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Updating Your Syllabus
Over time, you may want to make changes to the syllabus of a course. The syllabus documents are saved in the “Files” area (1) of the course. To preserve the integrity of the document, the Word document is located in the “Instructor Only” folder (3) and the PDF is found in the “Documents” folder (2) so it is visible to students.
No Sweat Alt Text
What is “alt text”? Alt text is descriptive text linked to an image, graph, or other visual content that allows users to understand the visual without viewing it. Any image online should contain alt text, but guidelines differ depending on whether the image is simply decorative or related to other content on the page.
Using Hotspots
A unique way to share information, images with hotspots offer online learners the opportunity to interact with course content. Learners can click or hover on particular parts of an image and receive pop-ups giving them more information. Hotspots represent information in a particular context; thus, they fulfill the multimedia principle—use words and graphics rather than words alone—and the contiguity principle—align words to corresponding graphics (Clark & Mayer, 2016).
Basic Editing in Canvas
To edit a page in Canvas, simply click on the “Edit” button. Each page contains a variety of editing tools, similar to those found on most word processing programs. The Rich Content Editor applies the principles of a WYSIWIG editor (What You See is What You Get) and uses icons to illustrate the functions. You may also hover over an icon to confirm its function.
Managing Files in Canvas
Students and instructors alike benefit from consistent file management in online courses. Ensuring that students can readily locate and access the files they need serves to promote engagement and completion of course requirements. Similarly, consistent file management helps instructors to navigate through and update materials efficiently and to avoid introducing file-related errors. This post outlines recommendations and key considerations for optimizing file management within your online course. While recommendations and considerations related to Canvas-specific functionality are threaded throughout, you will also find broadly applicable tips pertinent to multiple learning management systems.
Self-Recording Best Practices
While traditional lectures are delivered in front of a classroom, allowing you to read students’ engagement and adjust in real time to both content and pacing, online lectures do not afford the same flexibility. Therefore, it is important to carefully plan your videos in accordance with best practices in online learning. There are many video types and formats to choose from (See the Envision blog: Matching Video Production Style to Learning Goals), and one decision you'll need to make is whether you want to appear on camera. This guide covers best practices for videos that will include your webcam footage.
Matching Video Production Style to Learning Goals
So, you’ve decided to record a video for your course (See first, the Envision post: Video Planning: To Record or Not to Record?). Your next concern might be technology related, as you wonder how you can match the production quality of videos you’ve seen in MOOCs (massive open online courses) such as MasterClass or Coursera. But have no fear—research shows no association between production value and learning outcomes (Hansch, et al., 2015; Sturman, Mitchell, & Mitchell, 2018). Furthermore, selecting your technology without initial consideration of your video style would be premature. “When thinking about video for learning, the choice of video production style will have a great impact on a video’s ability to effect pedagogical objectives and desired learning outcomes” (Hansch, et al., 2015, p.20). Production style refers to the holistic organization of a video, which we will discuss in terms of type (what the video aims to accomplish) and output (what the video looks like). Choosing the right style for the content centers the learner and ultimately facilitates an easier selection of technology.