Canvas | Organizing 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

  1. In Course Navigation, click the Modules link.
  2. Click the Add a Module button.
  3. Type a name in the Module Name field.
  4. If you want to restrict the module until a specific date, you can lock the module.
  5. 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.
  6. Click the Add Module button.
  7. 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.

Additional Options Explained

 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 Links to an external site.: 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 Links to an external site. 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.

Need More Help?

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