This example has been employed in a precalculus algebra course at Chattanooga State Community College, but the process is transferrable even beyond mathematics courses. Before the term begins, Dr. Crenshaw, Associate Professor and Interim Mathematics Department Head, posts a course start-up video in the LMS. In the video, Crenshaw introduces herself, lays out how the course runs, and shows students what to do in the first week. She highlights the schedule, homework routines, grading categories, support resources, and how to contact her. Since this is a 7-week course, she is direct about the pace, names common concerns like math anxiety and busy schedules, and gives students a steady, encouraging message about how everyone will work through the term together. The goal is to cut down on first-week confusion and help students feel prepared before class ever meets.
After watching the video, students take a low-stakes syllabus quiz in the LMS. The quiz checks understanding of a few items that matter most for success: where to find materials, due-date patterns, how grades are calculated, participation expectations, what to do if they miss class, and how to get help. Most questions are practical, and Dr. Crenshaw includes one free-response item for students to share their own questions or concerns. The quiz focuses on the few expectations that most affect student success, not every detail of the syllabus; it is mastery-based with retakes allowed. Crenshaw re-links the video and quiz in week two of the LMS so that late-adding students get the same start.
Before Day 1 of the course, Crenshaw reviews the LMS syllabus quiz results and looks for misconceptions. She sends individual emails to students who missed key points or asked questions in the free-response prompt so that they get clear, personal follow-up right away. When several students miss the same item, Dr. Crenshaw posts a follow-up announcement and addresses the item in class. Together, the start-up video, syllabus quiz, and targeted follow-ups make course expectations clear, surface questions early, and help students begin the course feeling oriented and supported.
Digital Resources
LMS video tool, LMS quiz tool, Canva or other slideshow tool, Notebook LM
Dr. Crenshaw used Canva to turn the syllabus into a clean, visual welcome video that students can follow easily, especially at the start of a fast 7-week term. She used NotebookLM (Google’s AI synthesis tool) to tighten the video script, efficiently pulling out the most important course expectations from the syllabus, and phrasing them in a student-friendly way. Posting the finished video in the LMS allows students watch on their own time, rewatch later, and use captions.
Digital Enablement
While Crenshaw enjoyed creating her own slides in Canva, NotebookLM released an update in November 2025 that allows users to create slide decks and infographics. These new features may significantly reduce “production time.” The digital enablement of a syllabus quiz hosted in the LMS gives immediate feedback to students, easily allows retakes, and provides Crenshaw a quick summary of where confusion is common, so it can be cleared up in the first class period instead of weeks later.
Using technology to minimize production time encourages instructors to pay attention to student support features like making the video easy to access with captions and a phone-friendly format and offering a simple text or slide version for students who cannot stream video reliably. NotebookLM can help ensure plain, student-friendly language in both the video and quiz, keeping in mind that many students may be experiencing college expectations for the first time. This low-stakes introductory process allows students to use the video and quiz to learn how the course works. Then Dr. Crenshaw has more time to reinforce the biggest takeaways in week one through clear reminders and open invitations to ask questions in whatever way feels comfortable to students.