Define the objective of the course in a short opening paragraph. Learners should be able to understand at a glance what the class is all about and what they will be able to understand or accomplish by the time it concludes.
Specify the duration of your online class and whether students will be expected to join in chatroom discussions/conference calls at certain times and dates or whether their interactions with you will take place via email. Provide log-in information, telephone numbers and access codes they'll need to participate in the class.
Identify any prerequisites that learners must possess or fulfill prior to taking your class. If you're teaching a film appreciation course, for instance, you might require that participants watch some specific movies in order to prepare for group discussion in the first class. If you're teaching creative writing, you'll likely request that your learners be able to read, write and understand English.
Make a list of the topics you're going to cover in your online class as well as the respective homework assignments for learners to demonstrate their grasp of the material. Rank your topics starting with the easiest concept and progressing to those that are more complex. Provide a brief sentence that describes what they're going to learn. Example: In this module, you will learn how to construct a dynamic query letter.
Assign due dates for completion of each module and clear directions on how the homework is to be submitted for review. Provide instruction on what learners should do in the event a deadline can't be met or if they're unable to participate in a scheduled chatroom discussion or group conference call.
Provide a recommended reading list to enhance your learners' appreciation of the topic as the course progresses. This list may also include website links to relevant articles and interviews.
Include a brief biography about yourself at the end of the syllabus as well as any relevant publishing credits or awards you'd like them to know about. Tell them how to reach you in the event they're having problems with any of the assignments or have extra questions they'd like to ask.