What if the syllabus could be more than just a document? What if it could actually help students feel prepared and engaged?
This SoTL Spotlight shines a light on how Drs. Christina Bifulco and John Kerrigan are transforming the syllabus into a dynamic tool that truly helps students feel ready and succeed in their courses. “We spend so much time constructing the syllabus to be a resource to support student learning,” they explain. “We wanted to find ways to ensure students are actually utilizing it.”
Their recent publication, Using Instructional Tools to Make the Syllabus Interactive, builds on their earlier work exploring video-based syllabi and dives into how giving students choice in how they engage with the syllabus can make a meaningful difference.
From Static to Strategic
In the first phase of their study, Bifulco and Kerrigan assigned students to either a video or a graphic syllabus. In the second phase, they introduced choice: students could select between a video syllabus with embedded questions (via PlayPosit), or a graphic syllabus hosted in a social annotation platform (via Hypothes.is).
The results? Students were more likely to engage with the syllabus when they had a say in how they accessed it. And in fact, “this has wider implications for course assignments as well.”
Even more compelling: students who had a more positive perception of the syllabus tended to perform better on the syllabus quiz. “There was a moderate positive correlation,” they explain, suggesting that how students feel about the syllabus may influence how well they understand it.
Not One-Size-Fits-All
Interestingly, while students appreciated having options, the study found no significant difference in quiz scores or perception between the two interactive formats. This might suggest that both approaches are effective. Perhaps it isn’t about finding the ‘best’ format, but maybe it is more about offering flexibility.
Tips: Start Small, Think Big
If you’re looking to refresh your syllabus, Bifulco and Kerrigan suggest starting with its tone to make it even more welcoming for your students. They pointed to resources like Fornaciari & Lund Dean (2014) and Harnish & Bridges (2011), which offer practical strategies for making syllabi more student-centered.
They also recommend visual tools like this syllabus grade breakdown pie chart template to help students quickly grasp course expectations.
And while generative AI tools can help with tone, they caution against over-reliance. “An inclusivity statement that is obviously AI-generated will not connect with students,” they warn.
Keeping It Fresh
Maintaining an interactive syllabus does require upkeep. Videos need to be updated, and graphics refreshed. But the payoff is worth it. “The student annotations in Hypothes.is provide great information about what they don’t understand,” they say. They’re able to use the information in future versions of their syllabi.
Looking Ahead
Drs. Bifulco and Kerrigan are already thinking about what’s next. They’re interested in exploring how Universal Design for Learning can further strengthen their approach in Mathematics. They are also open to collaborations with other instructors who are looking to change their syllabi!
New Opportunity
Ready to turn a small classroom change into a structured SoTL project? Applications for the SoTL Scholars Fellowship are due August 29th.
Want to find a SoTL community here at Rutgers? Contact Crystal Quillen, Assistant Director for Teaching and Learning Scholarship, and she’ll get you on the list for a community of practice happening in fall 2025.
Want to Keep Learning?
Drs. Bifulco and Kerrigan’s recent publications describe the evolution of this work and offer additional design details. We also included the articles they mentioned on making your syllabus more student-centered.
Bifulco, C., & Kerrigan, J. (2025). Using Instructional Tools to Make the Syllabus Interactive. College Teaching, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2025.2509101
Fornaciari, C. J. & Lund Dean, K. (2014). The 21st-century syllabus: Tips for putting andragogy into practice. Journal of Management Education, 38 (5), 724-732.
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.
Kerrigan, J., & Bifulco, C. (2023). Syllabus 2.0: Using Videos to Make the Syllabus Active. College Teaching, 72 (4), 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2023.2208817