The York University Learning Commons has recently developed SPARK (Student Papers and Academic Research Kit), a freely available online resource to assist students in learning to write essays in the social sciences and humanities. SPARK, created from an academic literacies perspective, provides support within a single online resource for developing skills in multiple areas related to essay writing – time management, library searching, and essay revision, for example. While SPARK can be used by students on their own, our session will focus on how course instructors can incorporate SPARK into their teaching. We will discuss common problems that students face in the preparation of academic essays and how SPARK can be used in the context of disciplinary courses to help students address these problems and improve the quality of their writing.
