Step 7 - Set Course and Canvas Settings


Step 7 - Set Course and Canvas Settings

One final and important component of the course development process is updating your course and Canvas settings to ensure the best possible experience for both you and your students.

Look over the information below to make sure your Canvas account and course are set up correctly. 


Step 7-1: Set up and Select a Home Page

Home page example with campus building for a header image, text is indiscernible
Create a home page using a
Canvas Page 

The Home Page is the first impression of a course. Select a home page option that best fits the needs of your course.

→ Recommendation: Use a Canvas page as your home page to create a welcome to the course. Include information about the course and visuals to engage your students.

Template: Please note, a college template is available to be added to courses that has a fillable home page


Step 7-2: Create a Start Here Page

Create a Start Here page to let students know what to do the first few days of class. This can include:

  • A link to the DFCAS Student Online Orientation
  • How to succeed and be prepared for the course
  • A "To do list" (e.g., read syllabus/schedule, begin Module 1, post in the intro discussion, etc.)
Template: Please note, the college template has a fillable start here page


Step 7-3: Simplify Your Course Navigation

image of canvas navigation with home, announcements, modules, assignments, discussions, quizzes, grades, and settings
Update the course navigation

For an optimum  course navigation experience, hide unnecessary links to reduce confusion and keep students focused. This also prevents access to restricted files or time-sensitive content that is located in Files and Pages.

→ Recommended Navigation Links: Home, Announcements, Syllabus, Modules, Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, Grades, People, and any other tools you use.


Step 7-4: Publish Your Course and Content

Publish your course and verify the visibility status of individual items and modules, making sure the items you want students to see are published.


Step 7-5: Set up Notifications

To ensure you receive communication from Canvas, set up your Notification Preferences and contact method in your Canvas account.

Important: If you have an OU Alias Email it must be set as the default contact method in Canvas in order for you to  directly reply to Canvas messages from your OU Email account.

  • Your default OU email (already in Canvas) looks something like this: Sooner.the.Horse-1@ou.edu
  • Your alias email (a shorter, custom option) looks something like this: soonerTH@ou.edu – this is the one you should add to Canvas.

 


>>This concludes the section on Creating a Course Online.

White exclamation point with blue circle around it. Make sure to also review the Teaching Online section that discusses ways you can stay connected to students and also create a presence in your online classroom during the semester.