How do I use the Modules Index Page?

Modules control the entire flow of your course and its content. As an instructor, you can add modules, add items to a module, and manage module settings. You can also reorder all modules and module items.

Open Modules

Open Modules

In Course Navigation, click the Modules link.

View Modules Index Page

The Modules Index Page is designed with global settings at the top of the page [1] followed by individual modules [2]. Course content items are nested within each module [3].

Note: The Modules Index Page supports keyboard shortcuts. To view a window with a list of keyboard navigation shortcuts, press the Shift+Question Mark keys simultaneously on your keyboard.

View Modules Global Settings

View Modules Global Settings

Global settings include collapsing or expanding all modules, viewing a student’s progress in a module, bulk publishing and unpublishing modules and module items, and adding new modules.

Notes:

  • The Collapse All button displays if one or more modules are expanded. The Expand All button displays if all modules are collapsed.
  • If a user with a course enrollment collapses or expands one or more modules, the Modules Index Page retains the state of each module when they return to the page.

View Modules

View Modules

In Modules, you can view all the modules in your course. Modules are organized by order of progression.

Modules house the content items within each module. By default, modules are expanded and show all items in the module [1]. To collapse the module, click the collapse arrow [2].

Note: If you choose to collapse or expand one or more modules, the Modules Index Page retains the state of each module.

View Module Header

View Module Header

Each module header contains the name of the module [1].

The header may also contain module prerequisites [2] and module requirements [3].

Manage Module

Manage Module

The icons in the module header control the entire module.

To publish or unpublish a module, click the Published Status drop-down menu [1].

To add a new content item to the module, click the Add icon [2].

In the Options drop-down menu [3], you can edit a module [4]. Edit the module to rename the module, lock modules, set prerequisites, and set modules requirements.

In the Options drop-down menu, you can also move module items [5],  move the module [6], assign the module to students [7], delete the module [8], duplicate the module [9], send the module to another instructor [10], or copy the module to another course [11].

Reorder Modules

Reorder Modules

You can reorder a module by hovering over the drag handle next to the name of the module and dragging the module to the desired location.

View Module Icons

View Module Icons

Modules can be filled with different types of content. Each module item also includes an icon with its type:  

  • Page [1]: a page of content to read
  • Discussion [2]: a course discussion
  • Quiz [3]: a course quiz
  • Assignment [4]: a course assignment
  • Link or External Tool [5]: an external link or tool to view outside of the course
  • File [6]: a file to download or view

View Individual Module Item

View Individual Module Item

Each module contains module content items that may display the item name [1], the due date [2], the number of points [3], the module requirement [4], and the module item's draft state status [5]. A module may also include non-graded items [6], such as pages and non-graded discussions. If a To-Do date was added to a non-graded item, the date displays next to the module item [7].

Manage Individual Module Item

To manage an individual module content item, click the Options drop-down menu [1]. Use the menu options to edit the content item [2], open SpeedGrader [3], assign the item to specific students [4], duplicate the item if the item supports duplication [5], move the item [6],  indent the item up to 5 levels (or remove an indent) [7], send the content to another user [8], copy content to another course [9], add Mastery Paths [10], or remove the content item from the module [11].

Note: The Mastery Paths setting can be managed in your course if the setting has been enabled by your institution.

Reorder Module Item

Reorder Module Item

You can also reorder a module item by hovering over the drag handle next to the name of the item and dragging the item to the desired location.

View MasteryPaths

View MasteryPaths

If you use MasteryPaths in your course, you can view the Modules page and tell which module items are set up for MasteryPaths.

View Blueprint Course

View Blueprint Course

If your course includes Blueprint icons, your course is associated with a blueprint course. Blueprint Courses are courses managed as a template and may contain locked objects managed by a Canvas admin, course designer, or other instructor. Like with draft state icons, Modules displays the object status as also shown in the object's respective index page.

To find out if your course is a blueprint course, view the Course Details tab in Course Settings. If your course is not a blueprint course, you can only manage unlocked content in your course. If your course is a blueprint course, you can lock and sync course content to associated courses.

View Scheduled Page Publication

If enabled by your institution, you can schedule when a page will be published and can view when a page is scheduled to publish.

View Student View

To view the modules index page as a student, click the View as Student button.

Note: If the course navigation link for the page is disabled and hidden from students, the View as Student button does not display.