Before you begin to design or re-design your online course, you may need to review your current teaching strategies, course learning outcomes, and learning activities used to assess engagement and learning in your course. Making outcomes explicit and aligning these with teaching and assessment strategies will make it easy to select appropriate content and create meaningful learning experiences.
Without a sound plan your Canvas site can easily end up as a lengthy list of words and links on a course home page or module. Giving your content and activities a clear structure with the use of image navigation labels and an appropriate nomenclature, is essential if users are to participate actively. The point here is to simplify navigation around learning spaces, so users do not get confused and frustrated looking for resources and activities eventually losing interest.
The tools we have used successfully to achieve this outcome includes the Course Network Map (CNM) constructed using a mind-mapping tool and our subject unit outline which has been modified to include contemporary research based high reliability pedagogy strategies, viz. learning goals, formative assessment and feedback. I have provided links and attachments to these for your perusal and use.
All feedback and other perspectives or ideas to facilitate improvement are welcome.
Resources:
- Open-Source (free and collaborative) mind mapping tools: FreeMind Download and or WiseMapping online.
- Unit Outline exemplar modified to match CANVAS course construction tools including Page, Module, Outcomes, Assignment, Quiz, Discussion and nomenclature references.
