Introduction

This guide breaks down each component of the A&S UVACanvas Weekly Modules Template, explaining its benefits for faculty and students alongside step-by-step setup instructions.

Click to navigate directly to a section:

Step 1: Shrink your Course Navigation Menu
Step 2: Explore the Learning Advantages of a "Modules" Structure
Step 3: Add Content and Tasks to Your Course Introduction Module
Step 4: Customize the Labels of your 16 Weekly Modules
Step 5: Customize each Weekly Overview and To Do Page
Step 6: Add Tests and Major Projects to Weekly Modules
Step 7: Check Digital Accessibility
Step 8: Set Your Homepage
Step 9: Streamline Accommodations Using Canvas
Step 10: Unpublish/hide from students and Publish the Course
Further Research on Digital Course Design and Learning Theory

The Course Navigation menu is the vertical list of links on the left side of your Canvas course that serves as the primary navigation tool for students. By default, it includes links to various course areas such as Modules, Assignments, Discussions, Grades, and more.

How does this help me?

By shrinking the course navigation menu to only the items students will use, students become more adept more quickly at navigating the course and ask fewer logistical questions.

How does this help students?

Curate these links by hiding unused tools to help students quickly find what they need while preventing confusion about which course areas they should access.

Cognitive load is significantly reduced. Students become more adept more quickly at navigating the course which increases confidence.

How do I implement this?

Hide them by adjusting your "navigation" list in your course settings. Only the items that do not have the "crossed off eye" will appear on the Student's screen.

Turn on: Always

Turn on always: Syllabus - for current listing of upcoming due dates
Turn on always: Modules - shorten earlier explanation
Turn on always: Grades and Assignments
Turn on always: SensusAccess - so students can convert files for digital accessibility ruling

Turn on: It Depends

Turn on: Quizzes, Discussions, Announcements, Online Meetings (If you are using them in the course)

Turn off

Turn off Files
Turn off Pages

Read for Help: How do I hide/show item on the Course Navigation Menu?

Read for Help: How can I view what students will see in my Canvas course?

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Step 2: Explore the Learning Advantages of a "Modules" Structure

This Template's Use of Weekly Modules

This Course template is organized using Modules to allow students to navigate the course in a weekly structure.

There are 18 Modules included in this template:

1 Introduction Module that students complete prior to accessing Week 1, to orient themselves to your course
16 Weekly Class Topic Modules for Weeks 1-16 of the semester, including Finals Week
1 Digital Accessibility Module intended for faculty use only that explains how to create accessible course content

How does this help me?

Using time-sequenced modules reduces cognitive load for students, helping them more independently navigate the course, which in turn can reduce the number of student inquiry emails of "where do I find X?".

Here's an example of the time-oriented weekly modules that helps students become more independent:

Week 1 (Sept 5, 7): Periodic Table and Nomenclature

Week 1 Outline and To Do List

Week 2 (Sept 12, 14): Atomic Structure

Week 2 Outline and To Do List

Week 3 (Sept 19, 20): Mole Concept

Week 3 Outline and To Do List
Test 1 (In-class, Sept 20)

How does this help students?

Reduces cognitive load. The short answer is to help reduce the cognitive load required to navigate through Canvas and to enhance executive functioning (student's ability to organize, prioritize, plan and act). Our students are novices in our disciplines: terminology, threshold concepts, and disciplinary ways of thinking are unfamiliar and produce high cognitive load.
Sequences how students engage. Research in the instructional design of LMS such as Canvas, indicates that the human brain can be overloaded when too many options are presented to novice learners. Novices, when first introduced to new content, often prefer a linear, sequential presentation of new information and benefit from patterns and routines: what will I be expected to do in the beginning, middle, and end of the week (OEI Course Design Rubric; Grant, 2021; Quality Matters, Wenzel et al., ).
Time-oriented modules are more student-centered and provide a visual map of the course and how the content/assignments will fit together over the week (before/during/after class) and the semester. Organizing thinking and creating a "study plan" for the month is critical for student success. We recommend setting up time-oriented modules (Week 1, 2, etc.) instead of course-activity modules (Readings, PPTX, Assignments). Time-oriented modules, because of their linear format from Week 1-15, help novice learners begin to mentally organize topics and unfamiliar concepts over time which helps students map their studying behavior more efficiently. When studying for exams, students can also see the "Table of Contents" that the module titles represent.

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Step 3: Add Content and Tasks to Your Course Introduction Module

How does this help me?

On the 1st day of class we often provide a brief orientation to our Canvas course. However by the time the typical student receives 5-6 sets of course details, it creates overload, which results in "forgetting".

Adding an Introduction Module allows you to require a brief orientation to your course, your Canvas structure, and your class routines--and the details are permanently available. Later in the term, this handy tool is very easy to re-direct students to when they are emailing you questions about course basics.

Additionally, the Course Q&A Discussion helps build a collaborative community within the course that doesn't rely solely on emails to you as the instructor.

How does this help students?

The Introduction Module in this Canvas template currently includes the following resources, so they may not have to wait on a Reply email from you!

Syllabus: This links to the Syllabus tool in your Canvas course site
Using this Canvas Course: Guidance at students' fingertips on how to navigate and use the Canvas site (communication, course structure, policies, etc.)
Help at UVA: Highlights academic, health and wellbeing, safety, and financial university resources to help ensure equitable access and success for students.
About your Instructor: Gives students a chance to get to know their instructor, including contact information, availability, and a brief introduction.
Course Q&A: A discussion board for students to ask course-related questions, share answers, and learn from each other with instructor support and guidance.
Introduction Module Quiz (Optional): A quiz at the end of the Module to confirm students understand the information and know where to find it. By doing a "quiz", student motivation may increase to actually locate/read items you have targeted in the Syllabus.

How do I implement this?

Start by adding additional (or deleting existing) pre-course activities you think are important to the Course Introduction Module.
Next, set the Intro Module as a pre-requisite so that students cannot advance to the Week 1 module until completing the Intro Module (Making it a pre-requisite is optional. Use your discretion).
Read for Help:
- How do I use and create the Modules and nested items? (Note: this help page fails to suggest the use of "Weekly Outline and To Do" page)
- How do I add prerequisites to a module?

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Step 4: Customize the Labels of your 16 Weekly Modules

How does this help me?

As experts in our discipline, the "sequence" of topics for the course imprinted in our minds; we can accurately guess which module to look in for a specific topic. Students, however, are novices in the discipline. So, students are poor guessers at which weekly module to find a topic in resulting in a deluge of emails from students: "Where is the pptx in Canvas on "molecular structure" or "improvisation techniques"?

Customizing the labels of your weekly modules can reduce the number of "Where can I find" emails from students because the information is visible in the Module label.

How does this help students?

Listing the week's topics in the module title acts as a table of contents for novice learners. A student reviewing a concept before a midterm, or returning to material for a semester-long project, can locate it immediately rather than hunting through course files. Time and content-oriented labels for weekly modules help novice learners begin to mentally organize topics and unfamiliar concepts over time which helps students map their learning and studying behaviors more efficiently.

How do I implement this?

Read: How do I edit or delete a Module?
Label each module "Header" with the week #, dates, and organizing topic.

Examples:

- Week 1 (Aug 25, 27, 29): Foundations of Basket-weaving
- Week 1 (Sept 5, 7): Periodic Table and Nomenclature

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Step 5: Customize each Weekly Overview and To Do Page

How does this help me?

Establishing a weekly routine increases student independence. This can result in fewer emails or requests for office hours.

How does this help students?

Consistently make the "Weekly Outline and To Do List" the first item in every module. This consistent page helps establish the "learning routine" which we discuss more, below.

The most commonly recommended learning routine to help students with their executive functioning in your course is the Before/During/After class routine.

How do I implement this?

Edit the Weekly Outline and To Do page to clearly describe your Before/During/After routine.

Write your Learning Objectives: Consider using various levels of Bloom's taxonomy verbs (e.g., define X, describe Y, apply Z to this context, analyze X, calculate Y using Z).
Add the Bullets for Before/During/After Sections: Customize the 3 sections for the weekly routine: sequentially list, in bulleted or numbered format, the work to be completed for the Before, During, and After Class categories. Make sure to replace all yellow highlighted XXXXXXX fields with custom text. If you do not wish to utilize these fields, delete them entirely to ensure a better experience for your students.
Hyperlink to the Files/Pages/Assignments: You have likely imported or will create assignments, files, and pages. In each of the 3 sections (Before/During/After), link to the appropriate Canvas assignment, quiz, etc. Providing this direct linkage on the Overview Page helps the student avoid the "hunt-peck" method of scrolling through the 20-100 items we as instructors often put into a course.

Example Weekly Overview Page

Learning Objectives

Learning Objective 1
Learning Objective 2
Learning Objective 3

Before Class (Sept 7)

Read: Chapter 1. Periodic Table
Submit: Reading Guide 1, Periodic Table

During Class (Sept 7)

View/take lecture notes: Wk1.PeriodicTablelecture.pptx
Handout: Annotated Periodic Table
Submit: Wk1 Application Activity Elements (Note: this link is an example for visual purposes and does not work)

After Class (Sept 8)

Submit: Wk1.ElementsQuiz by Friday noon
Read: Chapter 2 and begin study guide for next week (Sept 12)

Learn more

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Step 6: Add Tests and Major Projects to Weekly Modules

How does this help me?

It helps reduce student complaints of "I didn't know there was a test", or "It wasn't clear when this project was due".

How does this help students?

Modules work best as a learning sequence, not a filing cabinet. Grouping content by week, unit, or topic gives students the timing and context that a general "Resources" module can't.

Because the Weekly Modules main page serves as a sequentially organized "Table of Contents" for your course, consider adding Tests and Major Projects as separate Module items to visually highlight when highly-weighted tasks are due. The major project deadlines and Tests can still be linked on the Weekly Outline and To Do page.

How do I implement this?

Below is a sample module structure where tests and major projects stand out. Each Module contains a Weekly Overview Page, while the Module for Week 2 includes a term paper assignment, and the Module for Week 3 includes an in-class Test. Each Module contains the Week number, as well as the class dates and organizing topic, as described by Step 4 on this page.

Sample Module structure. See above text for details.

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Step 7: Check Digital Accessibility

How does this help me?

In the U.S. the ADA law and our UVA policy require us to make our course and course materials digital accessible. Make your course digitally accessible by following the guidance in the Digital Accessibility in My Course module.

How does this help students?

Most people, not just those with disabilities, benefit from digital accessible in their daily use of digital materials:

captioning of videos when listening in noisy spaces (ex. coffee shops) or when audio might disturb others (ex. roommate, in the Library).
good color contrast on a screen when outdoors or we are colorblind
alt text for images helps us when our computer won't load an image.
properly formatted bullets and headings allow us to quickly tab thru lengthy material.

Students with disabilities who use assistive technologies need materials that are formatted for digital accessibility, or they can't even access the content of your course.

without captioning turned on, the content of course videos is inaccessible to a deaf or hard-of-hearing student;
without proper formatting of lists, headings, and tables, a screen-reader will not be able to read the information to a student who is blind or has dyslexia.

Everyone benefits!

How do I implement this?

Make your course digitally accessible by following the guidance in the Digital Accessibility in My Course module.
Publishing this guide for students is optional, though much of the content can also help them create accessible digital materials. If you want to publish it for students, read for help: How do I hide/unpublish a module so that students cannot see it?

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Step 8: Set Your Homepage

How does this help me?

This homepage template is already digitally accessible.

Replacing the content without altering the formatting will help preserve that, but make sure to still run UDOIT to check your finished page.

How does this help students?

Our template homepage includes several key elements to help students successfully navigate and engage with your course:

Welcome Message

The welcome header message helps create an inviting atmosphere for your students and to build a sense of belonging in the course. Include a very brief (1-2 sentence) description of what your course is about.

Important Links

The top navigation menu provides quick access to frequently used course materials and important resources. The links we've provided by default include the Syllabus, Using this Canvas Course, Help at UVA, and Course Q&A.

About this Course

Under this heading, students will find essential course details including meeting times, location, and instructor information.

Weekly Overview Buttons

The weekly overview buttons allow your students to jump straight to each week's overview page in your Modules. It's included to guide your students through your course and allow them to quickly jump to a particular Module from the homepage.

How do I implement this?

You have the option to:

Set the Modules landing page as the homepage
Customize the provided Homepage Template
Design a Homepage of your own

Set the Modules Landing Page as your Homepage

Instead of a Canvas Page, students will instead be redirected to the Modules landing page when clicking the "Home" button in the course navigation menu.

Read for help: How do I change the course homepage?

Editing the Homepage Template

If you decide to use our homepage template, refer to these steps to help you customize it:

Customize text: Replace the "XXXXXXX" placeholder text found in the course name banner, introduction text, and course information.
(Optional) Customize buttons and links: We don't recommend changing these as you may inadvertently change the formatting of the buttons or links. However, you can change the text and URL links of the "Important Links" or "Weekly Overview Pages" buttons by selecting the text for the button you want to change, and adjusting the link and display text under Link Options.

Using the Homepage in the Template

If you choose to utilize the Homepage that is included in the template, you will need to remove it from the "For Instructors: How to Use This Template (DO NOT PUBLISH)" Module so that students will be able to see it. We included the Homepage in the Module initially so that you could easily find it upon first accessing the template.

Also note that you cannot easily add or remove the custom buttons to the page without directly editing the HTML code. You can only change the button text and links from the Rich Content Editor.

Designing Your Own Homepage

You're welcome to create your own homepage or personalize the custom homepage design in this template. If you would like to create your own homepage, we recommend using DesignPlus to help you with page design, as it contains templates and other pre-made content you can add to your pages. You can open the DesignPlus sidebar menu by pressing Alt-Shift-D (PC) or Option-Shift-D (Mac) on your keyboard.

Read for Help: How do I create a new page in a course?
Read for Help: How do I set a Front Page in a course?
Read for Help: How do I change the Course Home Page?

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Step 9: Streamline Accommodations Using Canvas

How does this help me?

Keeping track of student accommodations can be challenging. This module offers tips for the new tool in Canvas where students' accommodations are available right there in Canvas--where you are already working!

This module also provides instructions at your finger-tips right here in Canvas for:

giving extended time on a test to only students with accommodations
using Discussion Boards for note-taking support
making course materials into alternate formats (e.g. Braille)
using the embedded tools in Canvas to add captions for you.

How does this help students?

Accommodations help provide equal access to your course's learning experience to students with disabilities by reducing disability-related barriers they encounter but their peers do not.

For example, alternative testing accommodations allow students with disabilities to fairly represent their knowledge and skills while mitigating the impact of their disability. A student may need extra time to assist with the brain's sensory processing adjustment as they transitioning between different types of test questions.

How do I implement this?

Test and assignment deadline accommodations
- Give specific students different time or date settings on a quiz or assignment
- If possible, provide the testing accommodations. If that isn't possible, or a student's accommodation specifies SDAC for testing, see the SDAC Faculty and Student Exam guidance, to arrange testing in SDAC.
Alternate formats (Braille, ePub)
- Convert a document using Sensus Access in Canvas
- UDOIT is now integrated into Canvas — see "Request alternate formats" in the UDOIT User Guide
Video captions
- How can I make video or audio accessible? (LTS)
- Captioning and transcription quick guide (UVA Digital Accessibility)
Notetaking accommodation
- Option 1: Rotate student notetakers. Create a graded group discussion worth 1–3 points where an assigned group posts notes each class session. Divide students into small groups so each takes notes a few times per term (30 students in 10 groups of 3 covers a T/R semester). Set it up once for the first session, then duplicate it and change the due date and assigned group for each session.
- Option 2: Post your own slides or notes, if arranged with SDAC. The UDL approach is to share them with everyone in the "During Class" section of your Weekly Class Overview. To share with specific students only: create an assignment with the files attached, set the grading type to Not Graded, assign it to those students, and duplicate it per session. Contact A&S LDT for help.

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Step 10: Unpublish/hide from students and Publish the Course

How does this help me?

By unpublishing this page, it will be hidden from your students but still visible to you so that you can refer to it.

How does this help students?

Don't publish this faculty advice or it will confuse students.

How do I implement this?

Please follow instructions below to unpublish this page, and ensure your course site is published and visible for students:

Read for Help: How do I publish or unpublish a page as an instructor?

Read for Help: How do I publish a course?

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Further Research on Digital Course Design and Learning Theory

Borgemenke AJ, Holt WC, Fish WW (2013) Universal course shell template design and implementation to enhance student outcomes in online coursework. Quarterly Review of Distance Education 14(1): 17–23.

Dykman, C. A., & Davis, C. K. (2008). Online education forum: Part two-teaching online versus teaching conventionally. Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(2), 157.

Garbrick, A., & Reid, R. (2016). Penn State: Canvas User StudyLinks to an external site.. Penn State University.

Huun, Kathleen & Hughes, Lisa. (2014). Autonomy Among Thieves: Template Course Design for Student and Faculty Success. Journal of Educators Online. 11. 10.9743/JEO.2014.2.4.

Ifenthaler, D., Masduki, I. & Seel, N.M. The mystery of cognitive structure and how we can detect it: tracking the development of cognitive structures over time. Links to an external site.Instr Sci 39, 41–61 (2011).

McMullan, T., Williams, D., Ortiz, Y. L., & Lollar, J. (2022). Is Consistency Possible? Course Design and Delivery to Meet Faculty and Student Needs. Current Issues in Education, 23(3).

Scutelnicu, G., Tekula, R., Gordon, B., & Knepper, H. J. (2019). Consistency is key in online learning: Evaluating student and instructor perceptions of a collaborative online-course template.Links to an external site. Teaching Public Administration, 37(3), 274-292.

Sweller, J. (2006). Why Understanding Instructional Design Requires an Understanding of Human Cognitive Evolution. In H. O'Neil & R.S. Perez (Eds.) Web-based Learning: Theory, Research and Practice (1st ed., pp. 279-294). Routledge.

Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J.J.G. & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years Later.Links to an external site. Educ Psychol Rev 31, 261–292.

University of Waterloo, Queen's University, University of Toronto, & Conestoga College. Chapter 3: Quality and Course Structure and Content. In High Quality Online Courses: Links to an external site.How to Improve Course Design & Delivery for your Post-Secondary LearnersLinks to an external site.. (their compilation of research resulted in publication of this very instructor-friendly guide, licensed under
a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International LicenseLinks to an external site., except where otherwise noted.

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