1. In Canvas, select Commons in the blue global navigation bar on the left.
2. Select Filter. Add the following filters:
   1. View only these types: Courses
   2. Content Types: Templates
   3. Shared With: Butler University
3. Select “BU Online Course Template” by clicking on the blue hyperlink. (Note: If the template isn’t easily visible, in the search box, enter “BU Online Course Template” and press Return/Enter on your keyboard.)
4. Select Import/Download on the right side of your screen.
5. In the Import/Download popup, click the checkmark in front of your course name, and then scroll to the bottom and select Import into course.
6. You should see a message that the import has started. After a few minutes, the resources will load into your course.
7. Navigate to your summer online course (or sandbox/development course) by selecting the Dashboard or Courses button in the blue navigation on the left. Then select your course from the list.
8. When you enter the course, you should now see the new home page (that you just imported). If your course appears empty, the import is not yet complete. Wait a few minutes and then refresh the page.

1. Select Announcements in your course navigation.
2. Verify that no old announcements are posted here—these will be visible to your students and can cause confusion. If you find any old announcements, select each announcement by clicking the checkbox in front of it and then click the trash icon at the top right.

Tip: Find helpful syllabus resources in Ask.Butler.  These resources include syllabi statements from the Provost’s Office, formatted templates in Google Drive, and more. View the “Getting Started with the Syllabus Tab” training recording for additional help with these resources.

1. Select Syllabus from the course navigation.
2. Select Edit.
3. Highlight “Course #” and type your course code.
4. Highlight the text “Insert content here.” Then delete the text.
5. Add your syllabus. We recommend either:
   1. Copy-paste your syllabus from a word editor. If you do this, ensure that headings and formatting come over correctly.
   2. Upload your syllabus as a document.
      1. Select Document from the textbox toolbar (Canvas calls this the “Rich Content Editor”). Choose Upload Document. Then navigate to your document and then select Submit.

6. Select Update Syllabus.

To view an example of a completed course resources page, locate the Module titled “Examples – DO NOT PUBLISH” and click on the “Course Resources [Example]” resource.

1. Select the Course Resources page from Module 0. (Alternatively, click Next to advance to this page.)
2. Then do one of the following:
   • Update the page: Select Edit. Highlight “Course #” and type your course code. Add resources that students may use throughout the course, such as style guides, library support, eBook access, publisher content and resource tutorials, portfolio elements, examples, etc. Then select Save.
   • Or delete the page: While this page is recommended, you may choose to delete this page. To do so, click the three-dot menu beside Edit, and select Delete.

Refer to this Panopto video for a walkthrough or see the steps below!

To view an example of a completed module introduction page, locate the Module titled “Examples – DO NOT PUBLISH” and click on the “Module X: Introduction [Example]” resource.

1. Select Modules from the course navigation.
2. Locate the template module named “Module 1 | Name”.
3. In Modules view, select the three-dot menu next to the “Module 1: Introduction” page. Then select Duplicate.

Tip: You should be on the Modules view for this step. If you clicked on and are viewing the introduction page, you will not see an option to duplicate it.

4. Select the three-dot menu next to the copied page. Then select Move To.
5. In the Move Module Item popup, click the Modules dropdown and select a module that needs an introduction page. Leave the place set to At the Top. Select Move.
6. Click on the module introduction page name (the page that you just moved). Then select Edit. Make the following changes to the page:
   1. Update the page title. Enter the correct module number and erase the “Copy” text at the end. (See Image 1 below.)
   2. In the body of the page, highlight “Course #” and type your course code. Replace the “#” following “Module” with the correct number. After making these updates, your header should appear similar to Image 2 below.
   3. Under the Module Overview section, identify the focus and purpose of the unit. Craft this Module Overview in a way that helps learners make connections among the module’s associated learning outcomes, the module reading and assignments, other coursework, courses in the program, the discipline, and real-life applications. This is a great space to infuse your own voice, presence, experience, and expertise. It can also be useful to include the time learners can expect to spend completing the module activities. Module Overviews can include a variety of media, including text, images, audio, and video.
   4. Under the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) section, create a bulleted list of the outcomes for that module.
   5. After you have entered your content, select Save or Save & Publish.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 for each module.

Image 1
Image 2

The assignment template contains a page header and navigation bar that can be added above your existing content. It also includes Purpose, Task, and Grading Criteria sections. These categories reflect best practices in assignment design for online courses.

To view an example of a completed assignment, locate the Module titled “Examples – DO NOT PUBLISH” and click on the “Cover Letter Full Draft [Example]” and “Cover Letter Polished Piece [Example]” resources.

The steps below outline one workflow for how to quickly apply the design template to already existing, imported activities by copy/pasting HTML. Alternatively, you can duplicate the template pages to avoid copying the HTML. The high-level steps for the alternative method are to: 1) duplicate the activity template, 2) move the template to the correct module, 3) copy-paste your assignment information, and 4) delete the original activity.

1. Select Modules from the course navigation.
2. Locate the template module named “Module 1 | Name”.
3. Select the template you need.
4. Select Edit.
5. Select the </> button under the body text field.
6. Select all of the code by highlighting the text or pressing Control + A (PC) or Command + A (Mac) on your keyboard.
7. Copy the code by right-clicking and selecting “Copy” or pressing Control + C (PC) or Command + C (Mac) on your keyboard.
8. Scroll to the bottom of the editor page and select Cancel.
9. Select Assignments, Discussions, or Quizzes from the course navigation.
10. Click on the name of one of your imported activities.
11. Select Edit.
12. Select the </> button under the body text field.
13. Position your cursor at the beginning of line 1. Paste the copied code by right-clicking and selecting “Paste” or pressing Control + V (PC) or Command + V (Mac) on your keyboard.
14. Select the </> button under the body text field. Make the following changes to the activity:
    1. Update the title. Enter the correct module number and add a descriptive title. (See Image 1.)
    2. In the body of the activity, highlight “Course #” and type your course code. Replace the “#” following “Module” with the correct number. After making these updates, your header should appear similar to Image 2 below.
    3. Under the heading, add your assignment prompt. Review the Appendix A: Resources for Assessment Design for best practices in assignment design.
    4. Set the Due Date for the activity.
15. After you have entered your content, select Save or Save & Publish.

Each course has a default grading scheme applied. Before entering grades in the gradebook, check that your syllabus grading scheme matches what is in Canvas. Otherwise, use the following Canvas guide to set up a new grading scheme in Canvas.

• Set up a grading scheme.

The “Link Validator” tool checks for broken links and unpublished content in your course. This tool flags any resource that may be unreachable by your students. Use the following Canvas guide to learn how to run the link validator in your course.

• How do I validate links in a course?

Included below are additional resources for other common beginning of the semester setup tasks and for facilitation tasks.

• Add an announcement and schedule it for a specific day.
• Create student groups and set up group assignments. (Add a reminder to check your groups before the course starts—students who enroll after you create group sets will need to be added to a group.)
• Set up a Panopto folder so your students can create Panopto videos for discussion and assignments.
• Set up Zoom office hours and any live meetings.
• Use SpeedGrader to give timely feedback.

The recommended assessment template for assignments, discussions, and quizzes is based on Winkelmes’ (2016) transparent assignment design, which helps maintain consistent and descriptive task expectations. Using a transparent design can help your students gain a greater understanding of how they should perform.

What to include in the “Purpose” section

To help students recognize how this assignment will benefit their learning, start by introducing learners to the task, defining the nature and purpose of the task, and detailing the associated course and module learning objectives. Consider the following when crafting this section:

• What is it students will achieve or demonstrate through this assignment?
• What are the skills and knowledge you want your students to gain and demonstrate with this assignment?
• Indicate how the specific knowledge and skills involved in this assignment connect with other assignments in the course or program and tasks they might perform in the workplace.

What to include in the “Task” section

In this section, explicitly define each step in the assignment completion process and link to resources to help learners complete the task expectations. Consider the following when crafting this section: 

• What do the students need to do to complete the assignment successfully?  
• What is the very first thing students should do when they begin working on this assignment? What is the next step, and so on?  
• What resources or tutorials will they need to complete each step, and in what order? How do they access those resources?  
• What unnecessary steps or common mistakes should students avoid?  
• What documentation or formatting is required (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)?  
• How long should it be?  
• Where and how will the students submit their work?  
• When is each step due? How long will the task be available? For example, it’s good practice to have an initial discussion post due several days before the peer responses to give learners time to reflect and respond. For quizzes, consider making the exam available for several days to allow learners time to complete the activity.  
• Does your description help students to focus their time efficiently on producing the highest quality work possible in the time given? Does it anticipate student needs and questions?  
• For quizzes, what resources are students allowed to use when taking the exam (such as a textbook, the internet, or friend)? 

In the assignment settings, be sure to indicate how many points the task is worth, what kind of and how many submissions are accepted, time limits, as well as the due date and availability dates. This information will be visible to learners in a variety of places in Canvas, including the top of the assignment page, so you do not have to repeat it within this assignment description. 

It’s also helpful to provide models of completed activities so that students have a firm grasp of your expectations and what they look like in a finished product. These samples can be drafted by you (the instructor), your students, or even professionals. It may also be advantageous to provide a worked or annotated example. That is, provide additional commentary explaining how an example does or does not meet expectations, perhaps even including a scored checklist or rubric. 

If you are concerned about students simply copying the examples, you might use an example based on a similar activity but with a different focus. For example, you could show an example of a strong research paper that includes all the elements you are looking for (clarity, support, formatting, etc.), but that is based on a topic that students will not address.

What to include in the “Grading Criteria” section

In this section define how the task will be assessed. Provide enough information so that learners have a solid understanding of your expectations and how they will be scored for their performance. This section should still be used even if the assessment is ungraded. As you craft this section: 

• Ensure that the grading criteria provided align with the task description above.  
• For assignments and discussions, use a rubric or checklist to clarify your expectations and facilitate grading.  
• Provide the information needed to understand how a grade on an assignment or activity will be calculated. 

For help on adding a rubric to Canvas, check out the How Do I Add a Rubric to an Assignment?, How Do I Add a Rubric to a Graded Discussion?, and How Do I Add a Rubric to a Quiz? tutorials. Rubrics associated with native Canvas assignments will appear automatically for learners, so there is no need to add it to the text description. If you are using a third-party source, such as Turnitin or a publisher, you will need to add the rubric description in this section.