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VOLUME XIII, NUMBER 3

INNOVATION ABSTRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DE ame NM te aU dag RAO mle. tee Ue. \Oroe

 

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

Writing Across the Curriculum

With an Essay Test on Day TWO!

Imagine taking an essay test on the SECOND day of
a college course. Imagine that test being on the content
of the course syllabus distributed on Day One. I
couldn’t imagine giving an essay test on the second day
of classes, much less taking one—until this most recent
term, that is.

While attending “Smoky Mountain II,” a University
of Michigan-sponsored seminar on college teaching and
learning, I discovered the value of writing an explicit,
detailed course syllabus. Until that seminar, I had
always assumed that a syllabus consisted of a calendar
of class meetings, topics, and test dates. I had my eyes
opened to the benefits of communicating in writing
considerably more than dates, topics, and office location
and hours.

For example, I now include a description of my
educational philosophy and teaching methods. I
provide a statement of rationale for the course, an
explanation of why the particular texts and readings
were chosen, and a description of testing (feedback). As
a result, my syllabus is now 8-9 pages in length (from a
former 2-3 pages).

Why include this much detail in a syllabus?—to
make clear in writing what is expected of students and
in turn what they may expect from a course. What is
the value of this much detail?—to provide students
with a document that tells them about the instructor
and his/her seriousness in teaching that particular
course. Students take several classes, and it is difficult
to recall the different requirements and expectations
among the various subjects and professors. A detailed
syllabus becomes a useful reference document for both
instructor and students throughout the course.

Do students take the syllabus seriously? Do they
really read it? The answer all too often is “No.” How
do we as teachers convey to students the importance of
anything in our courses? We suggest: “This may be on
your next test.” So assign the syllabus as part of the
reading on day one of classes for day two; then an-
nounce: “Tomorrow there will be a test on the sylla-
bus!”

I’ve followed this procedure regularly for several
years as a way Of assuring that students will read the
syllabus. Until this most recent term, however, my
“tests” were “quickie” true-false and completion
exercises that took about 10 minutes of classtime;
furthermore, students graded their own work. This
“pop” test on the syllabus served as a point of embarka-
tion for explaining orally, in further detail, certain key
points I wanted to stress about the course. I also
informed students that I wanted them to become
knowledgeable and comfortable with the requirements
of the course by the third day of classes—hence, the
assignment of “study the syllabus” and the time spent
testing on it.

For the first time this past term, it occurred to me to
test, in essay format, the students’ comprehension of my
now-expanded syllabus. I asked them to write a four-
paragraph, in-class essay—a “letter” to a friend. The
first paragraph was to establish a thesis and describe
the course content in general—a topic covered orally on
day one, as well as explained in the syllabus. The
second paragraph was to describe course require-
ments—tests, papers, etc. The third was to describe the
teacher—this “strange professor who thinks that
students should write essays in a history class, avoid
being late to class, and never chew gum!” Finally, the
concluding paragraph was to contain some expression
of the student’s individual hopes, expectations, con-
cerns, and/or fears in regard to the course. Students
were given 10 minutes in which to complete a full-page
or one-and-one-half-page essay; those who turned in ac-
ceptable essay-letters would receive one extra-credit
point in the course, but there was to be no penalty for
unacceptable letters.

What were the results of this exercise? Most essays
covered the course content well and in sufficient detail
to assure me that students had studied and understood
the syllabus. The essay-letters also gave me a quick
glimpse at my students’ writing abilities. I had the
opportunity to note in the margins how students could
improve their writing (in anticipation of the three major

 

 

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THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, The Sree of Texas at Austin