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In Spring 2025, the Center for Teaching Innovation launched the Canvas Course Spotlight — a program inviting students to spotlight specific aspects of their Canvas courses that positively impacted their learning.
A Brief History of the Canvas Course Spotlight
In Fall 2024, CTI surveyed Cornell faculty to learn about their experiences in Canvas, the university’s learning management system (LMS). As we analyzed the results of this survey, we soon realized how valuable it would be to have feedback on Cornell students’ experience in Canvas – what types of course facilitation help them learn, and where their learning may run into roadblocks due to how the platform is being used. We could then share those responses with faculty in a way that was actionable, to help everyone have a better experience with using Canvas to facilitate and enhance student learning.
We explored creating a student-centered survey program of our own, with inspiration from programs at other institutions, including our neighbor Ithaca College, the University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Iowa, Chapman University, and Duke University.
A Synthesis of Student Feedback
Over the course of those two weeks, we received 98 anonymous submissions from 95 students, highlighting 70 unique courses across 33 different departments. CTI staff analyzed these submissions, using qualitative coding to identify common themes.
From these categories, we identified five Canvas course design elements that students consistently praised. Below are five tips we've synthesized from their submissions:
1. Organize your course modules clearly.
"I loved how [the professor] organized Canvas; everything a student could possibly need in a neatly compartmentalized and organized way."
Whether you structure your course modules chronologically, by content type, or a combination of both, ensure your modules are easy to follow and consistently organized.
About three-quarters of respondents indicated the importance of organization in a Canvas course, with the most frequently used example being the organization of a course’s Modules page. Also be sure to communicate your organization system to your students — it may seem obvious to you but it may be less so to your students.
“…Clearly divided modules with all resources, readings, and information we need for the week.”
"It made it easier to manage my time and focus on the content without getting overwhelmed. It makes it really easy to study."
2. Use course navigation tabs effectively.
"Here, the sidebar has no unnecessary links, so pages I need to use more regularly (such as Modules and Assignments) are easy to find and access."
Help students access content quickly and intuitively. Avoid making them search for what they need — clear navigation saves time and reduces frustration.
About half of respondents indicated the importance of navigation in a Canvas course, with the most frequently used example being the use of course navigation tabs. Students appreciate finding the syllabus under Syllabus, their assignments under Assignments, and third-party tools like Ed Discussion under their associated tabs in the course navigation.
“I am in classes this semester where you can only access assignments by going to the Grades tab which makes no sense…”
“In classes that haven't used Canvas as effectively as this one, I find it difficult to keep track of assignment deadlines.”
3. Provide direct links to key content on the homepage.
"I like how there are links to everything I could possibly need right when you open the Canvas.”
Consider laying out your course schedule in a table format with direct links to readings, assignments, and other essential materials right from the homepage.
The second most praised examples of quality navigation in Canvas was the use of direct links to content from the course’s Home page. Whether you create a Canvas page or set the Syllabus tool to be your homepage, students appreciate links straight to the content they need most — one example of which is a schedule table with links to all of the content students would need for each week.
"The home page contained a table that linked every lecture note, homework, and assignment by date."
“This motivated me to take full advantage of the lecture slides and class notes—something I would have done less of if they were organized more haphazardly.”
4. Make full use of Canvas for assessments.
"It was helpful that the prelecture and problem sets appeared on the Canvas calendar. I appreciate that assignments in this class were posted to Canvas well ahead of their due dates."
Whether it's quizzes, file upload assignments, or simply sharing assignment details and grades, students appreciate when everything is accessible through Canvas and appears in the Assignments and Grades sections.
Around 30% of respondents indicated the importance of using Assignments, Quizzes, and Grades in Canvas. While their direct comments may not have referred to the tools, students recognized the benefits of using these tools — properly calculated grades, assignments under the Assignments tab, due dates on assignments that matched the Syllabus, and assignment submissions through Canvas.
“The submission structure is easy to follow, and the grades are weighted so it reflects my actual grade. This made it easier to get feedback.”
"Having everything clearly laid out made it easier to manage my time and focus on the content without getting overwhelmed."
5. Communicate clearly and create space for student communication.
"This professor added a direct link to Ed Discussion where students could ask questions… and announcements are made frequently to inform students of any relevant updates."
Use consistent naming for files, modules, and quizzes, and take advantage of tools like announcements and discussion boards to keep communication open and organized.
About one-quarter of respondents indicated the importance of communication through Canvas and integrated tools. Students appreciate clearly labelled content that makes it easier to find what they need when studying, updates about changes in the course through Announcements, and opportunities to ask questions of the instructor, TAs, and their fellow students through Q&A discussions in Ed Discussions or Canvas Discussions.
“Communications in this class were very clear and the professor was very active on Ed Discussion, making it easy for us to reach out for help.”
"This allows me as the student to feel more connected with course administration, even if I can't make it to in-person office hours… [and] made my learning and studying more efficient."
Applying These Concepts in Your Course
Don’t be daunted by this list of ideas — while there is a lot here, you do not have to apply all of these ideas at once. We share this all not to get you to make major overhauls, but to make small updates that will help you trend your course towards the things your students appreciate. Find one of these concepts that you connect with and think how you can begin to apply it to the courses you are running right now.
This post originates from Cornell University's Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) blog which aims to offer a wide range of timely insights into evolving issues in higher education — from pedagogical approaches, and ideas for building an inclusive classroom to understanding established and emerging learning technologies.
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