Setting up Your Course on Canvas: A Quick Guide
This quick guide by Rhea Lewitzki provides step-by-step instructions for beginners to create and manage a course on Canvas. Learn how to build modules, add content, set deadlines, and engage students effectively. Follow this concise guide to get your class online efficiently.
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Quick Guide to Setting up Your Course on Canvas Created By: Rhea Lewitzki For beginners and those completely new to building a course on Canvas
This is one approach to quickly setting up a course on Canvas. There are many other ways, and you will have many of your own ideas. Disclaimer! The purpose of this presentation is to help you get your class online as quickly and effectively as possible.
1. Build a module for the current week that you are teaching (with the idea of replicating this process week by week) What You'll Do 2. Add content to the module 3. Record your lectures (if needed) 4. Set assignment due dates 5. Publish the module 6. Alert students with an announcement that the module is ready
Before We Begin This presentation begins at a point where it is assumed that you are able to log into your Canvas account and access the dashboard. You should be here-> Once logged in, select the class wherein you wish to begin.
Step 1: Build Modules: Label them week by week Module: a virtual receptacle to place files, assignments, etc. for your students to access. Modules are like folders. They are empty, also like folders, until you fill them with goodies. Create a module and label it for the week: Week 5 Module In the Week 5 module, you will put all of your readings, lectures, assignments, etc. that you originally planned to teach that week. Read here to create a module.
What Weekly Modules Look Like That's a module
A Module Expanded After you have added content to your modules, you will use the drop-down arrow on the left-hand corner of the module to see what is in there. See below for an example of what's in Module Week Thirteen: That's a module expanded
Step 2: Add Content to Your Modules Now you need to add your content for the week. What will your students need to read? View? Complete and submit? All of that will go in that week's module (folder). When you add to the module, you will get different options such as "assignment" or "discussion" and so on. Learn to add content to your modules.
Step 3: Avoid Synchronous Learning: Create Recorded Lectures Instead Synchronous Learning: Mandating that all of your students log in at a certain time to do something within the class (i.e. a mandatory Zoom conference). While it is tempting to ask your students to log-in to Zoom during your regular class time so that they can attend your lecture, this is not a feasible way to teach for several reasons: It is inequitable to assume that all of your students have access to computers with video cameras and internet, and that they have a quiet space to work. Many of our students go to great lengths to get computer access, and it might not be at the time of day when you want them to have access. On top of that, they may not have a quiet space where they can attend your lecture for an hour +. Our contract with Zoom does not have enough bandwidth to support that many online participants all at once. To avoid a crash, skip synchronous learning. Solution: Record videos of your lecture and give students several days to watch it before they have to compete follow-up assignments.
Creating a Panopto Video I Creating a Panopto Video II Using Panopto Inserting a Panopto Video into a Canvas Page
Step 4: Set and Manage Assignment Deadlines Deadlines are how students will know when work is due. You can set deadlines on submitted assignments as well as mark Pages with "to-do" deadlines so that students know to read or watch something by a certain date. Note that "availability date" and "assignment due date" are different.
Deadlines and Pacing for Sanity You do not have to stick to your weekly class meeting schedule (i.e. MW 10:30am-12:30pm) to make assignment deadlines. Canvas defaults assignments to be due at 11:59pm. This works well for many instructors and students. You can remove, add. or change days in your due date sequence (i.e. Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 11:59pm OR Fridays only, 11:59pm) Of course be mindful of your students' other courses. Don't make something due every single day of the week.
Step 5: Publish Your Module In order for students to view the module, it must be published. Learn to do that here.
Step 6: Send an Announcement to Your Students to Say the Module is Ready Students need to know what is ready for them and how to access it. Create an announcementthat provides them with these details. Direct them to the "Modules" button in the left-hand column known as the "course navigation menu." Also use announcements to send group messages to your students Announcements will go to your students' ECC email and show up on the announcements page on Canvas
What to Include in Your Announcement Dear English 1A students, Our week 5 module is now available. You can access it by clicking on "modules" on the left-hand column of your course navigation bar. In the module, you will find this week's tasks and assignments: The article "Blue-Collar Brilliance" by Mike Rose A reading quiz due Mar 20, 11:59pm Video lecture on "Thesis Statements" Discussion board due Mar 24, 11:59pm Outline assignment for Essay 1 due Mar 29, 11:59pm Details for each assignment are available for each. Please let me know if you have any questions by sending me a message directly through Canvas. Professor Plato
Canvas Message Use the Canvas message feature to communicate directly with students, either as a group, multiple students at once, or individually. When writing to the group, always mark the box "Send an individual message to each recipient." You can also attach files and videos to a Canvas message.
Messaging through Gradebook Gradebook also allows you to message students who received a certain grade or did not submit.
Canvas Gradebook When you input grades, they will appear in the student's gradebook. Your student can view the gradebook at any time. If you are using a separate gradebook, the grades they see on their Canvas gradebook will not match the one you are keeping. You will want to inform your students of this, or consider fully using the Canvas gradebook. Otherwise, students will be getting mixed messages about how they are doing in your class.
Attendance Avoid this feature. There is no way to keep attendance like you do in person while teaching online. Instead, consider creating active participation assignments, such as discussion boards or assignments or quizzes, where you can manage their participation/attendance in your class.
Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions, Oh My What if I want to give extra credit? What if the students are completing an assignment outside of Canvas (i.e. online lab software) and I need to input a grade for it? What it if want my students to interact and discuss a text or other lesson using a discussion board? What if I want to build student groups where only those students do a particular task or assignment? What if I want my students to take a quiz? How do I add a rubric to an assignment?
STOP: IS YOUR COURSE PUBLISHED? Your students will not have access to your course if you do not publish it! The same goes for new assignments, pages, etc. that you add to an existing, published module. You must publish the assignment.
Words of Encouragement This is not a time to feel like you need to become a full-fledged perfect online instructor. You just need to create consistency and structure for your students, and of course, to meet the objectives and outcomes in your courses. Don't attempt big things or new projects. Stick with the basics. Ask: What MUST my students do? What can they live without? Don't underestimate the capabilities of our students. They are resilient, they have gone up against many obstacles in their lives already. For most, technology probably hasn't been one of them. Trust your students that they can adapt. Trust in yourself that you can too.
