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Syllabus Tip: Making Your Syllabus Navigable

Trying to find information in a syllabus is difficult when it consists of a massive block of text, especially for Gen Z students who are often more comfortable navigating hypertext than printed documents. But you can make your digital syllabus much more navigable if you add hyperlinks to the different sections on the first page!

Step 1: Use the heading formats in your word processing program. In MS Word, they’re usually found in the Home ribbon or in the Styles pane (see picture.)

Screenshot of the Styles section in Microsoft Word's ribbon interface. A curved blue arrow connects two headings in the document to the corresponding style buttons labeled “Heading 1” and “Heading 2,” demonstrating how applying styles can aid in formatting and navigation.

Step 2: Highlight the text you want to make a navigation link and go to the hyperlink menu. (The shortcut is Ctrl + K for PCs, ⌘ + K for Macs.) In the dialog box, select the tab to add links “In this document.” Everything you’ve designated a header will show up!

Screenshot of the "Insert Hyperlink" dialog box in Microsoft Word. The "This Document" tab is selected, and under "Headings," nested options titled "BEYOND THE SYLLABUS" appear with subheadings A. FORMAT, B. CONTENT, and C. VOICE. A hand-drawn blue circle and arrow emphasize the tab "This Document" and the heading "B. CONTENT.

Example:

Screenshot of a syllabus with a linked table of contents. A hand cursor points to the first link, showing that the document includes clickable sections for easy navigation.

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