This page provides tips for faculty starting a new semester from a previous semester.

BACKUP PAST COURSES & SET-UP NEW COURSES

Past courses should never be changed because they are legal records or archives. Once a course ends, the next steps are to back up the course and then copy it to a new term shell or course development shell in Canvas. Please know that when you backup courses, your student and their assignments are not saved in the download file.

REVIEW COURSE MATERIALS AND NAVIGATION

After your course copies successfully, you are ready to prepare for the course in the new term's shell. The list below includes some of the items you need to consider. In addition, you will want to make sure all content is accessible according to ADA requirements.

  • Publish all learning activities and contents (Discussions, Quizzes, Pages, and Assignment)
  • Include Close Date for each assignment. You can choose to make it the last day of the term.
  • (Keep them simple and hide the elements you are not using. This will be less overwhelming and confusing to your learners.)
  • NOTE: We recommend not including Files or Pages in the course navigation, but rather include them in the modules.

REVIEW MODULES

Publish all of the individual modules

  • If used, ensure module and are set properly
  • you do not wish your learners to view yet. Following the directions to lock the module and set it to unlock automatically on a particular date and time.
  • NOTE: If any modules are unfinished, either lock unfinished module(s) or unpublish the module until needed.

REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES, DISCUSSIONS, AND GRADEBOOK

Check all relevant settings for assignments, discussions, and quizzes:

  • Setting up for more accurate grades and setting up weighted grading.
  • directions
  • submission type
  • point value
  • number of quiz attempts
  • availability date
  • due date
  • Note: If you are using , ensure the assignment weights align with what you want your grade book to be. You must also set up your Assignment Groups.
  • Note: If you use extra credit, ensure that (1) Your EC score = 0 (so not to penalize people who do not take extra credit) and (2) enable the check next to "Do not count this assignment towards the final grade" (In your datebook, remind yourself to turn this off when working on final grades)

REVIEW STUDENT EXPERIENCE

  • Review course using found on the Home page to the right or at the bottom of the page, to review the course from the student's perspective and to check that all modules/contents are published and updated.
  • If desired, submit assignment(s), or quiz(es) while in Student View to verify that everything is working properly.
  • NOTE: Any assignments or quizzes tested will show up in the Test Student row at the bottom of your Gradebook.

PUBLISH YOUR COURSE/VISIBILITY CHOICES

  • Determine what, if any, materials to keep invisible to students
  • NOTE: You can publish a course, yet have some or all of your material hidden from student view by not publishing Modules, Pages, Quizzes, Assignments, etc.
  • Once your course content is ready, to open it for student access on the first day of the semester.
  • NOTE: Publishing your course before the Term Date will not make the course accessible to students unless you also check the box to override the Term Date in the Course Settings.
  • Review the Course Visibility Setting page for explanations of the visibility settings.

INFORM STUDENTS

  • Your students will automatically have a Canvas account created for them at the time they register. You do NOT need to instruct them how to get a Canvas account.
  • Students will not receive an automatic announcement alerting them to their Canvas course. For that reason, after you publish your Canvas course, the Instructional Innovation Center recommends you send a message from the Inbox within Canvas. (This ensures that students unfamiliar to Canvas will get your message.)
  • Here is a sample message:

We are using the Canvas course management system for this course. Please see the web page, which provides instructions for logging in, finding your course, and confirming your email to receive Canvas notifications.

Your first due date in Canvas for this course is [date 11:59 pm]. I recommend that you log in to Canvas now to read the Syllabus and participate in the Check-in Discussion, which is in the Modules area of the course. The course navigation menu includes links to the Syllabus and to Modules.

HELPING STUDENTS ACCESS YOUR CANVAS COURSE

  • Direct students to log in using either the link in their Coast Canvas home page, (no “www”).
  • NOTE: Students will log in to Canvas with the same login information as their Student Portal.
  • Direct students who have problems logging into Canvas to the
  • Make students aware of the Canvas Support Hotline (844-603-4261) which is available to them (and you) 24/7. The contact information is listed under HELP on the global navigation..
  • See the Wait List Students page for important information you may need to know and want to impart to your students.

GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS FOR INSTRUCTORS

  • Warning: (in course Settings) will permanently delete all course content and render your course shell completely empty. Use with caution!
  • Conversation messages and announcements are not delivered unless the course is published. See more about in Canvas.
  • Use 11:59 pm instead of 12:00 am to indicate a midnight end date. (12:00 am in the first minute of the specified date, not the end of the day.)

(c) 2021, 六合彩全年图库, Costa Mesa, CA - used with permission (and special thanks!) from Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa,CA

A printable version is available.