Getting Started with Sakai

 

Providence College Logo

Getting Started with Sakai

Click here to download a PDF copy of these instructions.

Getting Help:

Finding Your Course:

  • Sites are listed across the top of the screen
  • Don’t see the site you are looking for?  Click the “waffle” icon.

A screenshot of the Sakai waffle icon

Customizing Your List of Courses:

If you want to remove an old course from the top of the screen, or add a new course, the process is simple:

  1. Click the waffle icon to open all sites

A screenshot of the Sakai waffle icon

  1. A “drawer” will open, showing all your course and project sites.  If you wish to for a site to appear in the top menu, click the star to the left and it will turn yellow.  If you wish for a course to no longer appear in that menu, click the same star and it will return to white, indicating that it will no longer display amongst your “favorite” sites.  Once you are done, click the “X” in the top right corner of the drawer to close it.

Screen shot of Sakai Courses drawer

  1. Now you just need to reload the page to see the menu changes occur.

Screenshot showing Sakai reload page button

Publishing Your Course:

Students will not be able to see your course site until you publish it.  To publish a course you simply have to click the button at the top of the screen that says, “Publish Now”.

Screenshot of the Sakai Publish Now button

Posting the Course Syllabus:

It’s useful to have copy of the syllabus posted to your Sakai course site, and Sakai includes a tool designed for you to upload or design your syllabus.  Here are the instructions:

  1. On the left hand menu click on the tool labeled “Syllabus”.

Screenshot of Sakai syllabus button

2. From the tabs at the top of the page, click “Add Item”.

Screenshot of the Add Item button for Sakai Syllabus Tool

3. A box will appear asking you to name the item.  In this box you also have an editor, where you can create your syllabus if you wish.  However, if you have already created a syllabus you wish to upload simply add a title and click “Add and Publish”.  You will upload the syllabus copy on the next screen.

Screenshot of the Sakai Syllabus Text Editor

4. Now, if you are uploading an already completed copy of the syllabus, you will click “Add attachments”.

Screenshot of the Add Attachments button for the Sakai Syllabus tool

5. Click “Choose File” and select the file from your computer that you wish to upload.  You can also add the syllabus as a URL, or you can scroll down to add a syllabus from another Sakai Course site if it has already been uploaded.  After you have the syllabus uploaded, click “Continue”. Students will now be able to view the syllabus when they go to the Sakai Syllabus Tool.

Screenshot of Sakai Syllabus Tool file uploader

Adding Course Resources:

You can upload PowerPoints, PDFs, Word documents, and any other file type that you wish to share with your students through Sakai.  Here is how to add resources:

  1. Go to your course site and click on the “Resources” tool in the left hand menu.

Screenshot of Sakai Resources Button

  1. Click on the drop down menu labeled “Actions” and you will get a series of options.  You can create folders to better organize the resources for the students. You can also add web links to the folders to share useful web resources, and lastly you can upload files to the folders.

Screenshot of the dropdown menu that appears under the Action button in Sakai Resources

  1. To upload files to Sakai Resources, click “Upload Files” from the dropdown menu.  You can upload one or multiple files by dragging them into the grey box (seen below), or you can click on the grey box to open a file browser and select the files from your computer.  When you are done click “Continue” and the files will be stored to the Resources tool for student viewing.

Screenshot of the file browser to upload documents to Sakai Resources