0.3 | Understanding the Course Design

This course was designed to show off the very best use of Canvas while you learn how to utilize Canvas. Read on for some important points, tips, and tools for being successful!

 A Themed Course

We've created a course around the growing theme, and matched our images, icons, and badges to the theme. You'll also see that we applied the theme to our naming convention for our Modules. We understand that when you teach your course, the theme will be your subject area, and your Modules will likely be unit, chapter, or week names. We wanted to have a little bit of fun with this one! 

 What Is a Sandbox?

We recommend that all faculty have a dedicated course space in Canvas to build and try things out. This space isn't an assigned course that will ever have students enrolled - it's just a place to play. We frequently refer to these courses as Sandboxes. We hope that you have a place like this to build (even if it's not called a Sandbox). You will be asked to try out building as you move through this course, and you'll do that in your Sandbox space. 

 Course Design

This course is designed using Modules as an organizational tool. Once you are in a Module, you can use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate through the content. The Modules are set up with Prerequisites, meaning that you will have to do the Modules in order. Inside of each Module we are also using Requirements. You will see the requirement for completion next to each item on the Modules page. For Pages, the requirement is "View" and for any of the activities, the requirement is "Submit." As you complete requirements, items will check off with a green check in your Module view, so you can easily tell where you left off.  

 Course Activities 

This course uses all of the Canvas activity types - Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes - to help assess your understanding. When there is an activity, it is indicated by the plant icon - 🌿. Each Module's Learning Plan will tell you the concepts you'll be learning about, as well as the number and type of activities. 

 Rubrics

Each Assignment and Discussion that you will complete has an attached rubric. This rubric will show you the grading criteria and ratings -  how that criteria will be assessed.

 How to Take a Screenshot

Finally - some of the activities will require you to take a screenshot of the work you've completed in your Sandbox course and submit the screenshot in this course as a file upload. If you're not sure how to take a screenshot, this website should help you: Take-A-Screenshot.org Links to an external site..