The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

08/24/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/24/2026 10:39

Monday Morning Mentor: How Can I Create an Engaging, Student-Focused Syllabus

Available August 24 - August 30, 2026
Note: Contact the Teaching and Learning Center to view this week's session, send email to [email protected].
This 20-Minute Mentor gives ideas to make your syllabus more engaging, more student-centered, and more creative without a lot of extra effort. You'll be able to turn a typically dry document into a living, engaging, and interactive student resource that can include multimedia, a series of slides, or a connected group of visuals - all created without any special technical know-how.  Additionally, you'll explore how to re-envision an existing syllabus so it will resonate with students.
Learning Goals
After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to:
  • Create more engaging syllabi
  • Implement frameworks for developing a new syllabus and for upgrading an existing syllabus
  • Discover new tools and techniques for creating engaging syllabi that will help engage students at the start of a course
  • Confidently assess a syllabus's engagement potential
  • Introduce a syllabus in new ways to spark student interest early in a course
Topics Covered
  • The multiple purposes of a syllabus
  • Why syllabi are often ignored by students
  • A step-by-step process for developing a new syllabus
  • A framework for upgrading an existing syllabus
  • How to use visuals and other creative elements to make a syllabus more engaging
  • New tools for creating a living syllabus
  • A checklist for assessing the engagement potential of your syllabus
  • Creative ways to introduce your syllabus to students

Related

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center published this content on August 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 24, 2026 at 16:39 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]