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But you can take steps to make your syllabi more engaging and worthwhile for students. One is to simply comb out any redundancy, wordiness, or unnecessary commentary on policies and procedures. Another is to use a syllabus quiz.
This is simple: create a quiz, on paper or in D2L, where students answer questions based on the syllabus, and perhaps other course policies or instructions. A simple series of eight, ten, or a dozen multiple choice, multi-select, and fill-in-the-blank questions can cover some highlights from the syllabus.
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It may be tempting to think a syllabus quiz is a distraction from the substance of your course. But teaching your students to properly identify important policy documents, and to read them carefully, is a valuable lesson in any scholarly or professional discipline. And besides, your syllabus is the basis for all that comes after it, right?
