Post a Syllabus in SPARK

To add a syllabus to your course, you can post a syllabus created from an external file (e.g., a .pdf file) or you can use SPARK’s syllabus tool.

Post a Syllabus from an External File

You can upload a syllabus you have created in Microsoft Word or another word processing program. We recommend first converting your syllabus to a .pdf file for greater accessibility. Your students will need a .pdf reader, e.g., Acrobat Reader, available for free at the OIT Web site.

1. Click the Build tab to go to your Course Home Page.
2. From the Content Tool Bar, click Add Content Link. The Add Content Link pop-up menu will appear.
3. From the Add Content Link pop-up menu, click Syllabus. The Syllabus option will expand.
4. If you already have a syllabus created, click Select File. The Get Files window will open.
5. In the Get Files window, browse for the file containing your syllabus, and select the checkbox next to the file name. Click OK.
6. The Get Files window will close and your syllabus file will be listed in the File Manager.

Build a Syllabus with the SPARK Syllabus Tool

SPARK's built-in syllabus tool allows you to construct your syllabus by entering text into pre-established item blocks.

Syllabus Items

On the Syllabus screen, you will see two items already present in your syllabus: Section Information and Instructor Information. This information cannot be changed.

Other syllabus items include:

• Goals: Set the standards to be met during the course.
• Policies: List course policies such as attendance, posting frequency, etc.
• Course requirements: List criteria students must meet in the course.
• Custom: Design your own syllabus item.
• Lesson: Include objectives, topics, readings, and assignments.
• Resources: List readings, handouts, images, etc.

Instructions

1. Click the Build tab to go to your course home page.
2. In the Content Tool Bar, click Add Content Link. The Add Content Link drop-down menu will appear.
3. From the Add Content Link drop-down menu, click Syllabus. The Syllabus option will expand.
4. Click Create Syllabus. The Syllabus screen will open.
5. In the Content Tool Bar, click Add Syllabus Item. A drop-down menu will appear displaying the various options available to construct the syllabus.
6. From the drop-down menu, select the item you wish to add to the syllabus. The Create Item window for that syllabus item will open, displaying fields where you can enter the necessary information.
   Note: If you want to add formatting to the items in your syllabus (bold, italics, indenting, etc.), you will have to use HTML code. If you do this, don’t forget to check the Use HTML box at the bottom of the Create Item window.
7. Once you finish entering the information for your syllabus item, click Save.
8. When you finish adding items to your syllabus, in the Create Syllabus window, click Save.
9. Your syllabus will be created and a Syllabus link will appear on your course home page.