This TOPkit Digest issue is brought to you by Sue Bauer (SueB@ucf.edu), M.A., Senior Instructional Designer, Division of Digital Learning, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida. She discusses "Fuzzy Wuzzy's Not So Simple Syllabus."
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Video Tip - Simple Syllabus
- Announcements - TOPkit Hackathon Fall 2024, TOPkit Workshop 2025, TOPkit Workshop 2025 Call for Proposals Open
- Top Tips - Fuzzy Wuzzy 's Not So Simple Syllabus
- From the Community - Develop Your Own Resources
- Top Community Topics
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Simple Syllabus Video Tutorials |
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University of Central Florida
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Fuzzy Wuzzy 's Not So Simple Syllabus |
Purpose, Implementation, and Best Practices |
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Introduction
Have you heard of the childhood nursery rhyme Fuzzy-Wuzzy (Rhatigan, 1892)? I can’t help but think of it when I think of Simple Syllabus implementation. Let’s just say Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy and for some, Simple Syllabus wasn’t very simple. Nonetheless, it was an impressive rollout for many colleges and universities with the new syllabus protocols.
This article highlights the implementation of the Florida laws and their impact on institutions’ administration, faculty, students, and (for those that adopted Simple Syllabus) best practices for a “simple” and successful implementation plan.
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- Overview of the Florida Higher Education Laws - Explanation, Purpose, and Details
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- Implementation and Impact on University Administration & Faculty
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To facilitate syllabi posting under the new protocols Simple Syllabus has been integrated into several Florida institutions’ Learning Management Systems (LMS). This campus syllabi initiative is directly related to Florida Statute 1004.085, Florida Board of Governors’ Regulation 8.003, and institution-specific policies, such as UCF Policy 4-403.3.
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Administrative Responsibilities: Florida university and state college administrations are responsible for ensuring compliance with the laws, including developing monitoring systems and training programs. Speaking to the impacted stakeholders, faculty and students, and soliciting their input can assist with support efforts in providing training and adoption. Creating a stakeholder group and soliciting feedback during implementation can provide clear and just-in-time information and responses that can assist in successful adoption.
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Faculty Responsibilities: Faculty may not appreciate someone telling them how to teach. Academic freedom is a priority in their work (George Washington Law). It is essential to provide an understanding of how the new laws affect faculty members, including changes in syllabus preparation, content requirements, and deadlines.
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Student Benefits: Explain the change to students and highlight the benefits, such as greater access to course information, improved academic planning, and enhanced transparency in course expectations (Cooke Fairbanks, 2024).
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Potential Challenges: Address potential challenges students might face, like information overload or confusion if syllabi are inconsistent across courses.
- Student Tips: Provide tips for students on how to make the most of the detailed syllabi, such as reviewing syllabi early and using them to plan their semester effectively.
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Collect Student Feedback: Include soliciting student feedback in a pilot. Gather student testimonials that can be used in marketing and promoting student benefits.
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Summary
The challenge of change is always present with technology adoption. One way to ease the acceptance of adoption is to provide the purpose and tools needed for the adoption:
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Support and Resources: Discuss the support faculty might need from the administration, such as training workshops, online materials, or access to templates. Create a plan for this implementation. Create clear guidelines for faculty and use a campus centralized location for support materials and information about the change.
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Pilot with Your Champions. Select faculty willing to be innovators and work with them to pilot the initiative. These instructors can also provide feedback and work out bugs before a larger scale deployment.
- Tips for Faculty: Provide tips for faculty on how to efficiently comply with the new laws, such as starting syllabus preparation early and using clear, concise language.
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Students and instructors must know the new syllabus laws and their impact. At your institution, encourage proactive engagement from all parties—administration, faculty, and students. This planning and effort will ensure successful implementation and compliance with the new laws.
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Develop Your Own Resources |
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Reference the Resources of Other Institution for Inspiration |
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Bren Bedford, MNM, SFC®, Web Project Analyst II, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida
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Florence Williams, Ph.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida
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Generative AI may have been used to retrieve relevant research, generate suggested language, and enhance original content.
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