Simple Syllabus for Instructors

Simple Syllabus is a centrally supported, template-driven platform for managing course syllabi. It helps you build, manage, and publish your course outlines in a consistent format.

Key features of Simple Syllabus:

  • Allows quick creation of syllabi, prepopulated with university content and policies.
  • Enables you to add course-specific information and reuse custom content snippets.
  • Provides students with consistent syllabi across courses, in an easy-to-find location within Canvas.

Benefits of using Simple Syllabus

Benefits to instructors:

  • Save Time. Institutional policies and standard language are already built in, so you’re not hunting for the latest version. Also, you can reuse content from term to term and update only what has changed.
  • Reduce email. Templates prompt you for what students most often need — grading breakdown, key dates, learning outcomes — helping prevent omissions and confusion.
  • Ensure accessibility. Built-in checkers flag accessibility issues, making your syllabus easier for all students to use.
  • Integrate with Canvas. Simple Syllabus integrates with Canvas, enabling a streamlined experience for you and your students. Once you submit and publish in Canvas, there will be no questions about “Which PDF is the right one?”

Benefits to students:

  • Easy to find. One click in the Canvas course menu opens the Simple Syllabus. No more hunting through modules or announcements to find the syllabus.
  • Easy to use. A consistent layout across courses means students can find key information quickly, saving time and reducing questions.
  • Easy to read. When published directly from Simple Syllabus to Canvas, the web-based content adjusts perfectly to mobile devices (unlike long PDFs) and is fully compatible with accessibility aids like screen readers.

Working in Simple Syllabus

This short video (10 min) from the U of A Centre for Teaching and Learning will help you enable and edit the Simple Syllabus for your course:

Activating Simple Syllabus within your Canvas course

Important note: Canvas has a built-in syllabus tool (not recommended) that is different from the “Simple Syllabus” tool. When activating Simple Syllabus, be sure to deactivate the Canvas tool as well to avoid confusion for your students.

  1. Log into Canvas and select the course you wish to work on.
  2. Follow the steps in the video above to activate Simple Syllabus and deactivate the Canvas syllabus tool.
  3. Click Simple Syllabus in the course navigation menu, and the Simple Syllabus interface will launch inside Canvas.

Editing your syllabus

  1. Select your course: Choose the correct course from the Simple Syllabus interface. Note: Your courses will only appear after your instructor assignments are finalized in Campus Solutions.
  2. Missing a course? Contact your department/unit scheduler.
  3. Click the Edit button.
  4. Review the blocks: Simple Syllabus contains various components or "blocks.” Some blocks are optional, while others are mandatory or auto-populated. Required blocks are outlined in orange.
  5. Adjust block visibility: Some blocks include a visible/invisible toggle. “Invisible” hides the section from students. If a block is required, the toggle will be disabled.
  6. Read the guide text: Some blocks are preceded by customization instructions. These instructions are highlighted in yellow. For example, a variety of territorial acknowledgements are provided, in French and English, for you to choose from.
  7. Edit content: Use the edit icon (pencil on a yellow background) to add information to a block.
  8. Check accessibility: Click the accessibility icon (bottom-right) to have Simple Syllabus identify any issues that require attention.
  9. Add sections: Use the + icon (upper-left or bottom) to add additional blocks.
  10. Submit: Your changes in Simple Syllabus save automatically. When you are ready to make your syllabus visible to students, click Submit. A congratulatory message will appear, along with links to the web and PDF versions of your syllabus. Note: Some departments/units have an internal approval workflow, in which case you will see a “Waiting for approval” notification.
  11. View your published syllabus: Your submitted syllabus is automatically published to Canvas and accessible to students who click Simple Syllabus in the course navigation menu.

Sharing your syllabus

  • Recommended: Because you have enabled the Simple Syllabus integration with Canvas, your finished syllabus publishes directly to Simple Syllabus in the Canvas course menu. This makes it easy for students to find your syllabus and enables reading on mobile devices and accessibility supports.
  • Alternative: Although it is possible to export a PDF from Simple Syllabus and upload it to Canvas manually, doing so requires additional steps and misses out on the benefits of publishing directly to Canvas as described above.

Learn more

Need help and not sure who to contact? Start here:

  • Missing courses: Contact your department/unit to confirm your course has been correctly created and assigned in Bear Tracks. If issues persist, contact eClass support at eclass@ualberta.ca.
  • Templates and institutional content: Email ctllms@ualberta.ca.

Resources


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