Using a visual syllabus has been shown to make faculty more approachable by students, which can have an effect on a student's learning over the course of the semester and ease their anxiety (Harnish & Bridges, 2011).

Reference:

Harnish, R. J., & Bridges, K. R. (2011). Effect of syllabus tone: Students’ perceptions of instructor and course. Social Psychology of Education, 14(3), 319–330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4  

• Word processing software, or any software for creating online content
• Template (optional)

Undergraduate students, particularly those in STEM fields, often experience high levels of anxiety before starting a course. One strategy to mitigate this anxiety and cater to diverse learning styles is by providing a visual syllabus (Kaur, 2021). This aligns with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework designed around research on how humans learn (Rose & Meyer, 2002). UDL emphasizes providing multiple means of representation, action & expression, and engagement (CAST, 2018). A visual syllabus can effectively address these principles by offering students the:

• "What": Visual elements like charts and timelines can quickly showcase the course schedule, topics, and assessments.
• "How": Icons or infographics can highlight various learning activities like group work, simulations, or flipped classroom sessions.
• "Why": A visual syllabus can emphasize the course's relevance by incorporating real-world applications or connecting it to students' future careers.

By providing this information in a visually appealing and easily digestible format, instructors can reduce pre-course anxiety and empower students with a clear understanding of the learning journey ahead.

References:

CAST. (2018). The UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ 

Kaur, A. W. (2021). “Dope syllabus”: Student impressions of an infographic-style visual syllabus. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2021.150206  

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Abstract. In Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The University of California