Adding Tables to a Syllabus

Adding Tables to a Syllabus

This article will be most useful for course developers, syllabus editors, and/or instructors who are able to edit syllabi.

Overview

Tables are a useful way to organize a large amount of information graphically. Presenting information concisely and efficiently is crucial to supporting syllabus readers, so it makes sense that tables are used frequently in this document. You can copy and paste tables from external sources, such as Word documents, or use the table tool on the TinyMCE editor (image below) to add a table to notes or sub-items. Read on to learn how to build tables within Concourse.


Before You Begin

We encourage users to design syllabi that are accessible to users with disabilities, and the items in Concourse that are automatically formatted as tables (for example, Deliverables and Schedule) are accessible to screen readers. When tables are added to notes or comments in other items, they do not automatically include header rows, which are required to make tables accessible. If you add tables to any Concourse items using the TinyMCE editor, it’s important that you follow the steps below carefully to ensure that your table is accessible.

Adding Tables to a Syllabus

To begin, open the Concourse syllabus where you would like to add a table. To add a table and then make it accessible, follow the steps below.
  1. In the upper-left corner of the Concourse screen, select the Syllabus dropdown menu and then select Edit.
  2. Locate and select the syllabus item where you would like to add a table.
  3. Select the table dropdown on the TinyMCE editor.


  4. On the dropdown menu, select Table and then select the size table you want (for example, 4 x 5).


  5. Your table will appear, with a menu that allows you to adjust table properties (size and alignment) and add or delete table components.


  6. To add a header row, select the html tool on the TinyMCE editor. It appears as two brackets: < >.
  7. In the source code editor, edit the html for the first set of table rows to th instead of td (images below). Note that the original html includes <td>.


    After updating the html, <td> will be replaced by <th>.


  8. Select OK. The header row text should appear as bold and centered within each cell.
  9. Enter text in the cells until the table is complete.
  10. Save when finished.

Best Practices and Recommendations

Tables should only be used to organize and present information logically, not to save space or edit the visual appearance of the syllabus. If information can be presented in a bulleted or numbered list or in well-organized paragraphs without altering meaning, it might be better to organize information that way to ensure a more accessible document.

For more information about adding external content to a Concourse syllabus, see also Pasting Text from Word, Linking to External Sites in a Syllabus, and Building a Schedule.

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