Canvas and other online tools will have a different role in your class depending on delivery mode. For face-to-face classes, technology can be used for everything from a repository for handouts to a highly integrated way of extending classroom activities. In online classes, Canvas is where the entire class happens.

Teaching a course online or in hybrid format is very different from face-to-face. Many in-class activities won’t translate well to an online class. An often overlooked challenge is the change in the basic mechanics of classes. In a face-to-face class, there are many commonly shared expectations. For instance:

The course starts at a certain time, in a certain place.
The instructor will come in the room, call the class to order, and guide students through the day’s activities.
Students have the opportunity to discuss class materials informally with the instructor and each other.
Students can form study groups by simply talking to a neighbor.

In an online environment, most of these structures do not exist. In addition, many students will have limited or no experience in online classes, and won’t know what to do. (A common question instructors receive from students is “where do I start?”). Students often take online classes for schedule flexibility, so collaborative work can take longer.

Find out more about what it's like to take an online class from a student perspective:

And consider these top 10 tips from Kansas State Anthropology instructor Michael Wesch for teaching online classes:

In a hybrid class, many of the interactive activities happen during the face-to-face portions of the class. However, important activities and course content will be accessed online. Many students have difficulty connecting online/out-of-class activities with the in-class activities, and faculty have a greater challenge in developing that structure as well.

When you’re using Canvas and other tools in support of a face-to-face class, students still need guidance in how to effectively use the online tools, or even the basics of navigating the technology.

References

"What It's Like to Teach Online" from Teach.com
"Should you teach online?" From Insider Higher Ed
"10 things I've learned about teaching online" from ELearn Magazine
"Designing an online course" from The Center for Teaching and Learning at Mesa Community College
"5 tips [for students] to succeed in an online course" from US News and World Report