An open syllabus is a form of political education that seeks to engage communities outside of academia. They usually represent interdisciplinary and historicized conversations about a topic or issue; open syllabi typically include annotations for viewers or users to make informed decisions about what (re)sources from the syllabus will be most useful for their purposes.
A syllabus is both personal and professional. That is, syllabi often reflect the creator’s feelings, attitudes, and beliefs about the subject matter, teaching, learning, and learners. An open syllabus serves as a permanent record and a learning tool. It collects information about a topic in one place for use by a wide variety of learners from a wide variety of backgrounds. As such, it should help readers/users/viewers become effective learners for the topic at hand.
Practical tips for this genre
Describe the area you want to explore (i.e. your course description)
Explain the conceptual structure used to organize the syllabus (i.e. why it is organized the way it is)
Articulate what you want to learn through the exploration (i.e. your learning objectives)
Consider your philosophy about the course content, teaching, and learning
Compile a reading and/or resources list that you will use to deepen your knowledge
Annotate the texts and/or resources with their relevance and importance to a generalist audience
Include time estimates or suggestions for engaging with the content of the syllabus
Provide hints or suggestions for how to make use of the materials in the syllabus (i.e. what the materials contain, why they are important, and what perspectives they address/ include)
Ask for feedback and recommendations about your reading/ resources list to revise and add to it (especially with regard to diversity of authors, sources, perspectives, etc.)
Reflect as you read, watch, and listen; discuss your reactions, observations, thoughts, and connections with others