How Can I Improve and Prepare my Course for Next Time?

computer with happy, neutral, and sad faces for evaluation — Always be evaluating your course for how to make it better

One of the great things about teaching online is the ability to reuse much of your course content from semester to semester. Canvas provides the tools to easily copy a course for the next time you teach it.

Each time you teach the course is an opportunity to improve it. Course evaluations, student comments, and your own observations are often the best resources you can draw from when updating your course.

It is recommended to complete a full evaluation and update of your course every two to three years.

How do I Copy my Course?

To copy a course in Canvas you will go to the course you will be teaching and import the content from the last time you taught it.

For step by step instructions view the Canvas Guide on Importing Content from Another Canvas Course Links to an external site..

Adjust Dates

When importing or copying a course in Canvas you can shift due dates so they line up closer to the current semester, or remove all associated due dates.

How do I adjust events and due dates in a course import? Links to an external site.

Two boxes that say Canvas Course at the top. One is lighter to show it's a copy. — You can copy a course from semester to semester and then update it

Other Updates

After you have copied your course you will need to manually update semester specific information like your syllabus and schedule. In addition, use this time to review your course for textual errors and broken links. Below is a list of some of the items that will need to be checked or updated after a course copy:

- - Dates
  - Links (use the course link validator tool Links to an external site. in Canvas)
  - Textual errors
  - Syllabus
  - Schedule
  - Announcements

What Information Can I Draw from to Make Improvements?

OU Evaluations

Use the feedback you receive from your OU evaluations to make improvements.

Questions and Comments

If you have recurring issues during the semester, this is the prefect time to fix the problem before you teach the course again.

Canvas Survey

Canvas offers a survey setting under the Quizzes tool, allowing you to create short course evaluations. Surveys can be set to anonymous, encouraging honest feedback. Conducting surveys at midterm or key points throughout the semester helps identify what’s working well and where students may need support.

Click here for example questions: Student Feedback Survey Example

NOTE: An importable survey is available in the DFCAS Online Template. Once it is added to Canvas it can be edited by instructors to suit their specific course needs.

How do I create a survey in my course? Links to an external site.

Calendar sign that says It's been two years, time to update your online course — Complete a full evaluation every 2-3 years

How Often Should I Complete a Full Evaluation of my Course?

Beyond small semester-to-semester updates, online courses should undergo a full review every two to three years. This ensures resources and teaching materials remain current and aligned with best practices. As online teaching evolves, regular reviews help maintain quality and keep courses engaging and effective for students.

>> This completes the section on teaching online. To learn more about online course design and teaching review the section below:

Images: Computer image by StartupStockPhotos Links to an external site. from Pixabay Links to an external site. - Calendar: Original photo by Manasvita S Links to an external site. on Unsplash Links to an external site. (text added)