Follow these steps if you added your syllabus as a file upload (e.g. a PDF or Word file). The steps below will make your syllabus immediately visible in an inline preview when students navigate to the syllabus page.

1. Select Syllabus from the course navigation.
2. Select Edit.
3. In the textbox, click on the syllabus link (it will be your document title) and then select Link Options.
4. In the Link Options popup, change the Display Options to Preview inline and check Expand preview by Default. Select Done. When complete, it will look like the image below, with the syllabus appearing in an embedded document viewer.

5. Select Update Syllabus.

To view an example of a completed module introduction page, locate the Module titled “Examples – DO NOT PUBLISH” and click on the “Module X: Introduction [Example]” resource.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

The key difference in the Level 2 assignment template is the addition of the 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 prompt, locate the Module titled “Examples – DO NOT PUBLISH” and click on the “Cover Letter Full Draft [Example]” and “Cover Letter Polished Piece [Example]” resources.

1. Select Modules from the course navigation.
2. Locate the template module named “Module 1 | Name”.
3. Select the template you need. We recommend using “Assignment Template (Level 2)”, “Discussion Template (Level 2)”, and “Quiz Template (Level 2)”.
4. Select the three-dot menu next to the new copy of the activity. Choose Move to. Select a module, and use the Place options to arrange the activity in the module. Select Move.
5. The Modules page will move your view to follow the activity. Click on the activity name to navigate to that page.
6. Select Edit.
7. Make the following changes to the activity:
   1. Update the title. Enter the correct module number and add a descriptive title. (See Image 1 below.)
   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. Review the Resources for Assessment Design for best practices in assignment design. Complete the Purpose, Task, and Grading Criteria sections.
   4. Set the Due Date for the activity.
   5. Verify the other settings are correct.
8. After you have entered your content, select Save or Save & Publish.

Resources for Assessment Design

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.

Additional support resources for the Readings & Resources template will be coming with the next phase of the summer online toolkit.

To view an example of a Readings and Resources  pages, locate the Module titled “Examples – DO NOT PUBLISH” and click on the “Module X: Readings & Resources [Example 1]” and “Module X: Readings & Resources [Example 2]” resources.

Tip: Each time you save a page, Canvas records each change. You can view and restore prior versions of your page by selecting the three-dot menu next to Edit and choosing View Page History. Click one of the time stamps to view that version. Then click Restore this version.

1. Select Modules from the course navigation.
2. Locate the template module named “Module 1 | Name”.
3. Select the three-dot menu next to the “Module 1: Readings & Resources” page. Then select Duplicate.
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 a readings page. Use the Place options to arrange the page in the module. Select Move.
6. Click on the readings page copy (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 like Image 2 below.
   3. Select Save. If the header is formatted correctly, go back into edit mode by selecting Edit. Otherwise, use the tip above to undo the changes and try again.
   4. Under the heading, erase the placeholder text and add readings, videos, web resources, instructor-created resources, etc. here with proper citation. There are several ways to do so:
      1. If you have an existing page with course readings and other instructional content, copy-paste them onto the template page.
      2. If you have uploaded readings as files, use the Course Documents option in the Rich Content Editor to add them to the page. First draft the reading citation in the page body. Next select Documents in the Rich Content Editor and choose Course Documents. Then highlight text in the page body. With the text highlighted, select one of the files from the course documents popup. This will add a hyperlink to the selected text that opens the course file.
      3. If you use a textbook, indicate which chapters and/or pages to read.
   5. For each resource, consider:
      1. Even if you only have one or two items, expounding on them here will allow you to effectively introduce the content, connect the materials to course and module outcomes and assignments or real-world applications, and add your expert guidance. 
      2. For each assigned reading, please write a brief description of the resource.
      3. State whether it is required or optional.
      4. Include in your description where to locate the content and any directions or special instructions that will assist them using the content.
      5. Remember, try to anticipate questions students might have about this resource and include this information in your description. 
      6. Instructor voice and expertise is incredibly important in any course. Use this template page to provide your learners with your own insights, experiences, commentary, instructional videos, etc. to increase critical thinking and offer a pivotal perspective.
      7. You can also link to this page in as many places within your course as needed, such within an assignment description or module introduction.
      8. Provide citations for all course content.
7. After you have entered your content, select Save or Save & Publish.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 for each module or as needed.

1. Select Announcements from the course navigation.
2. Select +Announcement.
3. Write your announcement by adding a topic title (subject) and body.
4. Under Options, select Delay posting. Set the Post At date to a future date.
5. Select Publish.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each announcement.