Building a Syllabus: Considering Programmatic and Stakeholders' Perspectives in Syllabus Design
When LPDs start designing syllabi for their program, several considerations must be kept in mind, some more crucial than others. Several crucial considerations have already been addressed in this module:
- learning objectives
- class of syllabus (synthetic, analytic or mixed)
- type of syllabus to adopt to meet programmatic needs (structured, situational, task-based, etc.).
In addition to these considerations, you should also reflect on the following:
- The availability of funds and instructional resources may determine what to include or omit in a course syllabus
- The level of detail provided, which will depend on
- the number of course sections
- the varying meeting days and times for these course sections
- the number of instructors teaching in a program.
- the instructors’ level of involvement in the design of the syllabus (e.g., can they update it the way they want, or do they have to follow it closely?)
- the role students might play in the design of a course syllabus.
Reflective Question:
- LPDs strive for uniformity when designing syllabi for a program with multi-section courses. In what ways can you foster a sense of course ownership for both instructors and students while still keeping programmatic needs intact?
