So much Canvas, so little time! Today’s Byte-sized episode spotlights four nifty little Canvas tricks you may not have been aware of. We’ll look at a specific benefit of module requirements, restricting file types for assignments, the quiz auto-save feature, and customizing your dashboard.
A well-done rubric is a thing of beauty for both students and instructors. They provide students with a set of guidelines to help them meet your expectations for the assignment and they provide you with a method to streamline your feedback and grading. But when they’re not set up well, a rubric is no use to anyone! Let’s look at what makes an effective rubric effective.
If you'd like a few more specifics, here's a short article on How to Write Great Rubrics.
Was your college education largely spent sitting in lecture halls and classrooms listening to professors talk (…and talk…and talk)? Even if that works in face-to-face situations—and research is showing otherwise—it’s not going to fly in the asynchronous world of online learning. So, what’s an online instructor to do? Watch this and find out!
Here are my top 3 resources for you.
You’ll find consistent themes running through all these (like keep it short!) but each resource has its own flavor and offers new tidbits for you.
When broaching the argument that online courses aren’t as effective as in-person, people often bring up the absence of face to face contact. But video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts have made that hurdle disappear. And the Canvas Scheduler tool makes scheduling "live" online appointments ultra-simple. Yet another way to easily increase your instructor presence and build community in your online course!
Canvas Guide Links
The newly-released updates to Title 5 regulations for online learning include a specific requirement of regular effective contact among students.
It’s time to move beyond discussions and embrace the wealth of benefits collaborative learning experiences provide to students (and instructors). C’mon, I dare ya!
Resources
A nice series from Carnegie Mellon University
Other helpful ideas and guidelines
10 Research-Based Steps for Effective Group Work
Online Students Don’t Have to Work Solo
How to Design Effective Online Group Work Activities
I've developed a "plug 'n' play" module on using groups that you can include as a resource for your students. It also has a list of all the Canvas Guides for instructors on using groups. Do a search in the Canvas Commons for Group Project resources (the course card is a pile of Labrador puppies).
Instructor presence is crucial to student success, perhaps especially in an online learning environment. Offering regular, meaningful feedback is an excellent way to contribute to student learning and to make your presence in the course known. Let’s look at some ways Canvas can help you create connection through feedback.
Did you know there’s a “wrong” way to add content onto a Canvas page? This little mistake is often the cause of broken links when you import your content into the next semester’s course shell. Come learn the best method for adding images, files and links in Canvas. (And the secret of what to do if your images suddenly aren’t displaying correctly.)
Canvas notifications is an automatic way to stay abreast of activity in your courses as well as contributing to regular effective contact with your students. But there are a few in’s and out’s to using the notifications tool well that you and your students might be missing. Let me elucidate you!
UPDATE: Since I first created this episode, Canvas has added the ability to set course-specific notifications. Good on ya, Canvas!
Two helpful Canvas Guides to share with your students:
Links are how your students navigate your course content. While it might seem like a picayune matter, knowing how to set links up properly will have a pretty big impact on how quickly and easily students can start interacting with all the great content in your course (and it’ll increase your Canvas Ninja factor considerably!).
NOTE: This episode was updated in January '22 to reflect the new rich content editor.
[Here's a resource with examples of good and bad descriptive link text.]Tables can be a useful way to organize certain types of content visually. But tables add an extra layer of complexity for students using a screen reader device which means it’s imperative your tables are formatted properly. Never fear! The Canvas Accessibility Checker is here to save the day.
Ever have students who seem to think “online” means self-paced? They want to zoom ahead and they’re asking you about Module 8 in the third week of class. Ensuring students are working on the material at the same time is one aspect of building a sense of community. Canvas has a nifty little feature that will help you do just that.
Personalized learning is recognized as crucial element of student-centered teaching. But with 30, 40, 50 students in your online class, how the heck are you supposed to accomplish it?! Here’s one way you can help close learning gaps and support greater success among all your students.