Module structure
If you intend to use the Canvas modules to facilitate some of the synchronous and asynchronous elements in your course, it may be helpful to have a consistent module structure. You can organize your module in a variety of ways, including:
- By week
- By class date
- By topic
- By type of artifact (a module that houses all curated readings for the semester, a module that houses all assignments for the semester, etc.)
Whichever method you choose, consistency is key so that students know where they need to go to find materials and don’t have to spend valuable time searching for things. We recommend structuring your modules by week or by class date in sequential order. This allows you to compile all materials and instructions for that week/class in one place and also helps students to more easily follow the sequence and progression of the course. In addition, structuring this way allows you more opportunity to tie together the course objectives and learning materials in a way that is more transparent for students. In online learning environments particularly, it is important to let students know what you expect them to know or be able to do by the end of that week or class period and how they will demonstrate that knowledge or skill.
Below is just one example of a possible way to structure your modules.
In this example, the Week 1 Overview page is where you could input your objectives for that class period, a short summary of what students can expect in that class period, as well as a list of any work the students will be expected to complete or submit in that class period.
The Materials page could list the readings assigned for that class period, any media that you want students to watch before, during, or after the class period, or any handouts or other documents you wish to provide students to use in class. You may also use this space to upload documents or notes that were created during class for students to access or review afterward. Uploading the files to the Canvas Files and then linking them into the Materials pages in the modules where they are applicable helps to organize and contextualize the files and content for students.
Finally, any deliverables that students will submit during or following that class period can be included in that module. If you have no deliverables for students to submit that class, those pages could be omitted.
Sample module structure
Adding new modules to your course
To add a new module, simply navigate to the Modules page via the course navigation menu and select the “+ Module” button in the upper right of the screen. You will be prompted to give the module a title. After doing so, click “Add Module” to add the module to the Module page.
Adding course content to a module
Once a module is in place, you can click the “+” button in the module title bar to add new course content, including pages, links, assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc. The Canvas guide “How do I add course content as module items (Links to an external site.)” will show you how to add artifacts to your module.
See the Canvas user guides in the next module for more detailed information about creating modules and adding content to modules.