2.5 - Class Syllabi and Expectations

Background

If you're still new to online teaching, you may not have considered all the changes that will be important in your class syllabus. Your syllabus is a great place to start when redesigning a class to be offered online or in hybrid format. As you think through your class - how you have taught in a classroom, what you expect of students, and how you organize and orchestrate all of that - you may have some questions about how that translates to an online environment. 

Revising your syllabus for the online environment is critical and inclusion of certain elements is required for distance education classes at LATTC. Simply reusing a syllabus designed for an on-ground class is likely to lead to confusion for you and your students.

LATTC Required Elements for DE Class Syllabi

Fortunately, LATTC again offers some official guidance (and requirements) in the form of the LATTC Syllabus Checklist Download LATTC Syllabus Checklist, a document produced by Academic Affairs. The document is worth a look if you've never seen it to be sure you include all elements required on each class syllabus at LATTC. We recommend that DE classes specifically outline:

• Policy describing the frequency and timeliness of instructor-initiated contact
• Policy describing how, where, when instructor provides feedback
• Description of how, where, when course documents are made available to students
• Support services available to online students
• Any onsite meetings, for hybrid classes

Providing clear, detailed information about DE classes helps students (a) determine if your class is right for them, and (b) get ready for success in your class. For fully online classes, students may be anxious about how, when, and where they are expected to get started. For hybrid classes, students want to know what the expectations are for in-person meetings and/or proctoring.

It is best to provide students with key information in advance of the beginning of class.

• Publish the Canvas class and make available the home page, syllabus, and any other pages that can help enrolled students be prepared for your class. Keep other parts of the class unpublished if you are still working on them and/or want to have students hold off on access until the class actually begins. When your class is published, registered students will be notified via email.
• Send an Announcement approximately one week before the class begins. Welcome students to the class and inform them of any information they may need before the class begins. This can include purchasing the textbook/supplies, explaining the time commitment, and referring students to services on campus or online.
• Send an Announcement the day before the class begins. Remind students of any Zoom meetings and reiterate the time commitment to start off strong.

If you have a scheduled meeting with your DE class and prefer to “reveal” the class to students during that first meeting, you may keep most components of the class unpublished until then, but the class itself should be published along with basic information such as a syllabus and/or class home page.