Creating Your First Canvas course

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Checklist: Creating Your First Canvas Course

 

Feel free to use these steps as a guide to give you ideas on what you can create in your Canvas course.

Depending on your familiarity with Canvas, some of these steps you may have already done. Other steps may seem unfamiliar to you. Depending on how you use the LMS, some steps you may not need to do at all. For example, if you do not use online quizzes, you do not need to create quizzes.

Feel free to skip around, explore the topics, and visit the Canvas Guides for guidance.

https://community.canvaslms.com/community/answers/guides Links to an external site.

Pre-checklist Activities

Think about your course organization.

This document makes the assumption that you, the instructor, have previously completed the design and development of the following items for your course:

  • Course syllabus (e.g. text of course policies & expectations)
  • Some course content (e.g. pdf files, videos, images)
  • All major assessments (e.g. quizzes, tests, project prompts, rubrics)

NOTE: Most steps in this checklist have an associated location in Canvas. Those locations are noted in [brackets] throughout this document to help you quickly navigate to each one.

Login to canvas.chapman.edu to begin.

Step 1. Create a syllabus page [SYLLABUS]

Create your course syllabus page using the built-in syllabus feature in Canvas. If you already have a syllabus document, it is still recommended that you create your course syllabus page using the built-in syllabus feature available in your course.

Step 2. Create an organized module structure for your course [MODULES]

Create an “orientation” or “welcome” module. This module will be used to introduce your students to relevant course tools, including specific features of Canvas.

You may also want to post a welcome or course introduction video here.

Create additional modules for each week or unit in your course. It is recommended that each module should represent a specific week or unit in your course. Modules should be created in chronological order from top to bottom/ beginning to end.

NOTE: In this step, you will be building the “skeleton” of your course. You will create empty modules to determine the flow of your course now, and add relevant items to these modules in a later step.

Step 3. Upload existing content files into Canvas [FILES]

QUICK TIP: Any time you create or upload something in Canvas, do so in only one place. You can then easily link back to the item (a file, page, assignment, etc.) in other parts of your course, eliminating the need for duplication.

Upload any external files you would like to provide to students in your course: e.g. images, documents, prepared presentation slides, lecture notes, videos, etc.

 If you have not already optimized your files for accessibility or addressed any permissions/copyright issues, do so before uploading the files to Canvas.

Step 4. Create course content with free-form content pages [PAGES]

Create a course “orientation” or “welcome” page. These will be included in the orientation module you created in a previous step.

Create additional pages for any content you want to provide to students throughout your course. Pages allow you to provide content to your students in a wide variety of ways. In any course page, you can include text, images, files (like those you uploaded in a previous step), videos, embedded items from outside sources, and more.

Be sure to include concise, descriptive titles for all course pages.

Optimize all course pages for accessibility. Design each page with accessibility in mind, and check pages for common accessibility issues after saving.

Step 5. Create all course assessments [QUIZZES, DISCUSSIONS, AND ASSIGNMENTS]

Create quizzes (exams), graded discussions, and other assignments as needed. Ensure that the point values of each assessment are consistent with your assessment plan. Attach the appropriate rubric to each assessment (if you use rubrics).

NOTE: As you create your assessments, it is very important to use the built-in option to set a due date for each assignment, quiz, or discussion you create! Typing the due date into the assignment description is not recommended and will prevent the date from appearing on students’ calendars or in their notifications.

Step 6. Complete your course modules [MODULES]

Add content and assessments to your course modules. Return to the modules you created in a previous step. In each module, add the appropriate assessments, content pages, and any other items students will need to successfully complete the module (e.g. external links).

Publish all course modules. Publishing a module automatically publishes any items included within that module. Customize students’ access to modules or module items as needed.

You have the ability to hide certain content from students based on date or prerequisite.

Step 7. Customize your navigation menu. [SETTINGS]

Enable, disable, and reorder course menu items based on your decisions throughout this course design process. It is recommended that you minimize the number of items in your course menu by deactivating unused or redundant menu options. This will streamline course navigation for you and your students.

Step 8.  Create a structure to organize assessments and weight grades using assignment groups [ASSIGNMENTS] Create assignment groups based on your assessment plan (for example, quizzes, essays, homework). If you plan to use weighted grades (rather than a total point system), note that assignments in Canvas can only be weighted based on their assignment group, so keep this in mind as you determine the number and nature of the assignment groups for your course.

NOTE: Like modules, assignment groups can also be empty at first. Your goal in this step is to build the structure you will need to organize the various course assessments you will create in the next few steps.

Step 9. Review your syllabus page and course calendar [SYLLABUS; CALENDAR]

Check your syllabus page, and make adjustments as needed. Now that you have created your assessments and at least a portion of your course content, it’s a good idea to revisit your syllabus page to check for consistency with the rest of your course.

Add due dates to all assignments, quizzes, and discussions in your course. [ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES, & DISCUSSIONS] This is a very important step, because the due dates you select in the settings for each assessment will appear in multiple parts of the Canvas interface. After adding your due dates, review your course calendar, and create additional calendar events (e.g. student conferences) as needed.

Review gradebook, and make adjustments as needed. [GRADES] All course assignments should appear as columns in the gradebook automatically. You may choose to make adjustments to your gradebook organization at this time.

Step 10. Publish your course [HOME]

Publish your course. Publishing your course will make it visible to everyone on your course roster.

Step 11.  Prepare your course announcements [ANNOUNCEMENTS]

Create a “welcome” announcement to welcome students to your course. In this announcement, direct students to the course orientation or welcome module you have created along with other essential introductory pages for your course (e.g. your syllabus). Students will not see this message until you have published your course.

Create additional course announcements as needed. You have the option to create multiple course announcements in advance. You can choose the appropriate publish/availability dates for each announcement, and it will be posted automatically at the chosen time.

Step 12. Update your Canvas profile and notification settings [ACCOUNT]

Update your Canvas profile. This profile will be visible to other Canvas users, including students. Customize your notification settings. These settings will apply across your entire Canvas account.

Note: This checklist only offers suggestions on possible steps to get started building out your first course. It does not offer steps on EVERYTHING you can do in Canvas. There are many things left out you may still want to explore, such as:

  • Rubrics
  • Outcomes
  • Weighting grades
  • Conferences
  • Adding apps
  • Customizing a front page

You can find instructions for all the above and more in the Canvas Guides.

https://community.canvaslms.com/community/answers/guides Links to an external site.

Adapted from a guide published by Temple University, Center for the Advancement of Teaching.