[Outcomes] Add Outcomes to Additional Types of Content Within Canvas

[MariaElena1]

As an instructor, I use backwards design to develop the learning content within my courses. While I can add outcomes to assignments with rubrics and quizzes, I am not able to connect outcomes to additional types of content within Canvas, such as specific pages, discussions without a rubric, or even entire modules. Being able to tag these other types of content as being aligned to specific outcomes would not only improve general course design, but also allow students to see how the course content maps to the course level outcomes.

[ProfessorBeyrer]

@MariaElena1 , this is an excellent idea. I look forward to seeing which of my course outcomes has aligned content and which outcomes need additional support. I hope that the implementation for this idea will include the ability to link a content artifact to multiple outcomes.

[BenFriedman]

@MariaElena1 @ProfessorBeyrer and others - Thank you for this suggestion. I love the idea of backwards planning in Canvas as a course design best practice and showing students how learning content connects to outcomes!!

The Canvas Outcomes team has recently started development work on a project that will give instructors and teachers the ability to align outcomes to pages, modules, discussions, and potentially other content types within Canvas. We are calling this "instructional content" to differentiate it from assignments and quizzes that function as assessments of outcomes. Two questions -

1. Any preference between "instructional content" and "learning content" for how we refer to this?

2. Are there any other content types that would be helpful to include (e.g., files, mastery paths)?  

[ProfessorBeyrer]

Thanks @BenFriedman. I'm excited about the upcoming work with Outcomes. I don't have a preference between "learning content" and "instructional content" and defer to those who have an opinion. It's helpful to have a term to use when discussing things that demand activity from users other than consumption. 

Yes, being able to connect files and Outcomes would be great. A file could be linked from a course home page or syllabus page that has some connection to course content.

[RhondaFarley]

As an SLO coordinator, I am excited to see expanding opportunities to connect course content with outcomes.  It's the next piece in the outcomes assessment puzzle.