Welcome Back to Campus

Fall 2024 instruction has begun and we, the UDL and Accessibility Research Group, would like to welcome those who are joining us for the first time and welcome back those who’ve seen our nugget before! As classes have just started and students are acquainted with their coursework, this week’s nugget will cover how to make an effective syllabus.

But first, here is some key information and changes from last semester:

• The weekly nugget newsletter began in Fall 2023, which has been archived here.
• In order to accommodate old and new viewers, we plan on mixing between sharing new Universal Design of Learning (UDL) concepts and revamping previously-covered topics.

Crafting a Syllabus

Course syllabi serve three overarching functions including structural, motivational, and evidentiary. Research has shown it’s good to have a detailed syllabus to make explicit the expectations for both the students and the instructor. Students benefit from information on how to succeed in courses, such as grading schemes to educational objectives. Using a warm tone is good to generate an engaging atmosphere. In order to serve all students well, try to describe UDL practices, including ways students can get accommodations, flexibility in the assessments and the availability of course support or university supports such as disability services.

Dig Deeper

School Supports

Our university has a strong commitment to help instructors manage course policies, especially through syllabi. To take advantage of this, check out the Provost’s page on course policies or the Student Affairs syllabus statement recommendations. These are strong starting points on what to include in a syllabus to help students understand your policies and to access needed care.

Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES)

At DRES, you can find resources and guidelines for coordinating with disability services, including syllabus statements and course policy construction suggestions. It can be helpful to understand what expectations or rights that instructors and students have in navigating accessibility requirements. For example, students are not required to disclose any disability they may have, but in return are not entitled to additional accommodations without such a disclosure. By outlining such details in syllabi, both students and staff are able to make more informed decisions.

Counseling Center

Another key student resource to share through your syllabus is the Counseling Center. Mental health can be a difficult topic to approach, so a page with suggestions on referring students has been provided by the Student Counseling Center to help you navigate various situations relating to mental health concerns.

Research on Syllabus

Interested in doing more research on an effective syllabus? Check out these research resources:

• Jeanne M. Slattery & Janet F. Carlson “Preparing an effective syllabus: current best practices” College Teaching 53:4, 159-164, 2005
• Wagner, J. L., Smith, K. J., Johnson, C., Hilaire, M. L., & Medina, M. S. (2023). Best Practices in Syllabus Design. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 87(3), ajpe8995. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8995

Syllabus and schedule examples:

• https://cs341.cs.illinois.edu/syllabus.html
• https://cs341.cs.illinois.edu/schedule.html
• https://canvas.illinois.edu/courses/44061/assignments/syllabus
• https://lor.instructure.com/resources/f4c68a4b81a34c0dbd53145ed3c84802?shared

See you again next time!

-UDL and Accessibility Group
https://publish.illinois.edu/udl-accessibility-group/
gcoe-udlgroup@illinois.edu