Effective Course Organization

For the purposes of this page, course organization means Canvas organization. These principles are important if you're using Canvas, regardless of modality.  However, organization is especially important with online classes because students lack the everyday interaction with us, which includes the time we take to pass out assignment sheets, to encourage everyone to write down the due date, or to explain the steps to an important project.

Essential Course Organization

  • Create your Start Here module. Make sure it's the first thing a student sees.
  • Make sure your course organization is clear and easy to follow.  Be consistent!
  • Review your Week 1 module. Make sure the contents are easy for students to discern the order in which they need to complete tasks.
  • Check to make sure your external links are working.
  • Limit the tabs in the left navigation bar Links to an external site. to only the most necessary.

Why is Organization Important?

A student in a recent Thunderword article articulated the need for course organization in online courses as well as a simple definition:

Organization is what Vuong said was important for conducting an online class. “Online classes typically have a higher workload to compensate for loss time in the classroom,” Vuong said.

“It would be helpful if all the assignments and materials were well organized.”

In a face-to-face class, you probably have a pretty good sense of how your course should be organized. This isn't always directly transferable to a Canvas shell, primarily because you aren't always there in real time to direct traffic, if you will. In online, hybrid, and virtual courses, the structure of the course can help students understand what to do next, and when to do it. The Canvas course needs to be organized in a way that makes sense to students as they move through it more or less independently.

What Does Good Online Course Organization Look Like?

  • Start strong. Create a "Start here" or course orientation module that provides the most immediately relevant information. This can include your syllabus, a link to your Zoom office, your introductory activities, links to textbooks or other external important external links, and so on. It’s also a great place to put your introduction video.

  • Think about how you want students to navigate your course. What do you want them to see first? How do you want them to move through your course material? How will you organize your modules?
    • Many instructors organize their modules by week or by unit. Placing items in chronological order is logical and lets students know what they need to do first. Think of modules as a course outline.
    • Some instructors add new modules to the end of the module list (i.e., the most recent module at the bottom), and some add new modules to the top so students don't need to scroll. It's your choice how you do this, but let your students know what to expect.

  • Regular patterns and routines are key. Establish a consistent pattern from week to week, module to module. Use the same deadlines each week, too, if possible.  The less time students have to spend trying to figure out the schedule, the more time they can spend on the activities.  However, if the same deadlines each week don't work for your course, just make sure that students know exactly where and how to find deadlines.  What a great chance to make a quick video!

  • Focus on the essentials. What do students really need to see in your course? This starts with the left navigation bar. Limit the links to the bare essentials: for example, your Home page, Modules (if different), and Grades. If you add more links, consider these factors:
    • Students can see assignments, discussions, quizzes, and pages in the Modules section even if the navigation bar links are hidden from them.
    • Giving students too many avenues to access course materials can be confusing and overwhelming. Simplify by giving students one central place to access course materials. Modules are perfect for this.

  • Distinguish between types of course materials and tasks. If all you have is a list of items in a module, students don't necessarily know the difference between readings, videos, and assignments. Tell them what they need to read, watch, and complete.

  • Consider creating a module guide/introduction. Provide a guide for the module that reinforces what students need to accomplish for the module and gives them important reminders. This is a perfect place for them to see your friendly face, too; consider making a brief video to put on this page.

  • Always, always explain your logic. Whatever you choose to do, be transparent and tell your students explicitly what they need to do and how they need to do it.

  • Our Course Template sample demonstrates the principles above. Does your course make it clear what a student should do next?  (Note: you can download the course template Links to an external site. from Canvas Commons. Search for Fall 2020 Sample Course Template.)

Bonus tips

  • Remember that many students live by the "To-do" list. This is not optimal, as they tend to miss whatever isn't on that list. Encourage students to make that extra click or two into your course to make sure they know everything that's going on.
  • Encourage students to change their Canvas dashboard Links to an external site. to the tile view rather than the list or recent activity view. This way, they can see all of their courses at once. The list or recent activity view lumps together items from all of their classes, which can be confusing.

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