Student success and student retention have always been the hallmark of my academic career. Trying new ways to reach students is essential and part of my plan to help students reach their goals. And of course students themselves need to develop their own plan for success. Unless you become economically successful due to your parents dying and leaving their fortune to you or you are lucky to win the lottery, everything else in life needs a plan in order to achieve success. Yet the singularity of having a plan does not necessarily lead to success. And of course chance plays a role (that's the subject of my next post).
Plans are detailed, specific paths towards success. Plans include both benchmarks as well as alternative routes for when (not if) some thing or some one temporarily takes you off your path to success.
The more detailed your plan, the more likely you will realize success because the more likely you are prepared to handle adversity.
For success in the classroom, the syllabus is that detailed plan. Or at least the syllabus should be detailed. I have reviewed syllabi of colleagues over the last 17 years which lacked specifics and details, and contained a whole lot of "TBD." That kind of syllabus does not promote student success.
I routinely receive feedback from students affirming the depth and scope of my syllabi. At least that's what successful students tell me. Every semester I try something new that I hope will increase student success. This semester, the summer of 2016, I initiated a Gateway quiz. All of my classes have an online presence, from which students access assigned readings, multimedia such as my lectures, self guided tutorials on writing for history, how to cite, various soft skills, etc.
Students receive the syllabus however the rest of the class is locked to them until they have taken and passed a quiz on the syllabus. The syllabus contains apt he ten things I want students to initially get out of the syllabus from things that annoy me (get my name right) to major policies such as late work, assignment requirements, and required readings.
Once students pass that quiz, the gates swing upon and the students gain unfettered access to the rest of the class. As this is only the third week into the first five-week summer semester, it is too early to draw any conclusions connecting that quiz yo student success. However this much I do know: out of 96 students, only four emailed questions to me on information that was found in the syllabus. So my working conclusion is that the quiz compelled students to carefully read the syllabus as evidenced by an exceptionally small number of questions on information covered in the syllabus (by the way, the questions those four students posed were on information also covered in the syllabus quiz, which they all passed before sending their questions to me).
I am hoping as so few students had questions on information covered in the syllabus, more students will succeed at each assignment and success will translate into self-assurance, which will propel the students to not just complete the next assignment but will facilitate completion at a higher level. Will the Gateway quiz result in an increase in student success? Vamos a ver! At the end of the semester I'll ask the students to take an anonymous survey and three of the questions will be on the Gateway quiz and student success.
I want students to succeed and thus I have created a plan to facilitate their success: the syllabus. However as so few students actually read the syllabus I had needed to come up with a plan that will hopefully further assist students to succeed by compelling them to read the syllabus. So I have a plan that supports my plan for student success.
Success does not happen by accident. Success takes a plan. And there needs to be occasional self-reflection or self-analysis of that plan to determine if the plan is indeed leading you to success.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
The gateway quiz was a first for me and it was good to go back and review the questions. Re-reading the syllabus just led to a better understanding. I shared the plan for success post with my wife and she brought up retirement planning.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
RA
The gateway quiz was a first for me and it was good to go back and review the questions. Re-reading the syllabus just led to a better understanding. I shared the plan for success post with my wife and she brought up retirement planning.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
RA
I wanted to share this link I find motivating https://youtu.be/ZmAFMNmSKus
ReplyDeleteDr. Ross-Nazzal, I am a current student (Fall 2016) and I also took your Summer (2016) class as well. I have found your very, very detailed syllabus to make getting a passing grade easy, easy in terms of knowing exactly what is being asked of me. I have to agree with you about having a plan. I work full time as personal financial counselor and one of the main problems that I see every day is related to people not having a plan. The plan I’m referring to in relation to my job is a spending plan or a budget. I try to educate these consumers on why they need this plan/budget, but maybe they might be better off reading this post.
ReplyDeleteI enrolled into my first online class this semester and I admit I was quite nervous. I needed a History 1302 night class and none were available. Just as I was about to give up I stumbled upon your online class. I have never liked the idea of online classes since I am a very hands on visual person. As soon as I read the assignments on the syllabus I was intimidated. Thus , trying to keep a firm grasp on the GPA that is my academic career, I came up with a plan. I set aside time everyday to keep up with the intimidating amount of reading, I came up with ideas and thesis for my upcoming essays and exams, and noted every due date boldly in my planner. Keeping in mind that life happens, I planned to start my writing assignments early, so if anything were to happen i did not need to request an extension, I simply had more time. The syllabus brought me great joy as it literally has everything you would need to know to pass the class. Obviously, every professor claims to put everything in their syllabus but this one takes the cake, and has put my mind at ease in taking online classes. The skill to come up with a plan and succeed at it is very satisfying, and unknowingly it is a skill that will help you throughout many obstacles in life.
ReplyDeleteWith this being my second year in college, I have personally taken around 5 online class. None of my previous online classes have had a syllabus as detailed as yours. I must admit I usually skimp the syllabuses and just go by what others are doing and that always has worked for me. Except for this class, I was forced to read all the syllabus, because of the gateway quiz, which actually has benefited me greatly with assignments and essays. Reading the syllabus thoroughly helped me fully understand the class and also helped me begin assignments at least two weeks before they were due instead of the night before like in previous courses.
ReplyDeleteI am enrolled in your hist 1302 online class. This class has helped me organize my life so I can follow the syllabus. I know now the syllabus is key to passing this class and any class. It has all the information students need to succeed in the class. I usually never read the syllabus but I see for vital it is for me to read and understand what is expected from me in any class. I would usually just read the section that tells me what I would be doing in class week after week. But if the teacher takes the time to put it in the syllabus it should get the same amount of attention as the lectures. They all have important information.
ReplyDeleteYour syllabus is probably the most detailed syllabus I have ever seen. I have read through it in its entirety, and I have taken the Gateway quiz. I believe that the quiz is an excellent tool to keep students accountable. However, I must admit that I have to go back and re-read the syllabus (and other documents) every time I do an assignment. Because your instructions are so thorough and detailed, I am always fearful that I will miss something. In this day and culture, people do not enjoy reading text that take more than two minutes (I’m estimating). Therefore, I am sure that is why students find it difficult to read the entire syllabus. This generation was born in the digital age; we don’t read instructions, we tinker instead. There are of course pros and cons to being born in the digital age. I kind of wish we could rewind time and make children read more books instead of watching T.V. or playing on an iPhone. Perhaps, our society would then appreciate longer text and instructions.
ReplyDeleteSuccess is not just predicated on a good plan as it also requires diligence and proper execution. This is heavily reliable on important details laid out in a step-by-step process, which is why I found the syllabus so incredibly important. With a busy full-time work schedule and a full school load having tools and resources that help guide the way make navigating life a little bit easier. I especially found the reading and assignment timeline along with the assignment details helpful because both provided a road map of the subject so I could plan my workload timely. Additionally, I found confidence in have one source of information for instructions rather than searching through materials already red looking for directions in multiple places. I’d definitely encourage everyone to utilize this important resource.
ReplyDeleteSuccess is not just predicated on a good plan as it also requires diligence and proper execution. This is heavily reliable on important details laid out in a step-by-step process, which is why I found the syllabus so incredibly important. With a busy full-time work schedule and a full school load having tools and resources that help guide the way make navigating life a little bit easier. I especially found the reading and assignment timeline along with the assignment details helpful because both provided a road map of the subject so I could plan my workload timely. Additionally, I found confidence in have one source of information for instructions rather than searching through materials already red looking for directions in multiple places. I’d definitely encourage everyone to utilize this important resource.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that success does not happen by accident. Every time you listen to a motivational speech or listen to a successful person speak, they all have certain characteristic and I do not believe that it is coincidence. I do believe that you have to have a plan in your head of what you want to do. I will say that I am bad when it comes to reading the syllable thoroughly. The reason that I read the syllable for the History 1302 class so well is that, it was reiterated several times that the only way to pass the class is to read the syllable. And at the end of the day, no matter what the situation is, all students want to pass.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly with the title of this! Success only comes to those who want it more than others and work harder than others to attain it. Some chances in life may guide you further or closer to your goals but the real deciding factor in every aspect is you. I took many online classes last semester under the impression it would be easier but it turned out to be a big challenge. I felt like a failure when I had to drop one class but I knew there was no chance of passing, so it was he best choice for me. Everyone has their own scope of success and failure which come along as a result of their own behaviors.
ReplyDeleteSuccess does not happen by accident. I started learning this a couple weeks ago when enrolling in my bio online class and everything was set out on the first day of class. All the work all the homework it was mainly up to me to pass and to make it work for my schedule i was able to obtain a A in the class but it wasnt because i allowed it to take itself.
ReplyDeleteIn a way I learned to get my act together by taking your class and using your syllabus just like google maps in avoiding getting lost. I manage to make a very rough draft of my map and trying understand myself and what drives me. Being in your Ii really learned to be more independent and enjoy my classes instead of just freaking out like always because of the lack of detail in other teacher’s syllabus. Getting closer to the end of this semester I manage to set my checkpoints and find out where I want to get my masters. I know before I would of just pick something but now I can actually say I can do it.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with Dr.Ross-Nazzal in that the syllabus is the secret to success in class. In fact, it’s when I came to the United States and took my first class that realized the importance of having a syllabus for each class. In my country, the professors do not give syllabus to their students. They notify students about the test date a week before the test day. However, when I took my first class here, I was surprised that the professors give their students a syllabus at the beginning of the semester to help them understand their tasks in the class and plan beforehand. I really liked the idea and found it very helpful. It helped me understand what I need to do in my classes and helped me schedule my time the right way. Basically, the syllabus was a map for me that helped me succeed in class. For these reasons, success in class comes first from reading the syllabus and understanding it. When I registered for the history class with Dr.Ross-Nazzal, I had to pass the gateway quiz, and I found very helpful too. The gatway quiz actually helps students understand their class and get to know about every single part in the material offered for that class. Personally, the quiz helped me discover all the files offered in class and read the syllabus. It was as a map for understanding how to study for the class. What I liked more about this quiz is that it makes student read the syllabus and check the class resources to make sure they are aware of the deadlines and the tasks. As it was said by Dr.Ross-Nazzal, success doesn’t come by accident, instead, we have to work hard for it. as students, the first step to success is understanding the class tasks and outcomes by understanding the syllabus and planning forward.
ReplyDeleteThe gateway quiz definitely pushed me to read the syllabus. I am the type of person that will not read the instructions or throw away the instructions to something i need to build (ex desk) because i feel like i will figure it out on my own. And i do find myself getting stuck and having to go back and read the instructions. But not being able to get access to the rest of the content online really helped me to read the syllabus word for word. And i did the same with the rest of my classes because i found yours to be very helpful and informative.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree that success does not happen by accident. If you put forth no effort, you will receive results you do not like. Sounds like the Gateway quiz was a successful method. It seems to teach a lesson about surviving the course before you begin it. Review every thoroughly and you'll be fine. Skipping steps will only slow you down and/or bring you to a halt. The syllabus is there for a reason, therefore so are the documents and resources you have provided and recommended we go over when completing an assignment and hoping for a high grade. Clever and ironic.
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