Creating a Syllabus in WIDS Online
Starting a New Syllabus
1. Click the Add New button on the home screen. WIDS presents a popup menu. Select Syllabus from the menu.
2. WIDS opens a dialog box. Enter the desired course number, or a key word, and search. WIDS presents courses that match your search. Select the desired course.
- Enter a name for your syllabus. This is just to help you find the syllabus again later -- so you might use the section or delivery mode in the title.
- Select the syllabus term and year from the droplists.
- Enter the start date and end date for your syllabus.
Tip: The start and end dates are important! These dates determine the version of the course that will be used for course information.
3. WIDS opens your syllabus. All the data provided by your organization will already be included in in the syllabus along with everything you provided in your profile.
4. Add additional information by clicking the Pencil icon to edit a section. You can save each section as you complete your work. No need to save your syllabus as a whole -- WIDS does that for you.
Tip: You can drag and drop grid rows by clicking and holding the dragon icon.
5. Select the Submit button to submit your syllabus for college review or archiving. Once you have submitted your syllabus, it's no longer editable. But you can easily obtain the URL or download the syllabus document.
Tip: Submitted syllabi are also archived in the course. Open the course, and navigate to the Documents tab, My Course Documents page, My Submitted Syllabi folder.
Syllabus Checklist
Section Information
-
Start Date and End Date
- Meeting Time(s)
- Meeting Location(s)
- Optional: Course Website (https://bb9.witc.edu), Additional Information
- Optional: Additional Class Information – could outline course organization, blended/hybrid course information/organization, etc.
Instructor Information
- Campus Phone Number
- Optional: Mobile Phone Number
- Office Location
- Office Hours
- Optional: Additional Instructor Information. Recommended: preferred method of contact, instructor response time to email and voicemail messages, specifications for sending email or voicemail (subject line in email, information to include in voicemail, etc.)
Course Information
- Course Information – is pulled from the Course Outcome Summary. Includes course title, number, description, hours of instruction, competencies, linked program and collegewide outcomes, and linked external standards
- Textbooks – required and/or optional textbooks for the course or a statement that none are required
- Supplies – required and/or optional supplies for the course or a statement that none are required
- Grading Information
- Assessment Strategies that will be included in the grade (Ex: projects, papers, presentations, tests, quizzes)
- How listed assessment strategies contribute to the final grade (Ex: Project = 100 points, Presentation = 100 points, Weekly quizzes – 10 points each = 150 points. Your final grade will be determined by dividing the points earned by the points possible. OR Project = 30%, Presentations = 30%, Tests = 30%, Quizzes = 10%.)
- Late Work and Make-Up Policies
- Optional: Additional detail regarding assessment strategies (Ex: description/expectations of project(s) and/or papers, discussion expectations, etc.)
- Differentiate between grading on attendance and grading on participation. Receiving points for showing up on time is grading on attendance, which is against WITC policy and performance-based learning practices. Grading on participation includes content- related strategies that students need to be in class to complete such as a reading check/review quiz during the first five minutes of class, small group summary paragraphs, discussion summary paragraphs, daily participation self-assessments, etc.)
Guidelines
Check to make sure any selected/added guidelines are showing and properly edited.
Schedule
Optional, however, providing a schedule assists students in coordinating course expectations with other courses and personal commitments. Identifying course competencies with learning activities and assessments documents alignment.
