Enhancing Your Canvas Course Design Plan

Enhancing Your Canvas Course Design Plan
Bryan Hauf 10/23/2016 EDTC 6332 – Educational Technology Practicum

Needs Assessment (1/3) The instructional/training problem or opportunity: Faculty have developed proficiency in operating the LMS by attending Canvas Basics Training sessions, but currently lack the skills and knowledge to design usable, learner-centered Canvas courses. Faculty were not trained to incorporate e-learning research- based standards and best practices for a LMS. Slide complete

Needs Assessment (2/3) The analysis of the gap between what is available and what should be available: Faculty were not trained to incorporate e-learning research-based standards and best practices for a LMS. Their courses contained unorganized files and resources with inconsistent labels, insufficient learning activity instructions and sequences, and unstructured navigation. Faculty should be designing Canvas courses organized with relevant resources and materials in a logical sequence and populated with activities that define purpose, describe expectations, and enable learning autonomy. Slide complete

Needs Assessment (3/3) The recommended solution for filling the gap: A self-paced, web-based e-learning module that will train faculty towards competency in designing Canvas courses that facilitate ease-of-use for the intended learners. Faculty will develop the following skills: Organizing materials based on learner needs. Creating easily navigable course structure and sequence given LMS best practices and Quality Matters Standards, and Developing activities and materials that facilitate and support learner efficacy using Web usability/accessibility guidelines and Quality Matters Standards. Slide complete

Instructional Goal Upon completion of the instructional unit, faculty will be able to apply e-learning best practices, guidelines, and standards in developing learner-usable courses in the Canvas Learning Management system. Slide complete

Performance Objectives
Given various scenarios (CN), faculty will determine the Canvas tools that support course organization, navigation, and activity sequence (B) utilizing e-learning best practices without error (CR). Given research-based standards for e-learning (CN), faculty will develop a course introduction homepage in Canvas (B) that is learner-centered (CR). Given research-based standards for e-learning (CN), faculty will produce an assignment activity in Canvas (B) that promotes learner self-efficacy (CR). Given web design usability guidelines (CN), faculty will design a learning activity in Canvas (B) that is user-friendly and readable (CR). Slide complete

Assessment of Learning Outcomes
In this training module, faculty will be assessed using the following strategies: Pre- and Post-course self-assessment Self-check questions A final assessment split into 4 Key Assessments delivered in their respective lessons.

Assessment of Learning Outcome 1 (1/2)
Performance Objective Assessment 1. Given various scenarios (CN), faculty will determine the Canvas tools that support course organization, navigation, and activity sequence (B) utilizing e-learning best practices without error (CR). Self Check Questions Multiple Answer: What Canvas tools are recommended for organizing content? Select all that apply. A) Modules, B) Files, C) People, D) Pages, E) Assignments Feedback: Modules allows you to organize various course activities in sequential order, Files allows you to organize documents uploaded into Canvas using folders, and Pages allows you to organize and link to content using text and hyperlinking. True/False: Unused navigation items should be enabled at all times. A. True, B. False Feedback: Navigation items that are not used in your course should be disabled to help direct students to the appropriate areas in the course Key Assessment: Multiple Choice Multiple choice: Best practices indicate that unused tools should be disabled for students in order to avoid unwanted confusion and student questioning about technology. Where in Canvas can unused course navigation links be disabled? A) On the Home page, B) Right clicking and disabling course navigation links, C) Course Details Tab in Settings, D) Navigation Tab in Settings Multiple Answer: Students benefit from: A) having many different ways to find an assignment, B) having an overview in each module, C) consistency in course design, D) having access to all course files

Performance Objective Assessment 1. Given various scenarios (CN), faculty will determine the Canvas tools that support course organization, navigation, and activity sequence (B) utilizing e-learning best practices without error (CR). Multiple Answer: Organizing your course using modules (choose all that apply): A) Decreases student frustration, B) Simplifies directions for locating materials, C) Provides a clear learning sequence, D) Automatically builds page-by-page navigation Multiple Answer: Segmenting content into manageable chunks A) makes the course less rigorous, B) helps reduce learner cognitive load, C) helps store knowledge into long-term memory, D) Limits the overall amount of information I can present Multiple Answer: Claude is trying to find the best way to organize his course. He needs to upload his files to Canvas, but is unsure how to organize them. What do you tell Claude? Select all that apply. A) Upload the files as is and make them available to students, B) Rename files with self-descriptive names, C) Create folders that align with the course structure, D) Only publish the files students need Multiple Answer: Claude is now looking to take the next step by adding other activities such as assignments and quizzes, but he wants students to access them in a certain order. What do you recommend to Claude? Choose all that apply. A) Use the Modules tool that reflects your course topics/schedule, B) Add Modules throughout the semester, C) Create all Modules before the semester begins, D) Add all relevant files to the module in a non-sequential order, E) Create a content page that provides an overview and instructions for completing each module, F) Add learning activities and resources in the order to be accessed by students

Performance Objective Assessment 2. Given research-based standards for e- learning (CN), faculty will develop a course introduction homepage in Canvas (B) that is learner-centered (CR). Learners will create a new course homepage in their Canvas Practice Course, or they will redesign an existing homepage, that is learner-centered and provides a course introduction by incorporating selected required and/or recommended sub-standards from Quality Matters General Standards 1 & 7. This home page should make clear the overall design of the course to the learner. Rubric Criteria on next slide

Assessment of Learning Outcome 2: Key Assessment Rubric (2/3)
Criteria Met Not Met QM Standard 1.1: Instructions clearly indicate how to get started with the course and where to find course components (Required) Instructions provide a general course overview, present the schedule of activities, guide the learner to explore the course site, and indicate what to do first, in addition to listing detailed navigational instructions for the whole course. 3 points It is not clear where to get started, a general course overview is not provided, nor is there a detailed description of how to navigate the course. 0 points QM Standard 1.2: The purpose and structure of the course is described. (Required) Information is provided to help learners understand the purpose of the course and how the learning process is structured and carried out, including course schedule, delivery modalities (online or blended), modes of communication, types of learning activities, and how learning will be assessed. 3 points The purpose of the course, the schedule, and communication methods are not provided in addition to the types of learning activities and how learning will be assessed. 0 points QM Standard 1.3: Etiquette expectations clearly explained for online communication (Strongly Recommended) Expectations for how learners are to communicate online and in the classroom are clearly stated. 2 points Expectations for how learners are to communicate online and in the classroom is not provided. 0 points QM Standard 1.5: Minimum technology requirements are clearly listed and includes usage instructions. (Strongly Recommended) Learners are provided with detailed, clearly worded information regarding the technologies they will need throughout the course. This includes both hardware, software, subscriptions, or plugins. 2 points Learners are not provided with technology requirements. 0 points

Criteria Met Not Met QM Standard 1.6: Prerequisite knowledge clearly stated (Strongly Recommended) Pre-requisite content/discipline knowledge is clearly stated. 2 points Pre-requisite content/discipline knowledge is not provided. 0 points QM Standard 1.7: Minimum technical skills clearly stated (Strongly Recommended) General as well as course-specific technical skills learners must have to succeed in the course are specified. 2 points Technical skills of learners is not provided. 0 points QM Standard 1.8: Self-introduction of the instructor is available online (Recommended) Instructor provides self-introduction that includes the essentials, such as the instructor’s name, title, field of expertise, address, phone number, and office hours. Including information about the role of the instructor and how to address the instructor is helpful to learners from all backgrounds. 1 point Instructor does not provide a self-introduction and/or does not include contact information. 0 points QM Standard 1.9: Learners are asked to introduce themselves (Recommended Instructions are provided for learners on where to introduce themselves to classmates in electronic format. 1 point Instructions are7 not provided to students for self-introductions in electronic format. 0 points QM Standard 7.1: Instructions clearly state where technical support can be obtained (required) A clear description of how and where learners can receive technology support. This includes general technology support and LMS specific technology support. 3 points A description is not provided to learners for obtaining technical support. 0 points

Performance Objective Assessment 3. Given research-based standards for e-learning (CN), faculty will produce an assignment activity in Canvas (B) that promotes learner self-efficacy (CR). Learners will create a new assignment activity, or they will redesign an existing assignment, that promotes learner self-efficacy by incorporating selected required and/or recommended sub-standards from Quality Matters General Standard 3 in addition to select best practices in delivering online assignments to learners. The assignment should be created so that students understand the purpose, context, performance outcomes, participation requirements, and grading criteria with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the activity. Essentially, the assignment should include all the information students need to know so that the instructor does not need to answer questions about logistics, technology, format, or requirements, only content-related. Rubric Criteria on next slide

Criteria Met Not Met QM Standard 3.1: The assessment measures the learning objectives (Required) Learners can successfully demonstrate mastery through the assessments if they have completed the objectives stated in the course materials and learning activities. 3 points The assessment does not align with the completed objectives stated in course materials and learning activities. 0 points QM Standard 3.3: Specific and descriptive criteria are included with the assessment for evaluation of learners’ work. (Required) Learners are provided with a clear and complete description of the criteria that will be used to evaluate their assessment performance and how the grade will be calculated. Includes instructor expectations for required components. 3 points Descriptive criteria is not provided. It is not clear how the learner will be evaluated nor how the grade will be calculated. It is unclear of the instructor expectations. 0 points QM Standard 5.3: The requirements for learner interaction are clearly stated. (Strongly Recommended) Participation requirements are clearly explained detailing the role of the learner and the instructor. This includes instructor expectations on how learners should interact with classmates and the instructor for the assessment/activity. This includes frequency, timeliness, and length. 2 points Participation requirements are not explained or it is not clear on the role of the learner and instructor. 0 points Best Practice: Provide background information on assignment (Required) Includes an overview/introduction for the assignment that contains critical background information, such as relevant statistics, demographic information, links to resources, etc. Explain the purpose of the assignment and contextualize it with real-world applications. Includes what the learner will gain from the assignment. 3 points Learners are not provided with background information. Lacks purpose and contextualization to connect learner with real-world application. 0 points

Criteria Met Not Met Best Practice: Describes Assessment Details, Technology Requirements, and Logistics (Required) Assessment instructions include detailed information and step-by-step process on how learners should complete the assignment. This includes: 1) Type of Assignment (Individual or Collaborative), 2) Description of end product, 3) Format (APA, MLA, customized), 4) Technology Requirements, 5) Technology Submission Format, 6) Resources Needed, 7) Due Dates, and 8) Reference to grading rubric (if used), 9) Technology Required, 10) Where to Submit 3 points The assessment does not provide the assignment details nor does it list step-by-step instructions on how to complete the assignment. Technology requirements for the assignment are not provided. 0 points Best Practice: Assessment is learner flexible and promotes variety and choice (Recommended) Learners are given flexibility and choice in making decisions on how to complete the assignment. Flexibility can be given in: Technologies for completing the assignment, designing multiple options for the same learning outcome. 1 point There is little to no flexibility and choice afforded to learners in completing the assignment. 0 points Best Practice: Provide Examples (Good or Bad) (Recommended) Provides an example that helps students complete the assignment. The example can be a template to guide learners through completing sections of the assignment or it could be previous learner submissions that serve as a model. 1 point An example or template is not provided for learners. 0 points

Performance Objective Assessment 4. Given web design usability guidelines (CN), faculty will design a learning activity in Canvas (B) that is user-friendly and readable (CR). Learners will create a new learning activity, or they will redesign the homepage created in Lesson 2 or the assignment created in Lesson 3, that is user friendly and readable by incorporating selected required and/or recommended sub-standards from Quality Matters General Standard 8 in addition to Web design usability guidelines.

Criteria Met Not Met QM Standard 8.4 & Best Practice: Content Organization (Required) Content is clearly separated into sections and uses a header structure to drive content hierarchy. Appropriate grouping of text, visual, and auditory content for instructional purposes to reduce cognitive load. Bulleted lists are used appropriately. Paragraphs are not overly long. About 20 words per line and 5 sentences per paragraph. Tables are used to represent data not format content. Includes table headers. 3 points Content is not separated by sections or headers. Text, visual, and auditory content for instructional purposes is not grouped together. Paragraphs or sentences are significantly longer than the recommended amounts. Tables are used to format content and/or do not include headers. 0 points QM Standard 8.4 & Best Practice: Screen Design (Required) Font sizes, other than headings, are used appropriately in the body text. Only one font-type is used. Avoids using All Caps to call learner attention. Colors are used to improve layout, but is not used to describe or reference specific information. Text-to-background contrast meets accessibility requirements. Text is correctly justified to your target audience language White space is used intentionally to separate content and reduce fatigue. Non-text content (Graphs, Charts, Pictures, Video) are used to break up long sections of text. Only one font size is used on body text. Uses All Caps to draw learner attention. Colors are used to describe and reference specific information. Text to background contrast ratio does not meet accessibility requirements. Text is not justified appropriately. 0 points

Criteria Met Not Met Best Practice: Content Substance (Required) Page title and Headers are self-descriptive and accurately describe content. Content is written in an active, 2nd person voice. Links are self-descriptive and not ambiguous. Learners know the purpose of the link and what to do with it. Acronyms and/or new terms are defined. Written concisely using a narrative, conversational approach. Labels, titles, and links are used consistently. Free of spelling or grammatical errors. Images/Video/Audio are of good quality, relate to the learning, and contain text-equivalents. 3 points Page title and headers do not reflect or align with content. Content is not written conversationally. Links are not formatted to be self-descriptive and/or includes the URL address. Acronyms and new terms are not defined when introduced. Lack of consistency in names and titles. Multimedia elements are poor quality. 0 points

Learner Characteristics:
The target audience for the proposed training solution comprises approximately teaching faculty at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Learner Characteristic #1 - Demographics: Since learner age constitutes a wide range, the training module will need to be designed to accommodate learners who do not have strong technology backgrounds. Instructions and content will need to be simplified and free of technology jargon. Learner Characteristic #2 – Abilities: The target audience knows how to operate the LMS technology at a beginner level. No new technology will be introduced; only native LMS tools will be incorporated. The training module will be written with the assumption that learners know how to operate the LMS. Any intermediate level LMS skills will need to be presented. Learner Characteristic #3 – Attitude: may not be excited to take it. Content should be concise and to the point, but still provide context and benefits. Slide complete

Learning Context Instructional setting: fully online web-based, self-paced training module hosted in the University’s Canvas LMS that can completed from any computer with an Internet connection and a modern web browser. Characteristics: 100% online No live instructor/facilitator Secure site with authentication required Content in digital format Resources: a high-speed Internet connection Access to University’s LMS, Canvas University supplied credentials Mac or PC computer/laptop A quiet space free of distraction Constraints: Some activities not optimized for mobile devices Not all learners are prepared for fully online learning activities Slide complete

Training Module Outline (1/4)
Introduction: Getting Started (a) Introduction to help gain learner attention; includes a brief self-introduction. Provide a brief statement on why learning management systems are used, how they can help, and how to get the best out of them. Describe the purpose and contextualize the training module to learner needs. (b) Introduce learning goal and objectives for each topic. Include the course structure and types of activities that learners will participate in to reach the goal/objectives. Include what learners have to do in order to successfully complete the class (c) Describe technical requirements, skills, and any pre-requisite knowledge required to be successful in this course (d) Include instructions on how to obtain Practice Canvas Course if one has not been provided. (e) Learners participate in pre-course self-assessment to measure entry-level skills and pre-requisite knowledge on training topics. This untimed, true/false assessment will contain 5 questions related to the pre-requisite skills and 5 questions related to the content. Slide complete

Lesson Topics/Sub-topics Lesson 1: Optimizing Your Canvas Course Organization & Navigation eLearning Best Practices for organizing content, sequencing activities, and creating an easily navigable course Canvas tools for organizing content and navigation Lesson 2: Creating a Learner-Centered Course Homepage Quality Matters standards for a learner-centered course introduction Canvas tools for creating a custom homepage Lesson 3: Creating Informative Learning Activities Quality Matters standards for assessments Recommended information to include to make your assignment informative and learner-centered Canvas tools for creating learning activities and assignments Lesson 4: Designing User-Friendly Resources Web Design Usability Guidelines Usability for Accessibility Canvas tools for creating usable learning activities Slide complete

Content Presentation: the performance objectives will be categorized into four individual lessons to break the content into simplified, manageable segments. Each lesson will contain the following components in the order listed below: Lesson Overview: Using the Canvas Wiki tool, content will be provided in multimedia format with an introduction/purpose statement/overview of the lesson to help contextualize the learning content. An activity list will be provided along with a restatement of the performance objective to prepare learners for the lesson. Lesson Sub-topic pages: One content page created for each sub-topic using the Canvas Wiki tool. Content curated/created in multimedia format will be presented or embedded within the LMS when possible. The multimedia content will present the knowledge learners need to gain to perform the learning objectives. A quick self-check quiz will be provided immediately after the content to help learners check on their progress and reinforce key concepts. Practice Activity (Practice Exercise): participants will have the opportunity for guided practice to apply new skills/knowledge. This activity is not graded, will be in multiple choice format using the Canvas Quizzes tool, and will provide automated feedback. Key Assessment (Evaluation): Using the Canvas Assignments tools, participants will individually create or redesign a learning object based on the criteria provided using content from their own course/subject area. Instructions will be presented using text. Lesson Wrap-up (Summary): Using the Canvas Wiki tool, the content presented on this page will provide closure to the lesson by summarizing and reviewing the content in multimedia format. Slide complete

Assessments The final assessment has been broken into four major parts, or key assessments. Each key assessment will be delivered at the end of each lesson. Lesson one will be assessed using multiple choice case-based questioning. For Lessons 2-4, Learners will be asked to put the skills learned in each lesson to re-design a poorly built Canvas activity or create an activity of their own that is: learner-centered using research-based standards (lesson 2) Informative using research-based standards (lesson 3) uses web design usability guidelines (lesson 4) Learners participate in post-course self-assessment to measure skills and knowledge gained throughout the training module. This timed, true/false assessment will contain 5 questions related to the pre-requisite skills and 5 questions related to the content. Slide complete

Instructional Resources
A high-speed Internet connection Access to University’s LMS, Canvas University supplied credentials Mac or PC computer/laptop with Audio/Speakers Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome browsers installed (recommended). A practice Canvas course Canvas Community: Slide complete

Designing Your Canvas Course Design Plan
Getting Started Homepage w/ Getting Started Instructions Introduction Page w/ Goal Statement, LOs, Purpose Technology/Skill Requirements Pre-Course Self-Assessment Course Structure/Activities Lesson 1: Optimizing Your Canvas Course Organization & Navigation Lesson Overview eLearning Best Practices for organizing content, sequencing activities, and creating an easily navigable course Canvas tools for organizing content and navigation Practice Activity Key Assessment Lesson Wrap-up Lesson 2: Creating a Learner-Centered Course Homepage Overview Quality Matters standards for a learner-centered course Canvas Tools for Creating a Custom Homepage Lesson 3: Creating Informative Learning Activities Quality Matters standards for assessments Recommend information to include to make your assignment informative and learner-centered Canvas tools for creating learning activities and assignments Lesson 4: Designing User-Friendly Resources Web Design Usability Guidelines Usability for Accessibility Canvas tools for creating usable learning activities Training Conclusion Post-Course-Self Assessment Course Evaluation

Formative Evaluation (1/2)
Two strategies will be used to formatively evaluate the design plan Subject Matter Expert Review: A colleague, an instructional designer of years, will conduct a SME review of the design plan as she has expert level knowledge in all topics planned for the training module. Small Group Evaluation: 3-5 members from the target audience and/or select team members who could benefit from the training will assess the effectiveness of the training module. Slide complete

Formative Evaluation (2/2)
Step-by-step Plan After a brief introduction, the SME will review the training module and insert comments for each page/activity in a templated document without designer observation. SME will focus on content, flow, structure, navigation, assessment activities and criteria, appropriateness, and the overall design of the course. After a brief introduction, the small group will focus on completing the instructional unit without interruption under passive observation. The designer (me) will document problems, issues, or questions that arise in a templated document and will probe learners for feedback after completing the training module. Designer will write an evaluation and revision report for planned changes based on formative evaluation results and analysis. Designer revises training module. Slide complete

Summary Faculty have developed skills for using Canvas as a technology tool, however, competency has not been established for applying techno- pedagogical practices. The purpose of this self-paced, fully online module is to develop faculty competency in designing Canvas courses that facilitate ease-of-use. Upon completion of the instructional unit, faculty will be able to apply e-learning best practices, guidelines, and standards in developing learner-usable courses in the Canvas Learning Management system. Based on the performance objectives, the training is divided into 4 major lessons that focus on optimizing course organization and navigation, creating learner-centered content, developing informative learning activities, and designing user-friendly resources. Each lesson will present an introduction to the lesson, content pages, practice activities, a key assessment, and lesson wrap- up.

Enhancing Your Canvas Course Design Plan

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