This study examines the impact of changing the tone of a traditional syllabus to make it more learner-centered. The researchers examined a required wellness course that serves over 8,000 students per year at a large, four-year public university in the southern United States. Concerns about student progression through programs and graduation rates had prompted a number of faculty to look into ways to increase these numbers. The investigators changed the tone of the syllabus to determine if a more learner-centered document would increase the chances of students interacting with the syllabus and, in turn, increase the success rates in the course. The results indicated that few students spent sufficient time reading the syllabus to take in all the information regardless of the tone used within the document, so the tone, by itself, did not impact student success.

This paper utilizes anonymous qualitative survey commentary from seventy-three faculty to explore how perceptions of teaching undergraduate researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic reflect the practice of resilient pedagogy. By examining faculty motivations, experiences in times of disruption, and resiliency beyond the pandemic, this paper contributes to and extends the existing scholarship on resilience and resilient pedagogy in higher education.

Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher -Parker Palmer, The Courage to Teach NEW DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING, no. 159, Fall 2019