Modules within Modules

[kristi_levy]

As we move toward Personalized Learning we are beginning to feel boxed in by the linear design of Course Modules.  Many teachers would like the Course Modules to look more like the Course listing in the new UI (Tiles rather than lists) AND have the functionality to have Modules within Modules.  This would allow for MANY more options for student Voice, Choice and Pacing options!

Comments from Instructure

Please refer to our comment from the product team. 

[leslieatwhatcom]

@TashaSmith, I'm pretty much convinced that nobody from Instructure actually reads these posts. It's a bone they throw to give us a place to complain about all the things that don't work. I've seen really, REALLY good ideas get posted here, and you can "upvote" them (or maybe that's a different interface; I don't bother any more) but "ideas" with lots of upvotes often get ignored while ideas that are on Instructure's agenda anyway get implemented even if they A) have very few upvotes or B) aren't even on the "list".

I'm desperate for this feature, as outlined in another post (but this is the third time I've had to create a new account in the Community, so I keep showing up as a new member - one more thing that isn't working).

I'm normally not a negative Nelly, but I have never been happy with this product. I use it ONLY because I am required to.

[pmercier]

Yes, I have to agree with you at this point.  Canvas, does not seem to be as "reactive" as it used to be.  Have they gotten too Big now?

[isabelmk]

This is a fantastic idea and Canvas should develop it ASAP!

[peytoncraighill]

Comments from Instructure

There's a lot to look at in this thread, but I'll try to focus my response on the original idea...We don't have plans to support nested modules soon.

As some of the replies suggest, this is a deceptively challenging problem to solve on a number of fronts: build something teachers and students understand how to use, build something that can scale, and build something that solves enough use cases (only some of which are outlined here) to compel people to use it. 

There are some workarounds listed in this thread, including MasteryPaths, which were added to Canvas since this idea was posted and can be integrated into modules.

[pmercier]

@peytoncraighill Thank you for your comments.  I have to agree that MasteryPaths is a good feature and I am glad that Instructure has added it to Canvas.

However, I think you are missing the point about Module's Structure in Canvas.. It's evident that a number of Canvas users now include their content (Course Material) within Modules.  The issue becomes each module tends to get very long causing the "Scroll of Death".   The "Module Compactor" is a step in the right direction to shorten the Module size.  Right now it's a Chrome Extension, I'm hoping (wishing) that Instructure would add this to Canvas so that it can be used without having to turn on the Extension.

The next step would be to have "Modules within Modules" so that the "Next" and "Previous" buttons could be used in the Sub module and when the end of sub module reached, return to the higher level module.

Compaction is really what we are looking for.

May the 4th be with you!!

[dan_baeckstrom]

One step closer to complete user control of Modules

This video demonstrates the new custom indentation feature of the upcoming 0.6 version of the Canvas Modules Compactor browser extension.

As many modules pages are not optimally structured with indentations to make compression maximally powerful, individual users may need to impose that structure on their own. The custom indentation feature makes this possible, also for students.

Please share comments if you have any ideas for improvement before release.

[eulabrant]

I just tracked down this post and I am supportive of having envelopes in modules - I am new to utilizing modules because of the online prerequisites for courses that I never needed to consider Coronavirus.

[TomCarroll]

Modules within modules would be a very useful feature, for example for courses that have a few different sections. The top level modules could correspond to the various sections so as not to clutter that first module page. 

[gary_whitsett]

At the very least, two features that could make this very useful.

1. Text Headers can collapse all the content indented below it (Love the plugin @dan_baeckstrom created!)

2. Allow the Text Header to control whether the indented content below it is published. This can allow a more granular control. For example, this could allow having supplemental course content that the instructor wants available after the lecture, with a one-click publish button to release all that content.

[pmercier]

Gary, I think this might help, but it needs to be collapsible when done with the indention.  It would be best to open "indented" material in a new page then come back to where the student left off with all the indented material collapsed under the header.

[man20]

Under Modules, I would like to create tabs at the top so I can organize all my individual modules I've created.  I put everything for the course under the Modules tab, and I would like to group certain modules together under specific tabs so it's not one long Module to scroll through. 

[bontomasin]

This would be amazing. Especially for content that wants to work as a unit but that unit becomes much too long for student accessibility.

[dan_baeckstrom]

@man20 : 

You can achieve something like that in my extension "Canvas Modules Organiser" by grouping modules by user tag – however, this is completely client side which of course is a big hurdle. Tabs sound really neat.

[Ron_Bowman]

@dan_baeckstrom 

I was going to suggest the idea to you, but I did not want to put any more work on you.  Also, I was thinking that while it would look great to the instructor, students would have to be able to see it as well - and preferably in the same order - that way the previous and next arrows would not be confusing. 

[dan_baeckstrom]

@Ron_Bowman @man20 et al: work in progress on Tabs. Soon to be included in a  "Canvas Modules Organiser"  update.

[Ron_Bowman]

@dan_baeckstrom Thanks for the update.  I will have to get back to working with the organizer.  I look forward to the tabs and all that you have been doing.

The last month or so has been rather chaotic and I have not had much time to work with cleaning up how my Canvas pages look.

[LatoyaBennett]

Hello, 

I would love for canvas to add subheading as an option inside the modules.  

For example I label the Unit as the modules. Inside the Unit module, the Subheader can be used for the chapters, and the text heading, which canvas already has,  can be use for the information inside the chapters.  

[bnupen]

This has been a request for several years.  We are embarking on district-wide individualized instruction, and Canvas does not meet the needs as well as other LMS systems.  Allowing modules within modules would help to address and manage individual needs of the students and more easily monitor progress.