Start of Semester Checklist (Canvas)

Start of Semester Checklist (Canvas)

❏ Consult the academic and instruction updates from the SVPP website

❏ Create your Canvas Course

  1. Log into Canvas by clicking on the “Sign Ons” link on the upper right-hand corner (above the search box) of Iowa State University’s home page.
  2. Navigate to the ? Help (left side of your screen).
  3. Locate and click on the Global Course Administration link
  4. Click on the Select Prepare to Teach link

Select the appropriate term from the dropdown menu, then follow the steps outlined below:

  1. Locate your Unlinked Registrar Sections and grab the section you wish to use.
  2. Drag it over the top box labeled Drag Sections Here to Create a New Canvas Course. When the border turns blue, release your mouse button to create the Canvas course. In the pop-up window, choose whether to create a blank course or include the ISU Template.
  3. Your newly created Canvas course will appear alphabetically in the list below. Your Registrar section is now connected to Canvas. Drag additional sections to the same course to combine them into one Canvas course. Sections will display as having “0 Students” until data is automatically received from AccessPlus, approximately 2 weeks before the start of the semester. Once student data is received, students will automatically gain access when both of the following conditions have been met:
    1. the course is published (see Publish Course below)
    2. the term start date has passed, typically 1 week before the start of classes unless you specify otherwise (see Specify Course Settings below)
  4. Click on the course name to navigate to your course.

Notes:

Steps to create a course in Canvas at Iowa State University

❏ Add Course Content and Specify Course Settings

  1. Import content from your previously taught course:
    1. From the Home page of your Canvas course, choose Import Course Content on the right sidebar.
    2. Choose Content Type Copy a Canvas Course.
    3. Select All Content or Specific Content, depending on your needs.

Note: If you are unable to locate a previous course, it is likely concluded. See Course Conclusion in Canvas for more information.

Or, create new content from scratch:

Note: Be sure to include appropriate syllabus statements.

  1. Rename your course to add/remove section identifiers to the course’s actual name (see the change name/course code guide).
    1. Under Name, change the course name to reflect what you want students to see on the course tile found on their Dashboard. See example course tile below: Example course tile at Iowa State University
    2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Update Course Details.
  2. Set your students’ access dates and permissions. Note: There are two options for access dates. You can choose to set via Term or Course. 
    • To set via Course
      • Under the “Participation” entry, select “Course.”
      • Enter alternate Start and End dates if students need access earlier than one week before the semester begins or longer than two weeks after classes end.
      • Restrict students from seeing the course outside these dates. You can choose to restrict students before and/or after these dates.
      • Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Update Course Details.
    • To set via Term
      • Under the “Participation” entry, select “Term.” 
      • The Start and End dates will no longer be editable. They are set dates for the entire term. 
      • Restrict students from seeing the course outside these dates. You can choose to restrict students before and/or after these dates.
      • Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Update Course Details.
  3. Simplify Course Navigation (see manage custom navigation links page).
    1. Under the Navigation tab, drag and drop items to show or hide them from your left navigation menu.
      1. All courses are strongly encourage to use the Syllabus Statements feature to integrate the required and recommended syllabus statements. More information about this feature can be found on the Syllabus Statements feature page.
    2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Save.
  4. Navigate back to your Home page to use the Student View to check the visibility of individual items and Modules as a whole (use student view in a browser or student view in Canvas Teacher app). Additionally, Student View adds a test student to Grades. After participating in Student View, enter your Gradebook as a teacher to view any Test Student entries.

See the Additional Course Settings page for more details.

This provides a back-end look at Canvas course set up. It shows the firs step of the navigation pane in the upper right hand corner, the course name, the course start-end dates mid-page and then highlights the navigation bar at the top of the page

❏ Choose a Home Page

Navigate to Home on the left navigation within your course.

  1. The Home Page is the first impression of a course. Use Choose Home Page to select the option that best enables your students to access content and navigate the course.

 

Setting your homepage in Canvas

❏ Publish Course

  1. Log into Canvas by clicking on the “Sign Ons” link on the upper right-hand corner (above the search box) of Iowa State University’s home page.
  2. Navigate to the ? Help (left side of your screen).
  3. Locate and click on the Global Course Administration link
  4. Click on the Select Prepare to Teach link

Then, follow these steps:

  1. Click the toggle to Publish the course.
  2. The left course card will turn green and the toggle will say “YES” when the course is published.
How to publish a course in Canvas at Iowa State University

For more helpful information on building your course in Canvas, see the CELT Build Your Course page.

Loading...