Appendix A: Collaborative Syllabus Discussion Questions
Instructors can use a variety of questions designed to solicit student collaboration on the syllabus. These questions are inspired and derived from the existing literature on collaborative course design (e.g., Aiken et al., 2016; Murray, 2021). These questions include:
- What do you want to learn in this course?
- What kinds of activities will help you learn best?
- What’s your one big question? “I really want to know….”
- How would you like to meet for office hours (Zoom or Face-to-Face)?
- How can you best demonstrate your learning? (e.g., essays, quizzes, exams, other)
Appendix B: Examples of Students’ Collaborative Responses
 
| Group 1 | Group 2 | 
| What would you like to learn? 
Developing a social media presence for a brand/business.Increasing engagement (what does it?)Mastering algorithms!Finer details of partnerships/sponsorsHarnessing humor What helps you learn?  
Applied projectsGamesGroup/Class discussions Big Question:  
What are the three most important tools for creating a successful social media presence? | What would you like to learn? 
Application of social media strategies.What social media looks like in practice. What helps you learn?  
Applying class content from learned strategies. Big Question:  
We really want to know what role social media plays in a business setting. | 
 
| Group 2 | Group 3 | 
| What would you like to learn? 
Create a cohesive brand and brand values that can be expressed on social media and follow trends accurately. What helps you learn?  
In class discussion of real examplesHands-on activities Big Question:  
How to be successful on social media? | What would you like to learn? 
Creating a professional social media accountGood and bad examples of PR and social media (and why)Effective social media strategies that can be applied in the real world.Effects of influencers.How to measure success on social media. What helps you learn?  
Real-world examples and applicationsProjects/portfolio style work Big Question:  
How can we use social media to be successful in our careers? |