Using Modules
Creating Pages
Managing Course Files
Syllabus Tool
Importing Course Content

Using Modules

Enable instructors to chunk content and provide course structure. Content can be structured by Week, Topic, Unit, etc. Module content can include pages, learning activities, assessments, files and other course materials. Additionally, you can enable module requirements and pre-requisites to track student progress/completion of module content/activities.

Adding a Module - Basic Steps

In Course Navigation, click the Modules link.
Click the Add a Module button.
Type a name in the Module Name field.
If you want to restrict the module until a specific date, you can lock the module.
If you have added at least two modules to your course, you can require a prerequisite module. A prerequisite module means students must complete a module of your choice, before moving on to another module.
Click the Add Module button.
A new module area displays on the page. Use the "+" add button at top right of module to begin adding content.

Modules Tips

Start by clicking the Modules link on Course menu > Click the “+ Module” button to add a module.
Modules can be organized by Week, Unit, or overarching topic etc. This depends on how you wish to present your course content to students
Modules can help you chunk course content into smaller more manageable segments for better understanding and retention of content by your learners.
Modules will display Module Title and contain the module content
When you first add a module, it will be an empty module shell
Page breaks will appear as dotted lines (similar to what you see in a Word doc) and separate out modules on page visually.

Workshop Recording - Canvas Course Organization: Modules, Pages, & RCE

Adding Content to Modules

Content types for Modules - Depending on your course learning objectives and on your module level learning objectives, each module may contain one or more of the following content types:
- Assignment: online paper dropbox - writing assignments, extra credit assignment prompt
- Quiz: Quiz, Midterm, Exam
- File: PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Images,
- Content Page: Use to introduce module content to students, post module level learning objectives, to provide instructions,
- Discussion: Use for collaborative asynchronous learning activities or for scaffolding e.g. Course FAQ to support learners
- Text Header: Text that will appear as a module subheader. Use this to provide organization/hierarchy for content within module
- External URL: Use to link to external resources such as web pages of interest, YouTube videos, or other help resources. These can be supplemental readings or a required activity.
- External Tool: link to integrations within a module e.g. Blackboard Collaborate, Office 365.
Best Practice: Provide an introduction to your Module content by use of a Content Page where you outline what learners are expected to complete and list the module level learning objectives. Follow this with content e.g. Files, pages, learning activities and assessments as needed.
The type of content you add depends on the type of online course you are teaching and on the course learning objectives

Module Settings: allow you to rename the module, lock modules for access by a specific date/time, add requirements and prerequisites, delete the module and all contents, Move Modules on page as needed, and share them to commons area.

Editing Modules and Module Items
- Publish/Unpublish Modules and Module Items - use publish/unpublish to completely hide module items or entire module.
- Assignments that have student submissions cannot be hidden/unpublished. I would recommend not to un-publish Modules that contain assignments that have been submitted.
- If a Module is unpublished aka hidden, entire module is hidden from student view even if items in module are set to be published/visible.
- If Module is published and module items are unpublished/hidden, only the module title will be visible.
Renaming Modules/Module Items - Use Settings button at Module or Module Item level to Edit Module/Module Item title and add indentation
Moving Modules/Module Items - Use Settings button at Module/Module item level to Move modules up or down the page or to Move module items into another module and before/after specified existing module content. You can also drag and drop modules up or down page to reorder or drag and drop module items into other modules.
Expanding/Collapsing Modules – easier to navigate page content. Expanding/collapsing is specific to user.
Deleting Modules - Use settings button to delete an entire module. This will delete module content from Modules page. Assignments, files, pages will still be available through assignments, pages, and files pages if you wish to relink. External URL and External Tool links will be deleted permanently. Avoid deleting modules that have been accessed by students.
Removing Module items - use settings button at the module item level to delete/remove module items from a module. This will remove the item from the module but the item may still be available through the assignments, quizzes, files, pages areas in course depending on the type of content it was.
Share to Canvas Commons - will need to authorize access to your account. Common is a learning object repository for educators to search, import and share resources. It is a type of Online Educational Resource.
Locking until: Modules can be locked and released for access by a date and time you specify. When modules are locked students can still preview the list of content within module (grayed out, not clickable), but they cannot fully access content until after the lock date/time.
- Steps: Click settings button at module level > select Edit > select checkbox next to “lock until” > enter a date or use calendar icon to select date and time > click update module
- If module content has already been accessed by students prior to you locking it, you will see a “requirements changed” warning prompt asking you to confirm “relocking” content or to allow students to continue. Relocking content may prevent student from moving forward to other modules.
- Why Lock a Module: if you wish to automate the release of modules by a specified time or date. Please note that if you have linked files or assignments from a locked module into another module that is not locked, students will still not be able to see that linked content until the locked module is released.
Requirements: specify what items in the module need to be completed and how they should be completed within the module. (How they should be completed depends on the type of item in module (view, mark as complete, contribute, etc)
- You can specify whether all requirements must be met, whether they should be fulfilled in sequential order or if at least one must be met to mark module as “completed”
- Why use Requirements: Would like to provide learners a way to track their progress and if you want to present content in a sequential order to allow learners to build upon previous learning experiences. Students will see modules marked as “complete” as they fulfill all requirements. Instructor can track student progress for modules by clicking “view progress” button and see content that has been completed by each student.
Pre-requisites: Set at the Module Level. They Indicate which modules need to be completed in order to move on to the next module. Pre-requisites can be set to modules that follow the first module in course.
- Settings > Edit > Select checkbox for Pre-requisite > specify module to complete from drop down
- Why use Pre-requisites: Learners need to complete/learn a unit’s concept before moving on to the next.
- Resource: Guide on Using Pre-requisites and Requirements

Additional Resources

Course Organization using Modules, Pages and the Rich Content Editor

Creating Pages

Pages can be used for instructional resources, instructions, introductory content to modules, house a homepage for your course etc. Pages can contain text, images, links to external websites, video, or links to course content. Pages can also be used for collaborative writing assignments in the form of a Wiki page.

Best Practice: Use a Page to introduce learners to Module content and module level objectives.

Provide an introduction to your Module content by use of a Content Page where you outline what learners are expected to complete and list the module level learning objectives. Follow this with content e.g. Files, pages, learning activities and assessments as needed.
The type of content you add depends on the type of online course you are teaching and on the course learning objectives

How to add a Page

Create a page from within a Module by adding a “content page” or from the Pages index page by use of the +Pages button.
Enter a title for your page and use the Rich Content Editor to start creating page content.
Rich Content Editor: The rich content editor is used to create content and it is available throughout Canvas features such as Pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes, syllabus.
- The rich content editor is comprised of the content area, the HTML Editor, and the Content Selector
- When working on a Page, use the rich content area to add text, images, web links, content such as a Banner, text, links to areas in the course, links to files, images.
  - Use the “image” button to embed image you have uploaded to canvas course files area
  - Or use the Image option to the right to search for image on Flickr or upload from your computer.

Establishing page as a homepage

1. Default homepage is Course Activity Stream (will be blank if no course content is in place)
2. Use settings button on Pages Index to set a page to be “front page” page must be set to be a front page to make it the course homepage.
  - Pages will display the pages index page unless a designated front page is in place.
3. Go to home page and select “Choose Homepage”, select Front Page

Additional Resources

Managing Course Files

Additional Resources

Syllabus Tool

The syllabus tool allows you to create an interactive syllabus for your students. You can post any important information in the main field using the Rich Content Editor, and anything you add with a due date (assignments, quizzes, etc.) will appear below to provide students both a list of those items and a means to access them. To learn more about the syllabus tool read on.

Assignment and Event Dates on Your Syllabus Page

The Course Summary previews a list of assignments and events and is automatically generated for the course. The Course Summary is enabled by default. To view the details of the assignment or event click on the title. Past the due date assignments or events are highlighted in gray. Items that are undated are listed in alphabetical order.

Dated events can be changed in both the Assignments and Calendar features and are automatically updated in the Syllabus.

Assignments icons indicate Assignments
Calendar icons indicate events
The to-do date shows non-graded items with a to-do date
Students only see published assignments listed in the syllabus
Instructors will see all assignments (unpublished and published)

Additional Resources:

Canvas Resource - How do I use the Syllabus as an instructor?
Canvas Video – Syllabus Course Summary Visibility

Adding a Description to your Syllabus Page

You may add to text and link files, images, and other course content in your Syllabus Description by editing the page.

Canvas Resource - How do I edit the Syllabus in a course?

Adding Documents to your Syllabus page

To link to your Syllabus Document or to add additional files, use the Content Selector. Click the Files link to add a new PDF or Word file or select a previously uploaded file document to your syllabus.

To apply a file link onto a page, use the Rich Content Editor.

Highlight the text where you want to apply the file link
Choose the file in the Content Selector
When the link is downloadable, the text will turn blue

A preview of your document is automatically generated so readers can view it without downloading.

Note: To remove the document click, highlight, and then delete the text in the Rich Content Editor.

Canvas Resource - How do I edit the Syllabus in a course?
Canvas Resource - How do I upload a PDF to a page in a course?
Canvas Resource - How do I upload a file to a course?
Canvas Resource - How do I insert links to course content into the Rich Content Editor using the Content Selector as an instructor?

Syllabus Sidebar

The sidebar displays Information about course events and grading, and includes a mini calendar. Any event or assignment due date are shown with a gray background.
Edit the assignment group information in the Assignments feature
Edit the calendar information in both the Assignments and Calendar features. Any changes made will be reflected in the Course Summary section of the Syllabus
Click the calendar date to view an associated assignment or event in Course Summary

Additional Resources:

Canvas Resource - How do I use the Syllabus as an instructor?

Importing Course Content

You can copy specific content, such as a group of quizzes, pages, assignments etc. by use of the the copy process in Canvas.

Our recommendation: CANVAS - Import Existing Content - Copy Specific Content-v2.docx

Copy a Course

Login to Canvas and go to course that needs the content copy (the course that does not have the content needed)
From course menu click on the settings link
From settings page click on the "import course content" button
On the import content page that appears, select the drop down next to content type and choose "copy a canvas course"
In the search for a course area use the down arrow to select the course you wish to copy from. Courses will be listed under terms. Look closely for the course you need.
Next to the Content section be sure to choose "All Content".
Click the "Import" button.
Under the current jobs section of the page, you will see the copy process "running". Wait until this says "completed".
Once copy process is completed, review the course areas to see copied content.

Copy Specific Content

Login to Canvas and go to course that needs the content copy (the course that does not have the content needed)
From course menu click on the settings link
From settings page click on the "import course content" button
On the import content page that appears, select the drop down next to content type and choose "copy a canvas course"
In the search for a course area use the down arrow to select the course you wish to copy from. Courses will be listed under terms. Look closely for the course you need.
Next to the Content section be sure to choose "Select Specific Content"
Click the "Import" button.
Under the current jobs section of the page, click the "select content" button that displays.
A window displays with a table of contents of the course you are copying from, use the arrows to the right of each area of that course to expand its contents and select the checkboxes only for the content you wish to copy over.
Click the "select content" button at bottom right of window when you are ready to copy.
Instructors should now see the content they copied over under the areas selected. E.g. If quizzes were copied over you will see copied quiz content on the Quizzes page.

Additional Resources

<< Return to Canvas Overview/Topics

Need More Help?

Request support from the Academic Technology Center: servicedesk@csus.edu

Request support from the Center for Teaching and Learning: ctl@csus.edu