Syllabus Makeover: Engaging students with multimedia syllabus abstracts

Creating course syllabi is not glamorous, and every educator knows the struggle. The syllabus is intended to be a comprehensive document, giving students a clear picture of the course. However, despite the hours spent crafting a thorough syllabus, educators often find themselves repeatedly answering student questions with: “It's in the syllabus.” Course syllabi become redundant artifacts in a course if learners don't use them. The question is, is there a way to make course syllabi more attractive and accessible for learners?

What is a Course Syllabus?

Course syllabi have lofty goals. They should be welcoming and engaging and draw students into the course. They should provide a road map for the course organization and guide the learner through the course, clearly stating the expectations for learners. They must also include various institutional policies, which are seen as a “contract” between the student and the teacher [1].

In online courses, the syllabus must clearly state all course elements to provide clarity about the course and minimize student cognitive load. The result is a 10–20 page document that can seem daunting to students.

The challenge with course syllabi is they are too long, and are often poorly designed.

• Course syllabi that are 10–20 pages long are unwieldy, and it becomes difficult for students to navigate and locate the information they want.
• Syllabi are usually long documents with large blocks of text. They might use headings to break up the text but do not go much further than that.

In the age of TikTok and X posts, learners want bite-sized, visually appealing content. Students today spend more time on digital media than reading, so, unsurprisingly, they do not read a course syllabus in detail [2].

Alternative Approaches

Michelle Pacansky-Brock proposed the idea of a liquid syllabus that incorporates different modalities and is interactive. Pacansky-Brock suggests creating course syllabi as webpages that can include videos from the instructor and interesting graphics [3]. Students can navigate through the pages and interact with the content through embedded hyperlinks and multimedia content.

The liquid syllabus was intriguing to me, but I had two concerns:

1. While I liked the idea of an interactive, multimodal course syllabus, using a platform outside the institutional learning management platform can run afoul of institutional policies and present access issues for students.
2. The liquid syllabus is still a long website that students need to navigate.

Syllabus Abstract

Academic journal articles require an abstract that summarizes the article. Abstracts are intended to:

• provide readers with a concise overview of the article,
• prepare readers to engage with the detailed information presented in the article, and
• aid readers in recalling the key points from the paper.

Applying these principles to a course syllabus, I propose a syllabus abstract.

The syllabus abstract is a one-page interactive, infographic-style syllabus that captures all the key elements of the course syllabus and includes audio and video explanations. I provide my learners with both a traditional syllabus document and the syllabus abstract, ensuring they have all the information they need while giving them a visually appealing and interactive way to engage with the course syllabus.

I designed the syllabus abstract to be a visually appealing and cohesive collection of all the key elements of the course. It integrates text, audio, video, and graphics into a harmonious and engaging document. Its key features are:

• It is a one-page overview of the syllabus.
• It is designed as an infographic.
• It contains interactive elements such as hyperlinks, audio, and video.

Creating a Syllabus Abstract

Step 1: Decide on the content of the syllabus abstract 

I wanted my syllabus abstract to be a printable document that could be stuck on a wall as an easy reference guide for my students. This meant I was limited to an 8x11 inches A4 sheet. I had to carefully select what content I would put on this page. What I have selected to include are:

• Instructor contact information
• Course overview
• Course resources
• Timelines
• Assignments
• Help resources

[click to enlarge]

Figure 1. Sample syllabus abstract

Step 2: Creating the syllabus abstract layout

Nowadays, numerous freely available online tools make it easy to create a visually appealing layout. Platforms like Canva, Piktochart, Visme, and others offer samples and templates, enabling graphic design novices to create visually appealing documents. But be warned! Creating this document is time-intensive, especially the first time.

Step 3: Create the multimedia content

I create audio and video content to provide more details about each element on the syllabus abstract. These recordings give me space to explain my educational philosophy, my approach to the course, the course design, and the detailed explanations of the assignments. This allows me to create a more learner-centered syllabus. It lets me add more explanations while simultaneously creating a presence for my online learners.

The interactive elements you choose to include should be guided by how most students will access this abstract. If learners will be primarily accessing it online, embedded audio and links to videos would be a good option, in addition to embedded hyperlinks. I avoid QR codes in this scenario since that requires another device to activate them. However, if the syllabus abstract is intended to be printed out, QR codes would be the best option.

Step 4: Combining multimedia content into the document

Below are a few ways I have incorporated the multimedia elements into the document.

Step 5: Sharing the syllabus abstract

A PDF syllabus abstract is a versatile document. It can be printed or viewed on a screen and is easily portable across platforms. Embedding audio can be challenging. However, QR codes can be used as an alternative.

There are various ways to embed and share the syllabus abstract. It depends on what technologies you have access to and are comfortable using. As technology advances, more options will open. In my context, when sharing the syllabus abstract online, I have placed an image of the syllabus abstract on a Google slide and embedded audio recordings from Google Drive (see Figure 1).

Potential Advantages

Providing educational content in multiple modalities is encouraged to cater to diverse learner preferences. The syllabus abstract offers an effective way to do this by combining audiovisual elements and presenting it in an easily accessible manner. Furthermore, the syllabus abstract does not replace the traditional abstract; it is an adjunct to it.

In conclusion, the syllabus abstract offers a promising approach to revitalizing the traditional course syllabus. By embracing an interactive, infographic style that incorporates multimedia elements, we can create a more engaging and accessible resource for our students. While the initial creation process may be time-consuming, the potential benefits of increased student engagement and understanding make it a worthwhile endeavor. As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for enhancing the syllabus abstract are limitless, paving the way for a more dynamic and effective learning experience.

References

About the Author

Anita Samuel, Ph.D., is Assistant Dean for Graduate Education and Associate Professor at the School of Medicine and Vice Chair of Distance Learning at the Department of Health Professions Education, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Maryland. Her areas of expertise are online learning, educational technology, and adult education. She is the Editor-in-Chief of ACM eLearn Magazine.

Disclaimer

The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University or the Department of Defense. This work was prepared by military and civilian employees of the US Government as part of their official duties and therefore is in the public domain and does not possess copyright protection.