Learn about how to make a Liquid Syllabus that’s designed to humanize you and your course to students, and present information in a mobile-friendly format. In this workshop, we’re looking at making a briefer version of a liquid syllabus that invites students into registering for a class.
Event Recording
What Is A Liquid Syllabus?
A liquid syllabus is an informal and brief webpage that…
· Introduces a course and the human being (faculty member) teaching it,
· Is designed to be read on a mobile device,
· Emphasizes the course requirements and/or affordability (i.e. low textbook costs),
· And uses welcoming language to humanize your course and invite belonging.
Why You Should Consider Using This Tool
A liquid syllabus can either replace or supplement a formal syllabus. What it does is create an opportunity for connection before a class begins, and invites students into a space of learning with affirming language.
- As Michelle Pacansky-Brock writes:
- “Creating trust and identity safety at the start of an online course is an instructional practice that supports the success of more students. Students from non-majority groups are more likely to enter a college course from a place of distrust and have less cognitive bandwidth to dedicate to learning because of the ways that social marginalization wears away at a human’s capacity to learn and make decisions.
Penn State Google Sites Template
To help you get started, I’ve created a Penn State branded Google Sites template. If you click the link below, right click the Google Site, and then select “Make A Copy,” you can make a copy of this template to begin making your own liquid syllabus.
This template is meant as a starting point – you can (and should!) edit this to reflect your course and its personality.
If you do end up using this template, I’d love to know; please feel free to drop me a line at akd6078@psu.edu.
Self-Paced Course
Pacansky-Brock has created a fantastic self-paced course on creating a liquid syllabus. I’d highly encourage you to check it out!
Feature Highlight: Mobile Friendly
One of the best features of a liquid syllabus is that the style of the document is responsive (meaning that it will adjust to be readable whether you’re on a phone or a computer). When paired with a QR code, you provide students with an option to view this material effectively no matter which device they’re using to view it.
Relevant Guides (click each to open in a new tab)
- Michelle Pacansky-Brock’s Resources on Humanizing Education
- Examples of Liquid Syllabi
- Royalty Free Images
- How To Make Graphics If You’re Not A Graphic Designer
- If you want to make some custom icons or graphics for your site, I’d recommend using either Canva or Adobe Express