Canvas Course Design Best Practices

When crafting a Canvas course, adhere to several key practices to foster a dynamic and immersive educational journey for your learners. Consider these three fundamental principles of course design:

• Dynamic Course Homepage: Develop a dynamic and informative homepage for your course that acts as the main gateway for your students. It should include a greeting, the aims of the course, key notices and a schedule for the course. Employ visuals, videos or other multimedia to enhance the homepage’s visual appeal and interactivity.
• Structured Learning Modules: Construct each learning module with a defined structure that navigates students through the educational content. Begin with a summary or outline of the module’s goals, present educational resources (such as readings and videos), incorporate interactive exercises or discussions and conclude with an evaluation or task. Clearly outline the learning outcomes for each module.
• Consistent Course Organization: Arrange your course material in a straightforward and uniform way to aid students in effortlessly locating and accessing what they need. Utilize modules to cluster related content, tasks and resources. Offer explicit directions and labels for each module and maintain a coherent progression from one module to the next.

There are many additional aspects to consider in Canvas course design. It’s crucial to synchronize your course structure with your educational goals, take into account the needs and preferences of your learners and persistently review and enhance your course based on learner feedback and assessment outcomes.

NOVA Course Designers can assist with the best practices for your Canvas courses. Book an appointment today! 

Submitted by:
Johnna Denny, CETSS, JDenny@nvcc.edu