Paul Cantrell
A reminder to myself, sharing for whoever needs to hear it:
Students mostly don’t read the syllabus. The primary beneficiary of the syllabus is the instructor. It’s a planning tool, a thought-sharpener. Anything students need to hear must also come through other channels.
Also, students:
Actually reading the syllabus — •really• reading it, not just kind of looking at it — is a superpower. It’s a window into the prof’s mind. You probably won’t, I know, but if you do…instant leg up.
Paul Cantrell
I’ve done casual empirical research on how many students actually read the syllabus enough to notice details. The number sometimes creeps as high as 50% in upper-level classes (experienced students dedicated to the subject are more likely to invest the energy, I suppose), but it’s generally closer to 20%.
I could blame and berate the students, but ultimately I just have to acknowledge that a syllabus along is just not a very effective way to communicate. Like it or not, it’s a fact.
forrcaho
@inthehands I've always thought of a syllabus as a table of contents for a course. When I read a book, I don't pore over the table of contents-- I glance at it and perhaps look forward to some sections--- but since I'll be reading the book (taking the course), I know I'll get there.
Paul Cantrell
And…that makes sense. Why would we reasonably expect a giant a wall of text delivered in one huge drop at the busy start of the term? I don’t like when people dump a giant wad of prose in my lap; why would the students?
I’ve had success with directing students to specific sections •in context• and •at the time• they are relevant in class. First week of class? Look at those learning goals. First homework? Read the section on copying. etc
Jeff Phillips
@inthehands And sometimes a deeper read of the syllabus can lead to cash prizes!
Ref: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/us/professor-syllabus-money.html
Paul Cantrell
@jeffphi
The empirical research on reading rates I mentioned was a no-stakes version of this: “email me a picture of [cool animal].” I get cool pictures in my email, and I get a sense of how much explicit prompting I need to do with the class.
I’ve heard a long parade of “gotcha” stories like that NYT headline (no sub, sorry, couldn’t read article). They usually have a tone of “students are idiots;” I’m arguing for opening the door to “this communication isn’t effective.”
Paul Cantrell
@shonin
Yeah, I’ve known people who did a non-trick syllabus quiz, and that can help.
The trick test, though…I don’t know, I don’t like playing gotcha with my students. Often “star students” really means “students who’ve already received the hidden curriculum about how to work the prof,” and not “students who have the greatest potential if properly nurtured.”
shonin
@inthehands I always gave them the "read everything before you do anything" trick test at the beginning of the term. At least I got to see who my star students were going to be, a minute later.
Paul Cantrell
There’s often an air in education surrounding this stuff of “students are so stupid,” a sense that students are the inherently •adversaries• of teachers.
This bothers me immensely. If something •consistently• does not work for a large subset of students, even a majority, but I insist on continuing to do it, then who’s at fault: the students for not being •my• imaginary version of themselves, or me for failing to heed evidence?
Paul Cantrell
The answer to this question depends entirely on whether you think the primary purpose of school is education or gatekeeping.
Paul Cantrell
@engravecavedave oof
CaveDave
@inthehands I remember when the class year after me in my physics undergrad were struggling with most subjects because the uni had changed the degree structure drastically for that year. One day they went to the most, let me say genuine, lecturer there is and when they were complaining how no one is doing anything about the fact that they're all getting poor grades and failing, his response was, "we're under the impression that this is a particular bad year of students"
CaveDave
@inthehands and I really wanna hammer in home that's this lecturer is one of the best in the faculty in the sense that he actually cared about us and didn't see us as a burden. I'll let you imagination paint a picture to how the rest of the faculty members were
Paul Cantrell
@bamboombibbitybop @engravecavedave
Ask me about the 2020-2021 school year
young man yells at the cloud
@engravecavedave @inthehands Assuming the "badness" of each year of students follows a normal bell-curve distribution, "this year of students is particularly bad" *is* a statement that can be true. However, I don't think the solution is to shrug and say "oh well, what can ya do, these kids just suck."
Paul Cantrell
Framing it with an analogy:
I think for students, the syllabus feels a lot like the EULA for the course.
Do •you• read and absorb every EULA software throws in your face? Do you even scroll through it? (And of course some few of you can honestly answer “yes,” but that doesn’t mean that EULAs constitute good communication, much less meaningful consent.)
True, a syllabus isn’t written in legalese, but for students the experience is more similar to an EULA than we profs like to admit.
Paul Cantrell
@donw
I am completely unsurprised by all of this.
Don Whiteside
@inthehands Our local school district has instituted a fairly aggressive policy on retakes and the dialog in local parent forums is just an astonishing wall of folks telling on themselves that way. Whenever I interact with them with my stock “are we doing better for the student long-term by working towards mastery of the subject or by issuing grades to assess knowledge at a specific point in time?” I get back various sputtering about consequences and rewards for high achievers.
Paul Cantrell
@dekk
Maybe? I feel like a well-organized syllabus with basic structural attention — good organization, good headings, visual anchor points — is going to serve as a better reference than a slide deck. And ultimately I feel like a syllabus should work primarily as a situational reference, not a linear read.
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