August 5, 2008

Report Advocates Sharing of Syllabi Online

Universities should encourage greater openness by requiring faculty members to post course syllabi online before the beginning of the term, argues a new report by the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.

It doesn’t have to be the full and final version of the syllabus, with complete rules on grading and classroom demeanor. But providing detailed course descriptions and reading lists lets students know what they’re signing up for and makes professors accountable for what they teach, argues Jay Schalin, a senior writer at the nonprofit institute, in North Carolina.

The benefits, writes Mr. Schalin, would be fourfold: An online repository of syllabi would help students make informed course decisions, allow for comparisons across institutions, enable information sharing among faculty members, and “expose a professor’s deviation from normal expectations or acceptable academic standards.”

Plenty of professors are leery of syllabus sharing, for fear it might lead to syllabus stealing. But the report, “Opening Up the Classroom: Greater Transparency Through Better, More Accessible Course Information,” highlights online systems at the University of Washington and Duke University that give students information on a course’s content, method of instruction, reading list, exams, and assignments before they register for classes. —Paula Wasley

Comments

1. Many course syllabi are easy to find online. Also, those who use Blackboard and other course management systems already have their syllabi available to students who have enrolled in a given course. Making syllabi otherwise available duplicates the effort and is a waste of time. Most colleges and universities have their course catalogs online, so course descriptions are readily available to anyone with an Internet connection. Students can easily check out professors and their courses on Facebook and other student friendly sites such as RateMyProfessor.com. The JW Pope Center for HE Policy recommendation is naive and about a decade late.

   — M C Smith    Aug 6, 09:16 AM    #

2. This really takes the award for the most obvious report of the week. Openly sharing knowledge enriches the learning environment? Really? Who would have though it?

   http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/duh/

   — Dave Parry    Aug 6, 09:30 AM    #

3. I think the point is that there still are a good number of faculty memembers that do not post their syllabi. They should be strongly encouraged to post them.

   — Anne    Aug 6, 10:01 AM    #

4. M.C. Smith’s arguments against syllabi sharing are not really plausible. First, many instructors do not post syllabi on sites such as BlackBoard until the term is about ready to start.

   Secondly, the Rate My Professors website is really a sham, and is not a very credible website, except for many disgruntled students.

   Third, it seems to me as one writer here suggested, that it would be a good thing for students to get a better idea of what is expected of them, BEFORE they sign up for, and begin attending the class.

   Lastly, how much of a problem is it if one professor takes ideas for his syllabus from another professor? I would be honored if another professor used parts of my syllabus.

   Shouldn’t we be there to guide students, by helping them make informed decisions?

   — Garyz    Aug 6, 10:28 AM    #

5. It continually amazes me that some faculty members treat their syllabi and related information as if it were privileged information. It’s not. We sometimes lose track of our goal: student success. To that end, I applaud sharing syllabi and other course information. The more a students know about a course, the better they can be prepared for it.

   — Al    Aug 6, 11:17 AM    #

6. The syllabus is a good start. How about posting course materials, learning objects, and a structured access to the knowledge?
   Check out the Open Courseware Consortium. http://www.ocwconsortium.org/

   — Curt Madison    Aug 6, 11:28 AM    #

7. This is not really about the syllabus. It is veiled support of steps leading toward standardization of the curriculum, teaching practices and national transcripting. Can Spellings not be too far away?

   — AMD    Aug 6, 12:56 PM    #

8. Many universities have posted their syllabi for purposes of establishing and sharing not only best practices, but also to encourage the kind of brainstorming that creates meaningful change over time. I know I would have had much more difficulty getting started at a high level of effectiveness if my colleagues had not been so generous about sharing their existing syllabi for me to build on. Let us please consider the cumulative knowledge enterprise that is higher education—how exactly is it going to harm someone if their syllabus helps another practitioner learn?

   — San Joaquin    Aug 6, 02:19 PM    #

9. It’s not about standardization, it’s about student success. Students shouldn’t have to figure out what the course purports to teach while it is being taught. Posting the syllabus early encourages accountability on the part of faculty, but why shouldn’t we be accountable for what we teach? Transparency, not mystery, will help students achieve better learning. For, isn’t that why we’re here?

   — JLC    Aug 6, 04:04 PM    #

10. We sometimes lose track of our goal: student success. To that end, I applaud sharing syllabus and other course information.his is not really about the syllabus. It is veiled support of steps leading toward standardization of the curriculum, teaching practices and national transcription.

    Tomm dcare

    — Tomm dcare    Aug 7, 12:51 AM    #

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