What is one word that would explain why students do not read the syllabus? https://pollev.com/ashleysamson341

Have seen it all

unimportant

seems abstract

Fun to watch this form in real-time!

LENGTHY!

if you combine length, lengthy and long, that would be one of the most common features

polleverywhere.com is a great way to bring your slides into class discussion

The one-word answer may be an icebreaker but students do read the gradiing policy. Nothing else.

@Raman: True, they may skip through a boring syllabus and go right to “what do I need to get an A” (or other grade).

I wish I could get my students to skip to "what do I need to get an A". I would have a lot more A's. They won't open it to begin with.

Have students create the syllabus

Nice! Have them create it.

Good points from group regarding student input > ownership

Pre-version of Syllabus: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxN4M6qCVbDPWU10dUVObTJZWW8Post-version of Syllabus: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxN4M6qCVbDPREhrRTF5eVc0bFU

Google doc for in-session syllabus response exercise: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aRA1RbMycjh1kU37QhMqFivZGHQpLk2WlxSDceo0934/edit

b is much longer than a

computer is acting up… the first syllabus doesn’t say enough and there are too many exams

If you haven’t done a google doc activity like this with your students on topic X, this is a good example of how easy it is to engage-capture-discuss in real-time.

Yep. Pretty much sums it up.

One little concern of mine is that the language of the new syllabus is wonderful, motivational perhaps, but it may not necessarily be recognizable & clear (alluding to previous paradigms). And that this might confuse at first rather than clarify

^ That’s an excellent point!

Brett, I would actually like to learn more about how to use Google docs like this!

“A bunch of you will fail” always got me to drop the course. It’s such a poison pill.

@Kim Norman: I can show you how.

Nell Noddings caring theory of education

@Adam: That would be great!

I always took a bunch of you would fail as a call to work REALLY hard to prove them wrong

Ida, you were probably a better student than me. I was just concerned about losing my scholarship. :)

@Kim: Our Nov 17 PLC session is on Leveraging Google Apps

@Adam: Great of you to offer help with gdocs!

STEM - Big Ideas

This reminds me of "Essential Questions" from teaching high school

Reframing into questions also helps to map to Student Learning Outcomes!

@Brett: Looking forward to that session!

Essential Question - Purpose - Outcome

I have mixed feelings: It takes up no more room, which is good, and frames the discussion nicely, also good, but makes the document less useful as a reference tool—that's bad.

Do atoms exist? How do we know?

What is the role of the law in controlling and supporting business decisions?

How can we predict the temperature change of a given chemical reaction?

Why study human communication?

What is encapsulation?

What are buffer systems and why are the essential for life?

coding

When does 5 equal 0?

What is Sociology? What do sociologists do?

Why did they use flying buttresses?

Why is quicksort so quick?

obv mod 5

Where did the analysis of human societies begin?

why are we watching this weird film?

“Why you’re gonna be so glad you know how to use Excel”

ch 10 Waiting line analysis -> Why does the line form? Which checkout line should I join when I am in a supermarket?

Why mixed Business with calculus?

Why are Californians so fixated on the beach?

@Kim Actually I was working mod 2.5 :p

How do we write a computer program that processes a million items quickly?

What is a chemiscal reaction?

What role does narrative play in thinking?

When can I know someone is wrong even when I don’t know what they’re talking about?

What is organizational behavior, why is it important for managers to understand?

@Adam :p

Would this make it more difficult for students who are relating the syllabus to the textbook for exam prep?

How can I find the shortest path?

when am i going to use this?

I like the question idea (in italics), but I think I would also include the topic as well. I can just see too much confusion on the first day when I want so much to be clear

But the question can also go beyond “what you will know” at the end of a lecture to a better understanding of why Discipline X is interested in this question.

Yes, please do share that resource on coddling vs. caring. :)

“Caring Isn’t Coddling” article @ https://chroniclevitae.com/news/1621-caring-isn-t-coddling

Thanks!

More difficult with required courses, especially when it’s not directly in the topic, e.g. business law in a business major

Isn’t it more than projecting confidence ?The syllabus is deliberately showing how the activities are designed to support students’ achievement and success.

very humanized

I like that

But very very long.

humanized is a good way to put it

yes, also long

Lengthier yes…but that also gives it meaning

I agree with language here but it makes the syllabus long. Isn’t this better expressed in class?

less hammer-like though

The second version is too wordy; clear and succinct communication is more effective.

It only has meaning if the students are willing to read it.

it is long; will students read it? It’s almost something you’d send an email with that language or do a short audio/video

Wondering about your grades? Check Moodle/Canvas/Blackboard! I keep your grades up to date.

An easy way to check your grades is through Moodle/Canvas

“I will keep your grades up to date on Canvas. I’m happy to answer questions about your grades, but please check Canvas first.”

You can check your grades any time of the day or night by checking on the LMS

Arriving late to class deprives all of us of your contributions to our learning process.

We have had a few mentions in chat and gdoc regarding syllabus/welcome video. That’s also a great way of humanizing the course introduction.

“Could you check your points for me on our Moodle site, and then let’s look at what activities we still have coming up.”

Arriving on time to class conveys respect for your classmates, instructor, and your own learning. Please organize your time to arrive to class when we begin and stay for the duration of the class meeting.

You can see your grades anytime on Blackboard. If you download the free app you will be alerted every time a new grade is posted.

Grades are available on course site. Do you need some help finding it?

We also talk about how the success of our writing courses depends on the consistent attendance and engagement of the members of our community of learners.

Questions about your course grade? You’ll have access 24/7 to your current scores on the LMS. If you look at the “totals” column, you can see how it stacks up against the grading scale (in the syllabus). Think about what assignments are still left in the course. I’m happy to help you explore ways of doing better in those future assignments.

After every major assignment, I recommend we have a quick discussion about your grade…

Great contributions!

You can email all the students when the grade becomes available and tell them how they can access the score. thus, avoiding replying to multiple emails

Moodle is our university's course management system. You can check your progress in this course there.

If there are chat posts that you like, you can copy and paste. Also, at the bottom of the Chat window, there is a More drop-down that has a Save Chat function.

I'll be working hard to keep your grades available. Check Blackboard at any time to see your standing in the course!

it would be great to have the LMS send emails when students' grades drop.

I sometimes share that I’m a first-generation to college student because so many of my students are too. But I say this, I don’t write it. I wonder if I’d be comfortable sharing it on a syllabus.

Yes I include these through socretive.com throughout semester, but syllabus, hmmm

I love exam wrappers!!

For the beginning of the semester icebreaker--I always joke with the students what videogames I've been playing over the break.

I would get to class 10 minutes early, and small talk with students while waiting to enter the room. “Have you seen the new Game of Thrones episode?” etc

I totally agree with the philosophy of getting connected with students. They should feel comfortable with the faculty member to ask questions and accept the answers.

Exam wrappers (for metacognition on how to change study habits for success) also provide an opportunity to get midsemester feedback on the course and be responsive to student needs.

Much of the left side has to do with affect, motivation, engagement. Areas that can often be overlooked but can matter most to student persistence.

It seems like this would be very helpful with teaching students to transfer their skills

This goes all the way back to Krathwohl’s affective domain taxonomy

how do you reprogram students to learn how to learn? most students seem to be programmed to be able to answer standardized tests, but once they break those low boundaries of Bloom's, they seem to be malfunctioning robots?

Would videos be similar? For example, instead of students going to a live courtroom, watching a video of a trial in progress—is that the same?

I had my students in my online class go to the beach and create a voicethread of their observations and photos.

I like voice thread too! Waiting for the day when it gets integrated into our LMS.

@Jeremy: Good point. It doesn’t happen easily. Flipping the classroom is an example of something that definitely takes adaptation, patience for students to “come around”

@Jeremy: It really has to be a part of class time. Providing open ended exercises or assignments. But, it takes practice and students develop to different extents based on their background and interest.

How about a flow chart or concept map for each objective to initiate a class session?

Are these results different for male vs. female instructors?

@bgonzalez: Graphical representation of SLOs, assignments/activities, assessments can be very useful

Ida - great question!

@ida Great question!

All references in the slides are collected on a closing slide and the entire presentation is available at http://plc.csuprojects.org The session recording will be posted this afternoon.

Thanks, Ashley! Very interesting & helpful!

Thank you Ashley!!

even better than last year!

Thanks Ashley, that was energetic. I which you were my prof.!

Thanks, Ashley!

Thank you, very inspiring

This has been really informative. Thank you!

Thanks Ashley. It is clear that you are an inspiring professor.

Awesome...insightful

Thank you!

Got a meeting to run to. Thank you! I love the Beautiful Questions and hope to incorporate!

Thanks. I am definitely going to use some of these tips.

Thanks Ashley. I will modify my syllabus to incorporate at least some of those beautiful questions

Thank you very interesting presentation

Good presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Ashley!

It was great!!! Thank you!

I would have really appreciated seeing a learning centered syllabus from a STEM class in addition to a history class

thank you Ashley.

Compelling and useful—reworking syllabi is important

Very useful presentation!!! Thanks!

Great and effective presentation!

Yes, I have lots of new ideas that I’m going to use :-)

next week on Tuesday at 10a, correct?

yes i think i will incorporate learning-centered syllabus into new syllabus. remind us about share point?

got it!