How Dr. Panda Utilizes Canvas Modules for Streamlined Course Organization (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Welcome, let's check in to see how Dr. Panda uses Canvas modules to organize course content.

Speaker 2: Meet Dr. Panda. Dr. Panda is an excellent educator and is always looking for tools and resources to leverage for student success in the classroom. Dr. Panda is looking forward to the upcoming year, especially because Dr. Panda's institution selected the learning management system, Canvas. Dr. Panda likes to keep things as simple as possible for the students, so Dr. Panda uses Canvas modules to present a simplified and organized course flow for the class to follow. Students do not have to open several different folders to access the curriculum. Instead, students can move right from a course content page, to a video, to an assignment in one click. Dr. Panda knows that Canvas module organization is flexible. When Dr. Panda teaches in-person courses, the class modules are organized by unit or topic. The class is currently studying Bamboo, yum. For Dr. Panda's blended learning classes, or for the fully online classes, modules have been organized chronologically by week. Modules provide all instructors the flexibility necessary to organize online content in the manner that works best for them, their students, and their content. To create a new module, Dr. Panda selects modules from the course navigation on the left side of their screen. Then they select add module at the top of the module page. New modules appear at the bottom of the module page, but Dr. Panda can drag and drop their modules into any order. New modules are also unpublished, so Dr. Panda can build the module in draft state without distracting students from their current assignments and learning activities because all unpublished content in Canvas is invisible to students. Dr. Panda adds content to the module by selecting the plus at the top of the module bar. Dr. Panda can then select what kind of item they would like to add to the module. If they want to add an assignment, they can choose from previously created assignments or add an assignment shell for new assignments to the module. Dr. Panda follows the same steps to add pages, discussions, and other course content items. Inside the module, Dr. Panda organizes content by dragging and dropping items into the preferred order. Dr. Panda can add text headers to help students navigate through the content. Using the more options menu, Dr. Panda indents certain items to add more visual cues for the students, especially for online courses, Dr. Panda likes to use requirements to guide students through the content along a specific pathway. Dr. Panda can require students to submit an assignment before the next assignment or content will open in the module. For example, the class Cubs must submit the assignment Bamboo Inventions before they can open the discussion Ways You Use Bamboo. Dr. Panda can also use other modules with requirements as prerequisites. For example, students must complete the requirements within the Bamboo Botany module before they can open the module on Bamboo Recipes. As Dr. Panda builds the course flow and content, they reference the course evaluation checklist found in the Canvas community. This checklist is based upon course design research and helps set reasonable expectations as an educator new to Canvas. Dr. Panda will continue to reference the course evaluation checklist to continually improve the module and course presentation for students.