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Syllabus Critique Assignment
Kamariah I. White
EDUC 758-B03
Liberty University
October 1, 2023
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Abstract
Creating a course syllabus is crucial and necessary work for college professors, and its
significance cannot be emphasized. A course syllabus acts as a clear and precise communication
tool between the lecturer and the students. It explains the course's objectives, expectations,
policies, and timeline, ensuring that everyone is on the same page from the start. Syllabi inform
students on the course material, assignments, grading criteria, and due dates. This transparency
enables students to make educated decisions about whether to participate in the course and how
to manage their time wisely. A well-written syllabus explains the learning objectives and goals of
the course. This assists students in understanding what they are expected to achieve by the end of
the course, which can improve motivation and attention. A syllabus assists students to plan ahead
of time for the resources they will need for the course, such as textbooks, supplies, and
technological prerequisites. This allows them to appropriately prepare and budget for any
necessary expenses. The syllabus establishes clear expectations for both students and faculty. It
outlines attendance policies, grading criteria, and assignment due dates, all of which hold
students accountable for their participation and performance in the course. The syllabus's course
calendar and assignment due dates assist students in properly planning their time during the
semester. This is especially true in college, where students frequently juggle many courses and
responsibilities. A syllabus, while providing a defined framework for the course, also allows for
flexibility. Professors can make changes as needed to accommodate unforeseen circumstances or
improve the course based on student input. To summarize, designing a course syllabus is an
essential component of effective teaching in higher education. It promotes transparency,
accountability, and effective communication between instructors and students while also serving
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as a course blueprint. A well-designed syllabus sets the tone for a successful learning experience
and helps students engage and achieve their goals.
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Syllabus Critique Assignment
Carol C. Kanar defines a syllabus as "the document that lists general course requirements
and specific assignments" (Kanar, 2014, p.107). Students enrolled in the course rely on the
syllabus for an initial idea of the course and what they will study. Your syllabus serves as your
course. It is the most crucial document you provide to your students. The content of your
syllabus is where you put all of your planning about how to connect student learning needs with
your choice of teaching assignments in the context of the course you've chosen to teach. Your
syllabus is also how you communicate all of this to your pupils. A decent syllabus is thus a prima
facie indication that you put in the necessary work to establish a good course.
A syllabus serves numerous purposes. The first duty is to invite students to your course,
informing them of the course objectives and giving them a taste of what the course would be
like. The second function is to serve as a form of contract between teachers and students,
documenting assignment and grade allocation expectations. The third duty is to serve as a
guiding reference—a resource to which students and faculty can go for logistical information
such as the course schedule and office hours, as well as justification for the methodology and
course material. A syllabus should generally include the following information:
Learning Goals
Goal/Rationale
Fundamentals
Course Material
Student Accountabilities
Method of Grading
Materials and accessibility
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Philosophical instruction
The syllabus's quality is a pretty good measure of the quality of teaching and learning that
will occur in a course. As a result, educators should make an effort to create a high-quality
curriculum. The outcomes of that work can benefit both the instructor and his or her students.
By explicitly explaining expectations, instructors can avoid a slew of student complaints and
misunderstandings during the semester. It also demonstrates to students that you take your
teaching seriously. Finally, keep in mind that your syllabus may be some students' first
introduction to your course, and its contents may influence whether or not they enroll.
Your syllabus is an excellent opportunity to discuss with students the assumptions and
expectations that guided your course design approach. We all have beliefs about how learning
works and what constitutes successful teaching, whether we realize it or not. This set of beliefs is
commonly referred to as a teaching and learning philosophy. This viewpoint is based on our
personal experiences and observations as students and teachers. Our views may or may not give
way to what constitutes successful teaching and learning in a specific setting, depending on the
context. As a result, it is critical to cultivate alertness and agility in one's teaching and learning
philosophy.
Graduate Business Course Syllabus Analysis
As a general guideline, when designing or evaluating a syllabus, the syllabus components should be
so clear that individuals unfamiliar with the course may easily understand them. The instance business
course syllabus offered for review is insufficient, leaving students with queries and worries regarding the
instructor's expectations. Examine the offered curriculum for a graduate business course using the
following criteria:
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Assignment Diversity
Assignment Difficulty
Clarity of Assignment Parameters
Point Distribution
Cohesiveness of Assignments
Assignment Relevancy to Stated Outcomes
Assignment Relevancy to Course Description
Practical Application Components
The curriculum offers a wide range of assignment formats, such as textbook readings, Discussion
Board Forums, an Annotated Bibliography, a Faith and Learning Assessment, and a Literature Review.
This variety of assignments invites students to interact with the course material in a variety of
ways.AAlthough the syllabus does not explicitly state the difficulty of the assignments, the requirement for
a comprehensive Literature Review with strict adherence to APA format and the need to integrate biblical
principles into the Faith and Learning Assessment suggest that the assignments may be of moderate to
high difficulty. The syllabus clearly breaks down the point allocation for each assignment. This clarity
helps students realize the importance of each assignment in their overall grade. The tasks appear to be
reasonably well-coordinated, with the Literature Review expanding on the Annotated Bibliography and
the Faith and Learning Assessment attempting to connect biblical ideas with course themes. The
relationship between the Discussion Board Forums and other assignments, on the other hand, is not
explicitly stated. Assignments are aligned with the specified learning outcomes in the syllabus. The tasks,
for example, cover themes such as evaluating securities markets, assessing the effectiveness of financial
instruments, and integrating biblical ideas into the sphere of global financial markets, all of which match
with the learning outcomes.
The assignmentsAappear to be related to the course description, which focuses on providing an
understanding of international financial markets and how they work. The syllabus, on the other hand,
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lacks clear specifics regarding how each task connects to the course topic. While the syllabus stresses
applying biblical ideas to global financial markets, it does not clearly include real-world practical
application components or opportunities for students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical settings.
This could be a point of improvement. In summary, the syllabus for this graduate business course has a
variety of assignments that correspond to the course's learning outcomes and description. For most jobs, it
gives a clear point distribution and parameters. To improve the overall learning experience, it might
benefit from better linkages between assignments and practical application components. Furthermore,
stating the difficulty level of assignments would provide students with a clearer grasp of what is expected
of them.
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References
Johnson, C. (2006, Fall). Best practices in syllabus writing: Contents of a learner-centered syllabus.
The Journal of Chiropractic Education, 20(2). Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2384173/
Kanar, C. C. (2014) The confident student (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
Kerr, M. M. & Frese, K. M. (2017). Reading to learn or learning to read? Engaging college students
in course readings. College Teaching, 65(1. Retrieved from
https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2016.1222577
Shafer, M. (n.d.). What to put in a syllabus. Rutgers School of Graduate Studies.
https://grad.rutgers.edu/professional-development/teaching-skills-ta-project/teaching-resources/what-put-
syllabus
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Sample Syllabus
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Course Syllabus
BUS 656-072: International
Financial Markets and Business
Strategies
Course Description
This course provides an in-depth examination of international financial markets and their
interdependence. It investigates the structure, characteristics, and difficulties of financial markets in the
Americas, Europe, Africa/the Middle East, and Asia/Pacific. The course is designed to provide students
with the information and skills necessary to evaluate how multinational enterprises can raise financing for
initiatives in foreign markets.
Rationale
This course investigates the notion that the world is heading toward a single global market and gives
a broad and balanced introduction to global financial markets. Within this framework, the course
concludes in the student being able to examine how an international corporation might raise funds to
support projects in a foreign market of their choice. Students will discuss the Biblical ramifications as
well as their application into world financial markets.
I. Prerequisites
For information on prerequisites for this subject, please see the Academic Course Catalog.
II. Required Resource Purchases
American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
(current ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Molyneux, V. (2000). An introduction to global financial markets (4th ed.). New York, NY: Palgrave
McMillan. ISBN: 9780230243095.
III. Additional Materials for Learning
A. Computer with basic audio/video output equipment
B. Internet access (broadband recommended)
C. Microsoft Word
1. Microsoft Office is available at a discount to Liberty University students.
IV. Measurable Learning Outcomes
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Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A. Compare the roles of central, commercial, and investment banks.
B. Evaluate securities markets, money, bonds, stock exchanges, hedge funds, and private
equity.
C. Appraise the effectiveness of the foreign exchange, European economic and monetary
union, and derivative products.
D. Examine the New Tiger Economies and key trends in global financial markets.
E. Integrate biblical principles within the field of global financial markets.
V. Course Requirements and Assignments
A. Textbook readings
B. Lecture presentations
C. Academic websites
D. Course Requirement Checklist
1. After reading the syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete
the Module/Week checklist.
E. Discussion Board Forums (4)
Each Discussion Board Forum in this course allows the student to apply what they have learned from
Reading and Study. The Discussion Board Posts will correspond to the topics posted in Measurable
Learning Outcomes A - D of this syllabus. Each Discussion Board is a unifying assignment, and all parts
must be posted in order to earn credit. Part 1 is the key topic Discussion Board submission due by
Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Each response must be at least 150 words long and cite at least two sources
published within the last five years in the current APA format. References must be correctly positioned at
the end of the entry in accordance with current APA format. Responses must be received by Sunday at
11:59 p.m. Posts to the discussion board are due in weeks 2, 3, 5, and 7.
F. Annotated Bibliography
To be used for the Literature Review, the student will create an Annotated Bibliography directly relevant
to their topic. At least 15 sources should be gathered. Each annotation should contain at least 150 words.
This assignment is due by Sunday, 11:59 p.m., week 4, and will be submitted using Safe Assign. The first
step in the Literature Review process will be the Annotated Bibliography. An example will be put in the
assignment area of Blackboard. It will include one example for your consideration. Please start this
assignment as soon as possible so that you have enough time to finish it properly. Furthermore, please
follow APA format throughout this assignment.
G. Faith and Learning Assessment
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The student will be assigned to a group per Module/Week 6. A minimum of 1000 words will be written as
a group in the Group Discussion Board and then posted to the Discussion Board for all to view. Replies
are not required, but they are encouraged. The student must briefly outline how the Bible relates to the
course content. To get credit, an integration of the Bible must be expressly demonstrated in relation to a
course topic. The group should deliberate and select a single Bible version for this project. In addition, at
least two other scholarly sources (including the text) should be used to support the group's perspective. In
addition to the Discussion Board post, this assignment must be submitted to SafeAssign. This assignment
is due by Sunday, 11:59 p.m., week 7. Please follow the APA format exactly.
H. Literature Review
The student will write a Literature Review on a course-related topic. The paper will be a thorough
thematic evaluation of the scholarly literature on the chosen topic. The paper must be written in exact
APA format with at least 16 pages of material (excluding the title page, abstract, and references) and at
least 12 scholarly references. The assignment must be submitted using SafeAssign by Wednesday, 11:59
p.m., week 8. By week 2, more information will be available on Canvas.
VI. Course Grading and Policies
Course Requirement Checklist 100 pts
Discussion Board Forums (4 discussions at
100 pts each)
400 pts
Annotated Bibliography 200 pts
Faith and Learning Assessment 200 pts
Literature Review 100 pts
Total: 1000 pts
A. Scale
A = 940–1000 A- = 920–939 B+ = 900–919 B = 860–899 B- = 840–859
C+ = 820–839 C = 780–819 C- = 760–779 F = 759 and below
B. Late Policy
It is expected of graduate students to finish all assignments on time. If an
individual fails to complete an assignment on time, he or she must notify the
instructor through email prior to the deadline.
Assignments submitted late without prior clearance from the teacher will receive
the deductions listed below.
Assignments submitted within one week of the due date will be deducted 10%.
Assignments received that are more than a week late will be subject to a 20%
penalty.
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Late assignments will not be considered after two weeks or after the class's end
date.
Late posts to the Discussion Board will not be allowed.
Special circumstances (for example, a health crisis or a death in the family) will be
considered.
C. Disability Assistance
Students with a documented impairment may contact the Online Office of impairment Academic
Support (ODAS) at Liberty University. To make academic accommodations, contact
LUODAS@liberty.edu. Visit www.liberty.edu/disabilitysupport for more information.
