What Goes Where?

If you are not used to putting together a course in Canvas, it can be daunting to figure out where everything should go, especially if you are concerned about clear navigability in your course. Below is a quick overview of where (generally) to put stuff. You may have unique situations in your courses that aren't covered here, but those issues can usually be worked out by talking to an instructional designer via one of CDLI's individual consultations.

Reading icon Readings

Readings are typically placed on the Module Overview page by:

Video icon Videos

Videos should be embedded in Canvas pages if at all possible:*

Text icon Text

  • Information that is primarily text should be put on Canvas pages (see Content Pages: Mostly Text).
  • Use Headings, Bulleted and Ordered Lists in the Rich Content Editor to break up your text into easy to reference sections of a page.
  • Information that is too long or unwieldy can be turned into (an accessible) handout and linked from either the Module Overview page or any other text page where appropriate.
  • Use caution when using images of text as these are not accessible and will either need to be explained in the text or described fully in the alt text (see Accessibility Solutions for Diagrams and Other Visuals).

PowerPoint icon PowerPoint Slides

PowerPoint slides without audio do not translate well online. They are sometimes linked as an extra resource or as notes for the students to use but they should not be used as the primary way of communicating information. If you do link them, please make sure they are accessible and copyright compliant. If you decide to record them as a video, see Best Practices for Voiceover Slides in the Video Module.

Assignment icon Assignments

In general, assignment directions should go in the Assignment Description section of a Canvas Assignment.

This keeps everything in one place (see Example Assignment Setups). However, sometimes the assignment's directions are fairly lengthy and complicated. In this case it is appropriate to attach a file to the assignment descriptions so that the students can access it directly from the assignment. In a scaffolded assignment, it's a good idea to create a page that outlines all the steps in the assignment and then link back to that page as a reference from each assignment description.

Discussion icon Discussions

If you want students to discuss something asynchronously before you meet, you will need to put discussion prompts in a Canvas Discussion forum (see Example Discussion Setups).

module.pngModules

Modules are best thought of as a table of contents for your course or a quick place to get a broad overview. Modules, generally broken up by week, should contain only core Canvas items such as pages, assignments, discussions, and quizzes. The order of content on this page corresponds to the "Previous" and "Next" buttons within Canvas. Readings, videos, and other focused content do not need to appear on the modules list.

Caution icon Things to Avoid

  • Avoid using the External URL tool as a module item. Link to external sites from the Module Overview page or, if you have a number of links, create a page and list them.*
  • Similarly, avoid using the Files tool to add files to a module. Again, link files from the Module Overview or create a page and list them as above.*
  • *See Using Links to Files & External Sites for specifics, exceptions, and other ideas.