Tools and Resources

General syllabus for the Course in College Teaching. The syllabus varies slightly from semester to semester depending upon who is leading the course, but this document gives an overview. For detailed information about the current semester's syllabus, contact site@psu.edu.

The Syllabus Checklist document provides a syllabus template that includes elements required on all syllabi by Penn State, plus additional recommended best practices in syllabus design.

Research suggests that the tone of the syllabus communicates an instructor’s teaching philosophy and how the instructor communicates with students (Boysen et al, 2015). Additionally, the tone of the syllabus evokes perceptions of the instructor being warm, approachable, and motivating for learners (Harnish & Bridges, 2011; Wheeler, 2019).

A Likert scale type tool for evaluating a syllabus.

Research indicates that learner-centered syllabi positively impact students’ perception of instructor
effectiveness and rapport with instructors (Harrington & Gaber-Quilen, 2015). Moreover, learnercentered syllabi can lead to higher levels of motivation and engagement, achievement, and rapport
between students (Karanja & Grant, 2020). This resource provides suggestions for constructing a
learner-centered syllabus.

Handout contains prompts for reflecting on one's syllabus, a class, an assignment, and student learning. Reflective prompts that support brainstorming ideas for the portfolio support the early stages of the development of a teaching portfolio.