Setting up Modules
- Organize by week or unit
- Use modules as home page; show announcements on home page
- Add course content to modules; each module should contain everything a student will need for that week/unit
- Items can be located in more than one module if needed
Setting up Navigation
Multiple options for accessing items can be confusing for students; keep the Navigation menu brief and use Modules to present pages, quizzes, assignments, discussions, and files.
Include in navigation:
- Home
- Announcements
- Syllabus
- Modules
- Zoom
- Grades
- Library Resources
- Attendance (if using)
Hide in navigation (recommended):
- Pages
- Quizzes
- Assignments
- Discussions
- Files
- Outcomes
- Conferences (unless using)
- Attendance (unless using)
- Chat (unless using)
- Other functionality (VoiceThread, Piazza, etc. unless using)
Setting up Calendar
Set due dates for items so that they appear on the Canvas Calendar. Alert students that color coding their course “cards” on the dashboard will color code the respective assignments for those courses in the Calendar.
Other Setup Recommendations
Announcements: Use an announcement to tell students where to start in Canvas.
Naming Conventions: Be descriptive: NOT ‘screenshot-2021-03-04.png’ BUT ‘earths-water-cycle.png’
Notifications: Have students set communication options and notification preferences.
Assignments: Include the assignment prompt, due date, rubric, and “drop box” in a single assignment.
More Information
For more information, see the Canvas Learning Path or the Flexible Instruction Teaching Guide.