Canvas Course Checklist

December 18, 2023

Before taking a well-earned break at the end of this year, take a few minutes to set yourself up for a less stressful start to the spring term. 

We have created an updated checklist to help make sure your Canvas course is ready to go at the beginning of the term. It includes brief instructions for importing and organizing content and links out to helpful guides for more detail. 

• Find your courses. To access your courses, please visit Canvas Login or Canvas Login – secondary to login. The Dashboard should display your current courses. Clicking on the Courses button in the purple Global Nav Menu will show you all current published and unpublished courses you are associated with. Clicking on the “all courses” link will show you all your Clemson courses, past and present.

• Combine your sections. Each course section has an individual site in Canvas. If you wish to combine, or crosslist, your sections, you may do so using the CrossList Assistant. Refer to the crosslisting guide for full details.
• Copy previous course content. You can import all or some of the content from another Canvas course. For instructions, see the Canvas course import guide.
• Easily update Assignment due dates. Go to Assignments, then click on the 3 dot “snowman” button in the upper right. Select “Edit Assignment Dates” from the menu, and you can edit all of your Assignment due dates on one page. See Bulk Update Due Dates for more information.
  

• Organize your content. Check your course to make sure your content is where you want it to be. Some general tips:
  • Syllabus: Post your syllabus to Canvas’s dedicated Syllabus tool as web content or as an uploaded document.
  • Modules: Add your instructional materials here, organized by week, unit topic, chapter, etc.
• Create a home page. Make sure the first thing your learners see is welcoming and informative. We strongly encourage creating a custom page, but you can set your Syllabus or Modules as the Home Page, as well. Visit the Canvas Guide to Home Pages for more information.
• Customize your course navigation. Go to Settings and under the Navigation tab choose which menu items you want students to have access to. We recommended hiding “Files” and “Assignments.” Visit the Canvas Guide to Course Navigation for more information.
• Publish individual content. All content can be published or unpublished. If you are ready for students to view material, make sure they display the green published icon. If you are still working on content, you can leave it unpublished until ready. See the Canvas Guide on Draft & Published States for more information.
• Publish the entire course. On the course home, click the “Publish” button. Your course is now visible by your students. Note that you cannot unpublish a course once it contains a graded student submission.
• Create an announcement. Now that your course is published, it is a good time to let students know the course is available. For more information, visit the Canvas Guide to Announcements.

For a downloadable version, self-enroll in the Faculty Resource Center and find it in the Teaching with Canvas module.

Don’t forget our upcoming workshop on Wednesday on preparing for next semester (see below). We can walk you through these steps and help with any questions along the way. If you can’t make the workshop but would like an extra set of eyes on your course, book a consultation with one of our Digital Learning Strategists. We love to see what you are working on!

Upcoming Events

Workshop Wednesday: Next Semester Prep

Wednesday, December 20th, 1:00-2:00 PM

As we finish another Fall semester, do yourself a small favor before taking your well-deserved break. Join this training to meet with one of our Digital Learning Strategists as they walk you through next semester’s preparation steps you can take in Canvas. Select from a range of topics you would like covered and enter any specific questions you might have. This training will cover importing Canvas content and planning next semester’s courses with learning objectives in mind. 

Facilitated by James Butler, Digital Learning Strategist.

Modality: Virtual and synchronous—an Outlook Calendar invite, with the Zoom link, will be sent.
Registration: Workshop Wednesday: Next Semester Prep .
Recording: This training will be recorded.

Clemson Online Fall 2023 Events Calendar

Review our Fall 2023 Events Calendar to see what Online Instruction Development opportunities await!

We have a robust lineup of topics and live training formats to support your use of Canvas and other e-learning tools. Topics cover demonstrations of using Kaltura, presentations on inclusive practices for online education, and workshops to get your Canvas site ready to teach!

All of our live training is recorded. Registrants will automatically receive a link to that day’s video after it has been processed.

Contact James Butler with any questions regarding these sessions. 

Clemson Online – Where Tech and Teaching Meet