bruce saulnier professor of computer information systems 15 february 2010
TRANSCRIPT
Question: How many of you spend part of the first day of class going over the course syllabus?
Answer: _____ of _______
Student Answers to Above Question – student class surveys reveal that over 90% of classes cover the syllabus on the first day of class.
Students who say they really pay attention
when the professor goes over the syllabus? Less than 25% -- for most of the information Over 75% -- for attendance policy and
grading criteria
Problem – Given that students really do not pay attention, what can we do instead to
(1)not waste the first day of class; and (2)yet make sure that students know and are
held accountable for the required information on the syllabus?
Using Blackboard, I e-mail every student in the class the day before class starts to
(1) welcome them to the course; and (2) ask/tell them to please bring their computers to class on the first day
• After taking attendance (got to keep the Registrar’s Office happy, note student nicknames, and insure that everyone knows that they are welcome),
• We go the BlackBoard course where we (i) download documents (syllabus and outline) to folders, (ii) go to course materials to point out assignments corresponding to outline; and (iii) go over using the BlackBoard assignment feature to both download assignment documents and submit assignments.
A Quiz (low stakes – giveaway) over the syllabus to be submitted midnight of the same night.
Results – ◦ Verify they can do all of the required BlackBoard
course elements (pick up problems early with low stakes assignment); and
◦ Accountability for Syllabus Contents◦ Note – I do not cover syllabus itself in class.