Whether teaching online or in the classroom, one of the first opportunities I have to communicate with students is through the course syllabus. I have used a variety of approaches to orient students to the course by addressing frequently asked questions related to attendance, point values, due dates, and citation style requirements.
Despite having a well-crafted syllabus, merely reading the document (solo or in-class) lacked engagement and measurable learning. Students needed an incentive to read and understand the syllabus content. I needed assurance that students were aware of the critical aspects and policies of the course. By incorporating a syllabus quiz into the very first class (or lesson), reading the syllabus became a necessary step to embark on the course.
I began by identifying ten of the most crucial elements of the syllabus that students needed to succeed in the course. Then, I constructed quiz questions for each component. Students have unlimited quiz attempts throughout the first week of class and, after achieving 100%, earn access to the next module.
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