Background: Researchers interested in quantitative measures of student "success" in writing cannot control completely for contextual factors which are local and site-based (i.e., in context of a specific instructor's writing classroom at a specific institution). (In)ability to control for curriculum in studies of student writing…

Rhetoric and composition has made immeasurable strides in the design of undergraduate writing major programs, but the discipline lacks a clear picture of the culminating capstone course that serves as an end point for the writing major. This article reports on a content analysis of 54 writing capstone syllabi from 44 different institutions,…

This study problematizes becoming early childhood teachers' possibilities to develop knowledge relevant to teaching dance. The aim was to analyze the presence and position of dance in Swedish early childhood teacher education syllabi. Discourse analysis was used to identify patterns, regularities, hierarchies and gaps in the steering documents.…

The present study investigated how course policies and enforcement strategies designed to curb classroom digital distraction affect undergraduates' perceptions of student-instructor rapport. Data gathered from online surveys completed by undergraduates at four United States universities revealed that student perceptions of rapport can be…

In this paper, we add to the literature by exploring how sustainable development (SD) and sustainability-oriented learning, are reflected in the Swedish compulsory school and upper secondary school physical education and health (PEH) syllabi. The source of data was the PEH syllabi and the commentary material, as produced by the Swedish National…

The digital humanities (DH) remain a growing area of interest among researchers and a locus of new positions within libraries, especially academic libraries, as well as archives, museums, and cultural heritage organizations. In response to this demand, many programs that train information professionals have developed specific curricula around DH.…

With the advent of the post-pandemic era, the integration of online and offline education has become one of the future development trends and major challenges. This article utilizes the Semantic Wave Theory to teach the "Film and Television Creative Course" through a combination of offline and online methods. While offline teaching is…

I discuss White American students' experiences of reading racism-themed young adult literature (YAL), addressing the issue of police brutality, and using the concept of intersectionality to promote social justice awareness. Based on analysis of their written reflections and classroom discussions, I argue reading racism-themed YAL with an…

Many instructors use a syllabus quiz to ensure that students learn and understand the content of the syllabus. In this project, I move beyond this exercise's primary function and examine students' syllabus quiz scores to see if they can predict how well students perform in the course overall. Using data from 495 students enrolled in 18 sections of…

Skull anatomy is a difficult region for anatomy students to learn and understand but is necessary for a variety of health professional students. To improve learning, a 3D-printed human skull was developed, produced, and distributed to a course of 83 dental students for use as a take-home study tool over the 10-week anatomy course. The 70% scale…

The syllabus is a required document for all courses to provide students with course information, policies, and assignment deadlines. The goals of this study were to investigate students' perception of the role of the syllabus, preferred location of assignment deadlines, and preferred style of receiving deadline notifications. Faculty (n = 14) and…

In the pursuit of fostering vibrant and inclusive learning environments, this article explores how the practice of community-building can be a contemplative practice. Drawing upon personal experiences and pedagogical insights, Muir navigates the rewards of cultivating authentic connections among students while dismantling hierarchies within the…

Learner-centered and inclusive and equitable teaching practices aim to promote better learning outcomes for all students. Course syllabi can provide a window into these practices. We adapted an existing rubric to measure inclusiveness and equity-mindedness of syllabi and used an established rubric to assess their learner-centeredness. We then…

I created the 15-item Learner-Centered Syllabus Scale (LCSS) based on the work of Cullen and Harris. The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the LCSS. Four blind coders assessed 175 syllabi using the LCSS with 92% inter-rater agreement. To establish concurrent validity, each blind coder rated the…

Research exploring a student's "path to purchase" when considering course selection has revealed a number of influential factors including course content, reputation, and professor style. To date, little is known about the direct (or indirect) influence that course titles and course descriptions have on student interest and enrollment in…