Watch Don Opitz's videos on syllabus development below. Don explains each of the below 10 principles for syllabus development and goes on to explain the role the syllabus can play in the class-room.
1. Be thorough and explicit: more is more
2. Adopt universal design principles
3. State competencies and criteria; provide models for student negotiated competencies (X's) if offered
4. Align competencies, objectives, content, resources, assignments, and assessment
5. State reasonable workload expectations
6. Pace and space topics and assignments
7. Select a rationale for topic progressions
8. Address core competencies: writing/ communications, critical thinking, experiential learning, decision-making, collaboration.
9. Provide information on learning resources
10. Provide classroom and university policies
Be sure to check out the SNL syllabus guide.
John Kimsey's syllabus for AI 185: The Beatles and the Creative Process is one example of a model syllabus. TLA reviewers commented,"The way each competence is divided from the others, and the specific questions asked of students in each competence, are admirably done... an excellent job clearly stating the course content at the beginning of the syllabus and aligning it with all competences and outcomes. Additionally the weekly course topics are clear, descriptive, and obviously aligned with all competences and outcomes."
Also check out Christine Hayda's syllabus for AI 147: Ethics: How good people make tough choices. TLA reviewers commented, "The assessment section is well done and includes good guidelines for writing. The chart outlining weekly topics and readings by competence is nicely done and extremely clear."