Canvas tool guide for teachers

From the CreATE team at the Faculty of Education and Social Work,
the University of Auckland - October 2015.
Based on the Moodle tool guide
for teachers by Joyce Seitzinger
(@catspyjamasnz / www.cats-pyjamas.net)

Teaching Ease of use Information Assessing Communication Co-creating

goal transfer learning & interaction content
How easy is it to set Is it a tool for Will this tool allow Can students Can you and your
up and use this tool? disseminating you to assess your communicate with students collaborate
Canvas information to your students’ learning? each other and the and create content
tool students? teacher with this tool? together?

Easy to create, edit, Yes, this is the primary Pages are not used Pages present Pages can only be
Pages and embed content, purpose of pages for assessment unless information passively, used this way if you
including links and you enable student unless you enable enable student editing
media files editing (see next row) student editing (see (see next row)
next row)

You need to identify You can ‘seed’ pages You can assess Students can interact Yes, students and
Pages with content but student activity but by editing each others’ teachers can design,
a clear purpose and
(student editable) communicate with students may edit or it does not connect work edit, and embed
your students in order change it directly with the content individually or
to use this effectively gradebook together

Very simple to set Announcements Announcements You can enable Announcements

Announcements are valuable for info should not be used student replies to shouldn’t be used
up, and students will
get automatic email transfer unless you for assessment - use announcements, but for the co-creation of
reminders dilute their impact discussions instead interaction may be content
through overuse better as a discussion

Very easy to set up Can be valuable, but
Discussions
and use information overload
is a risk; important
details may be lost in
the chatter
Marked discussions Discussions are Discussions can be
are possible, but you an easy way to used to negotiate,
should put thought encourage students to research, and discuss,
into the pedagogical interact with you and but not really for the
design each other content creation itself

Easy to upload and Yes, this is the primary Students do not Files are used for the Students can share
Files purpose of files upload files except distribution of content, files with each other
organise PowerPoints,
PDFs, images, and through assignments not for interaction or but only if they are
other documents (see below) communication placed in groups

Assignment set- Assignments This is the primary Students and teachers Can be used for co-
Assignments up can be easy or shouldn’t be used for purpose of can communicate creation of content if
complex depending information transfer assignments through feedback you make it a group
on what options you (except for the and (optionally) peer assignment
choose instructions!) review or group work

Effective quizzes No, quizzes are an Yes, excellent for Graded quizzes are Quizzes are not
Quizzes require prior thought assessment tool immediate feedback not communication typically used for the
and some careful and student reflection; tools but an ungraded co-creation of content
set-up can be formative or survey may be used to
summative get feedback

Students must Teachers have the Yes, students can Teachers and students Probably the best
Collaborations
connect their Canvas option to ‘seed’ share and submit can communicate tool in Canvas to
and Google accounts content to guide their collaborations as and interact through encourage co-creation
first; currently limited students, but this is assessed work collaboration of content
to Google Docs only not its primary function comments and content

Requires thought Requires set-up You could technically Excellent opportunities Saved archives
Conferences but can be used do this, but it does to communicate with only last 2 weeks so
around timing,
structure, and flow to disseminate not connect with the video, audio, and text content should be
information by running gradebook chat housed elsewhere
live lectures online (e.g. a collaboration)

ePortfolios work ePortfolios are Yes, a strong way of You can allow ePortfolios do not
ePortfolios differently from other generated by the assessing student for comments on allow for other
tools so it is important student so they are development and ePortfolio pages but students to co-author
to ensure student not used by the reflection this is not their primary content
familiarity teacher in this way purpose

Key: Great fit! Can work with some learning design Not the best tool