This Start of Semester Checklist for Canvas, adapted from the University of North Texas, is comprised of pointers, reminders, and resources, useful for setting up a course in Canvas. The document has four sections:
Canvas Setup – Contains reminders on how to complete task such as how to import a course from previous semesters or move section enrollments from individual courses and combine them into one course.
Content Review – Provides tips and reminders related to writing measurable learning objectives and establishing a grading policy.
Review Important Settings – Gives helpful points related to course navigation and accessibility.
Publish Your Course – Reminds you how to do a final proof before publishing your course.
In the content review section, there are a few links to resources from or related to Quality Matters., a respected organization that has developed rubrics for course design standards. CITL has also developed resources based on Quality Matters rubrics. If you would like to have more information about these resources, course design, or rubrics, please reply to this email.
As a reminder:
The checklist from last year contains ideas and quick tips for taking full advantage of the resources available in Canvas. While this post from 2021 contains a chart (created by Instructure, the developers of Canvas), which explains how Canvas functions can be used at lower and higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, to create different types of learning experiences in Canvas.
For example: When you think about Announcements as a Communication Tool in Canvas, you can use announcements in simply to provide one-way updates and communication, or more robustly to:
Reinforce classroom activities, display student work, and encourage best practices.
Allow students to reply, and are often used for classroom interaction and Q & A.
Encourage and expect student replies, often being used as question starters, contests, and ways to extend learning.
As always, please let me know if there is any way I can help you in your planning.