and a breakdown of the grading scheme. This document will be fit for accessibility and will be clear and easy to read.
I will then take out the key information and form it into a graphic syllabus. I will be using Canva to design the graphic syllabus and making it printer page size 8.5×11 inches so it can be printed if the students want to refer to a printed copy. I want to include key information that I would find helpful as a student. This would include: a visual breakdown of grades, instructor contact information, helpful resources, what the students need to do each week for the class, and a timeline of key dates. To ensure accessibility, I would make sure to have clear colors and fonts and have it accessible through the Canvas page. In addition, I would make sure that all information is thoroughly covered in the traditional syllabus and therefore this is only a supplemental page if they need it.
Assessment Plan:
In order to see if the students find the use of a graphical syllabus helpful, I would give them a syllabus quiz to test comprehension and a survey asking about the graphic syllabus. After the first week, the first quiz for the class would be a syllabus quiz to make sure that the students understand the key points of the class. In addition, I would have them fill out a short survey that discusses their preferences between the two syllabi and if it helped them comprehend the syllabus material better.
I would compare their syllabus quiz scores to previous classes where they did not have a graphical version and analyze the survey for overall favor and comprehension of the graphical syllabus.
At the end of the class, I would also like to include a survey on their feelings about the class and include a section on the graphical syllabus. Now that they had gone through the entire semester, I would like to see what their feelings were about the different syllabus after the first week. I would include similar questions as in the first survey but include how often they referenced either the traditional syllabus and the graphical syllabus and if there was information that would be helpful to add to the graphical syllabus.
Example of Graphical Syllabus for a Intro to Neuroscience Course
