If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional syllabus, or a means to share details about the course and yourself with students prior to the first day of class, a liquid syllabus may be your solution.
A liquid syllabus stresses a humanizing element that ensures students start a course feeling supported by their instructor. It should be a compelling motivator for students to effectively engage with the course materials before the course even begins.
(Baule, 2024, np)
What is a liquid syllabus?
A liquid syllabus is more than a PDF or LMS content page, “it is a public, accessible, mobile-friendly website that opens instantly” to welcome students before classes start (Pacansky-Brock, 2020). It is a living document that may change throughout the semester as teaching and learning unfolds, often based on feedback from the learners.
A liquid syllabus has many benefits for instructors and students:
- provides students with an open, equitable and humanizing introduction to the course;
- introduces a course and the human being (instructor) teaching it;
- helps create trust between the student and instructor and make sure students know that the instructor is there to support them throughout the course;
- is used to create trust and promote a safe learning environment;
- is designed to be read on a mobile device (responsive);
- pair with a QR code – giving option to view the contents effectively on any device;
- emphasizes the course requirements and/or affordability (i.e. low textbook costs); and
- uses welcoming language to humanize your course and invite belonging.
What does a liquid syllabus include?
Liquid syllabi include:
- the materials found on a traditional syllabus: basic course information, instructor contact information, and the ways and times to contact the instructor, assignments and grading criteria, required texts and other instructional materials, a class calendar, and course polices;
- policies written in a humanizing, welcoming tone;
- a welcoming instructor video for students that clearly establishes that the instructor is present to support student success. The video should show multiple aspects of the instructor rather than focusing exclusively on academics;
- a clear set of expectations of what the instructor expects from the students and what the student can expect from the instructor;
- links to university-based student support programs, technical support, the library, and other resource centers on campus;
- opportunities to encourage student interaction through the inclusion of a FAQ section or a discussion forum where students can ask questions and engage with each other and the instructor. Consider ways for students to give feedback on the syllabus itself, allowing for continuous improvement;
- digitally accessible content (as per national web accessibility standards) on a site without the need for a student ID or password;
- a responsive platform delivery (that adjusts for various viewing environments) to ensure mobile friendliness; and
- welcome videos which provide verbal and nonverbal cues needed to avoid ambiguous environments (like emails). Ambiguous environments often keep students (unconsciously or consciously) in a state of scanning for cues of threats, inclusion or exclusion, (Koenig & Eagly, 2005), thereby undermining their cognitive bandwidth (Estrada, et al, 2018). Videos also provide students, particularly those in online courses, with contextual cues (who is delivering this message, how is it being delivered) that text alone leaves out. Context is an important component of designing culturally inclusive communications (Korac‐Kakabadse, et al., 2001). Ambady (1993) suggests that videos are as reliable as face-to-face interactions in shaping viewer perceptions about the subject; even in videos as brief as 30 seconds.
Challenges
Concerns raised include:
- the unfixed nature of a liquid syllabus which can change constantly throughout the semester. This may present problems when aspects, such as the course schedule or evaluation scheme and details, are changed after the first two weeks of the semester. It may make sense to fix this time and update other aspects on an as needed basis; and
- the need for instructors to submit a final syllabus to their administration after the first two weeks of the semester.
Note: check the university policies regarding syllabi and notice of course evaluation before adapting a fluid liquid syllabus.
References
- Ambady, N., & Rosenthal, R. (1993). Half a minute: Predicting teacher evaluations from thin slices of nonverbal behavior and physical attractiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 431-441.
- Baule, S.E. (2024, January 26). Key elements for building a liquid syllabus. Ecampusnews.com https://www.ecampusnews.com/teaching-learning/2024/01/26/key-elements-for-building-a-liquid-syllabus/
- Daigle, A. (2023, February 22). How to make a liquid syllabus. Teaching Resources, Pen State. https://sites.psu.edu/teachingresources/2023/02/22/how-to-make-a-liquid-syllabus/
- Estrada, M., Eroy-Reveles, A., & Matsui, J. (2018). The influence of affirming kindness and community on broadening participation in STEM career pathways. Social issues and policy review, 12(1), 258-297.
- Koenig, A.M., & Eagly, A.H. (2005). Stereotype threat in men on a test of social sensitivity. Sex Roles, 52(7), 489-496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-3714-x
- Korac‐Kakabadse, N., Kouzmin, A., Korac‐Kakabadse, A., & Savery, L. (2001). Low‐ and high‐context communication patterns: towards mapping cross‐cultural encounters. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 8(2), 3-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527600110797218
- Pacansky-Brock, M. (2021, Spring/Summer). The liquid syllabus: An anti-racist teaching element. Colleague 2 Colleague Digital magazine. https://scalar.usc.edu/works/c2c-digital-magazine-spring–summer-2021/the-liquid-syllabus-anti-racist
- Pacansky-Brock, M. (2020, December 3). Liquid Syllabus. https://brocansky.com/humanizing/liquidsyllabus, [blog post].
Originally Published: August 8, 2024
Last Updated: September 6, 2024
