5 Functions of syllabus used in schools, lyceums and colleges

Main components of a Syllabus
A syllabus sets the stage for course development and management. The construction of a well-defined syllabus makes the development and management of an online or on-campus course much easier.
Both face-to-face and online syllabi should include instructor information, course description, course objectives (or course outcomes), course methodology, grading criteria, grade computation and course policies. In addition, the syllabi for both face-to-face and online versions of the same class should provide identical course descriptions and course objectives, because most accrediting bodies (especially regional ones) require that all sections of a course, regardless of the delivery method, assess students equally. The most significant differences between the two types of syllabi typically appear in the course methodology, grading criteria, and course policies.
Instructor Information:
Regardless of whether you teach an online class or a face-to-face class, you should make your contact information readily available on your syllabus. All syllabi should include the instructor’s name, e-mail address, phone number, and office hours. The relevance of other contact information depends on the type of class. For example, if you teach a face-to-face course, you should include your office location; if you teach an online course, you should tell students how they can reach you.
In a face-to-face course, you generally can expect that students will discuss matters with you before class, after class, or at your office during office hours. In an online course, however, synchronous sessions with students do not provide sufficient privacy for personal student discussions before or after the session. Online students also may not live close enough to walk or drive to your office or be available to meet during your traditional daytime office hours. For an online course, therefore, you must change how and when you are available.
Course Description
A course description is a brief summary statement or paragraph about the nature of a course. Well-written course descriptions use active voice, whole sentences, and direct statements. To ensure consistency across sections and instructors, all instructors should take course descriptions directly from their institution’s catalog.
Course Objectives (Course Outcomes)
Course objectives, or outcomes, detail the specific goals of the course as they relate to student performance. Strong course objectives are specific, measurable, clear, and related. To be specific, objectives must identify the information students will learn in the class. To be measurable, objectives must identify the performance that students must demonstrate for mastery. To be clear, objectives must articulate the sum of knowledge addressed in the course. Finally, to be related, objectives must logically coexist, building on one another and/or complementing each other.
Course Methodology
Course methodology refers to how the class approaches student learning. Many online courses feature a variety of learning methods, including readings, case studies, tests, quizzes, and discussions. Describing the course methodology gives students some expectation of the materials they will use to learn in the class. It also gives students the information they need to determine how well-suited they are for the course.
Grading Criteria
Many students focus their attention on the section of the syllabus that lists the grading criteria. Adult learners especially value having clear guidelines they can follow as they complete their class work. Therefore, you should spend time writing unambiguous grading criteria for each method you will use to grade students.
Grade Computation
The grade computation section of the syllabus is the second section to which students give considerable attention. You should specify the value of each graded item in the course so that students know how to weight their focus in the class.
Course Policies
Many institutions use standardized syllabi with predefined course policies; however, instructors often must rewrite course policies designed for face-to-face courses to make them relevant for online courses. For example, attendance policies that discuss tardiness and use of cell phones do not apply to most online courses.
Attendance
Students must access the online course regularly to ensure that they receive the most up-to-date announcements. The learning management system reports each participant’s access times so that instructors can track student attendance. Students who access the course only one or two times per week may receive less consideration if they request extensions or make-up exams. It is in the best interest of each student to log in daily and actively participate in the course.
A syllabus has several functions[12]. The first function is to invite students to your course—to inform them of the objectives of the course and to provide a sense of what the course will be like. The second function is to provide a kind of contract between instructors and students —to document expectations for assignments and grade allocations. The third function is to provide a guiding reference—a resource to which students and instructional staff can refer for logistical information such as the schedule for the course and office hours, as well as rationale for the pedagogy and course content.
Generally, a syllabus should include the following information:
Learning Objectives. What students will gain or take away from your course. Why these objectives are the most important skills/knowledge for the course (helpful if objectives are included for each topic/session).
Goal/Rationale. How the course relates to primary concepts and principles of the discipline (where it fits into the overall intellectual area). Type of knowledge and abilities that will be emphasized. How and why the course is organized in a particular sequence.
Basic Information. Course name and number, meeting time and place, instructor name, contact information, office hours, instructional support staff information.
Course Content. Schedule, outline, meeting dates and holidays, major topics and sub-topics preferably with rationale for inclusion.
Student Responsibilities. Particulars and rationale for homework, projects, quizzes, exams, reading requirements, participation, due dates, etc. Policies on lateness, missed work, extra credit, etc.
Grading Method. Clear, explicit statement of assessment process and measurements.
Materials and Access. Required texts and readings, course packs. How to get materials including relevant instructional technologies. Additional resources such as study groups, etc.
Teaching Philosophy. Pedagogical approach including rationale for why students will benefit from it.
Your syllabus is an ideal place to share with students the assumptions and expectations that informed your approach to designing your course. Whether or not we’re conscious of it, we hold beliefs about how learning works and what counts as good teaching. This set of beliefs is often called a teaching and learning philosophy. This philosophy stems from our own experiences and observations as both students and teachers.
Depending on the context, our beliefs may or may not give way to what would actually constitute effective teaching and learning in a given situation. For this reason it’s important to build awareness and agility around one’s teaching and learning philosophy. To that end, try answering these questions: By what methods and activities do students learn? What does it look like to be “knowledgeable” in your field? How is power shared or not in your classroom? What do you assume your students should be able to understand or do in order to be “successful” in your class? These are big questions. At times it may be hard to discern why grappling with these questions matters, especially during the course design phase. But reflecting on questions like these is an ongoing process and practice that can inform all aspects of your teaching.[13]
The more explicit and transparent information we can provide our students about the course goals, their responsibilities, and the criteria we will use to assess their performance, the more likely it is that they will be successful as students and we will be successful as instructors. The syllabus serves as a central means to communicate such information.
Contact Information
Enter instructor, co-instructor, TA and/or peer facilitator name and contact information, including office phone#, email address, office address, office hours, virtual office hours (Skype, Chat). Indicate whether instructor is available by appointment and the manner in which appointments may be made. Note reasonable expectations for students regarding response time to e-mail or other messages. If multi-section course, list the name and contact information of the course coordinator that students may direct their questions to.[14]
Course Information
Course title, number, section, semester offered, days, times of course meetings and location. List any dates times of special sessions, field trips, other activities that are scheduled in place of/in addition to regularly scheduled class meetings. Note any prerequisites for student enrollment, special skills or knowledge for effectively meeting course requirements.Provide a disability disclosure statement that invites students to contact you, such as: Any student who has a need for accommodation/s based upon the impact of a disability should contact me as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Disabilities Support Services to coordinate appropriate accommodations.
Instructor Information
You may share your interest, passion for the subject, teaching philosophy. You may introduce coinstructors and/or TAs and their expertise and contributions.Program and Course Student Learning Outcomes
Course Description
Indicate how the course fits within the program, its value added for the students, its content. You may indicate the course format, e.g., large lecture with discussion sections, seminar course.[15]
The syllabus as a contract
A syllabus should make the rules for the course clear. It should set forth what is expected to happen during the semester, delineate the responsibilities of students and of the instructor, and describe appropriate procedures and course policies. To do this, a syllabus should include the following:
Topics and readings to be covered in sequence with dates
Important dates (e.g., assignment due dates, exam dates, and holidays)
Standards and criteria for graded assignments
Description of how the final grade will be computed with a breakdown of the ranges for each letter grade and whether or not pluses/minuses will be used
Policy on late assignments, incomplete assignments, and revisions
Academic integrity policy
Attendance policy
Accommodation policy for students with special needs (see the Instructor Information page on the DRES website)
Expectations for classroom interaction. For example, you may point out that you will be incorporating active learning strategies throughout the semester in the form of group work, in-class writing assignments, etc. Or if you address controversial topics, you may want to lay out some guidelines for discussion.
The syllabus as a permanent record
A syllabus should serve accountability and documentation functions. It should document what was covered in a course, at what level, and for what kind of credit. Such a syllabus contains information useful for evaluation of instructors, courses, and programs, and can thus be useful in course equivalency transfer situations, accreditation procedures, and articulation. To do this, a syllabus should include the following:
Basic course information (course by number, section, title, semester, meeting times, days, place, format)
Instructor information (name, title, rank, office location, office phone number, e-mail)
Description of the course content
Course goals and objectives (linked to professional standards if appropriate)
Required purchases for the course. You may also want to note where else texts will be available (e.g., the library, online, electronic reserves)
Pre- and co-requisites for the course (not just courses; what skills are expected also)
Names and contact information for teaching assistants