Course Template - Import and Set Up Guide

This course template is open to public view. But some menus and activities are hidden from public view. For example, the sample wordings in the Announcements menu are only accessible once you 'Join this Course' (see button on right-hand side from the Home page). You can also leave this site at any time. 

Import the Template

  1. Download the following Canvas Course Export Package: otp-course-template-c-export.imscc Download otp-course-template-c-export.imscc
  2. In your Canvas course, go to Settings > Import Course Content.
  3. Select Content Type Canvas Course Export Package.
  4. Choose the Canvas Course Export Package file to upload.
  5. Select "All content" or 'Select specific content"
  6. Click Import.

For more information see How do I import a Canvas course export package? Links to an external site.

Build Your Course

Home Page

  1. Select Home from the Course menu.
  2. Click Edit on the page and update the following information. 

Syllabus

  1. Select Syllabus from the Course menu.
  2. Click Edit on the page.
  3. Delete the default course_syllabus.pdf.
  4. Upload your own syllabus file and link it on the page.
  5. Save.

Library Online Course Reserves

UBC Library Online Course Reserves (LOCR) allows instructors to create a single list with all the course materials which students can access from the course navigation menu. 

For more information see UBC Library > Using Course Reserves.

Announcements

  1. Select Announcements from the Course menu. 
  2. Either update each sample announcement or delete it. 
  3. To update, click the title of each sample announcement. 
    [To delete, click the three dots to the far right.]
  4. Click Edit on the page.
  5. Change the posting date to send an announcement at a future date. 
    • Or click three dots to the far right if you wish to Delete them. 
  6. Save. 

When that date and time of posting date of each announcement is reached, Canvas will display the announcement for student view and notify students according to their preferred Notification Preferences. At the beginning of the term, ask students to make sure their Notification Preferences are set, so they can receive your Announcements daily (a default setting).

Modules 

Modules allow you to organize your course contents including activities and assessments in a way that makes the intended sequencing of these materials evident to students. You can organize modules by weeks, or topics. You can create prerequisite activities and track student progress.  Note. Students will be able to see your modules only after you publish them. 

  1. Select Modules from the Course menu.
  2. Update existing contents under Modules with yours. 
  3. Click +Module button to create a new module.  

For more information see

Activities and Assignments

Note. Students will be able to see activities and assignments only after you publish them. 

Discussions

  1. Select Discussions from the course menu.
  2. To edit the sample discussion topics, click on the name. Then, click Edit button. 
  3. Click +Discussion button to create a new discussion.

Surveys / Quizzes / Exams

  1. Select Quizzes from the course menu.
  2. To edit or delete the sample quizzes, click the three dots to the far right in the title bar. 
  3. Click +Quiz to create a new quiz.

Assignments

  1. Select Assignments from the course menu.
  2. To edit the sample assignments, click three dots to the far right in the title bar. 
  3. Click +Assignment to create a new assignment. 

Assignment Groups and Weighting 

Using Assignment Groups, you can organize the assignments in your course and weight final grades based on assignment groups. 

  1. Select Assignments from the course menu.
  2. To create an assignment group, click +Group on the top-right corner, and organize graded assignments (e.g. discussions, quizzes, assignments) into proper assignment groups. 
  3. To weight final grades based on assignment groups, click on the three dots at the top -right corner of the screen. Then, choose Assignment Groups Weight.

Grades

Canvas allows you to control when your students can see their grades. If you do not want the grades you enter to be immediately visible to students, we recommend changing your course’s grade posting policy to Manually Post Grades. 

  1. Select Grades from the course menu.
  2. Click the Settings icon (a gear icon in the top right corner).
  3. Select the Grade Posting Policy tab.
  4. Choose the grading policy of your choice. 
  5. Click Update.

For more information, see Keep Teaching Site - Grades.

Settings

  1. Select Settings from the Course menu.
  2. On the Course Details tab
  3. On the Navigation tab, hide any navigation menus that won't be used, and activate any menus that you would like to add to the course navigation menu. We recommend hiding Files and Pages. 
  4. Click Validate Links in Content locate on the right menu and check all the links work properly.
  5. Publish your course when you are ready. Students will not see your course until it is published.

Note.  Using the Students View menu in Settings (also available on the Home page), you can view a course the same way that your students view your course.