Module Design Tips

Create modules based on how you wish to organize your course content. This could be by weeks, chapters, units or some other method. No matter how you choose to organize content, be sure to use a consistent and easy to follow naming scheme. 

There are several different content types you can add to modules. Instructors can add pre-existing content to modules or create new content shells directly in the module list.

• How do I add assignment types, pages, and files as module items?

Content item options include the following: 

• Files– Link to files in the course files or upload a new file.
• Pages– Link to content pages you already created in Canvas or create a new page shell.
• Assignments– Link to assignments you have already created in Canvas or create a new assignment shell. 
  • Note: After the February 15, 2020 update new quizzes will be created from the quiz index page. New quizzes will still be listed as assignments in module add content dialog box. You will not be able to create a new quiz in the new quiz tool from module index pages. See New Quiz Tool Overview for details. 
• Quizzes- Link to quizzes you have already created in Canvas or create a new quiz shell. 
• Discussions- Link to discussions you have already created in Canvas or create a new discussion topic. 
• Text header– Create a text header in a module.
• External URLs– Create a link to external URL
• External Tools  - Link to an integrated tools such as publisher resources

Once content has been organized in modules instructors can apply prerequisites and requirements on content items. This creates check marks next to the content that the student has completed or viewed. The requirements can be used with the prerequisites to control student access to content. 

To create a requirement click the option menu in the module heading and select Edit from the menu. A dialog box will appear with options for creating requirements and prerequisites. Please note you cannot create a prerequisite for the first module in the list.

• How do I add prerequisites to a module?
• How do I add requirements to a module?

The requirement options include the following:

• View the item – Available for all content items. This option requires students to view the page before they can progress to next content item in the module.
• Mark as Done - Available for assignments, discussions, quizzes, and pages. To mark a module item as done, students are responsible for marking the module item done before they can progress to the next content item in the module.
• Contribute to the page – Only available for pages and discussions. To contribute or edit content on a page, students must be allowed to edit the page in the course. This option is available in the page options when you edit the page.  To contribute to a discussion, students need to post a reply to the discussion topic. Students must contribute the page before they can progress to the next content item in the module.
• Submit the Assignment – Only available for assignments with online submission and discussion and quizzes. Students must submit the assignment before they can progress to the next content item in the module.
• Score at Least # points – Only available for assignments, quizzes, and discussions. An additional field will appear where you can enter the minimum score that students must earn before they can progress to the next content item in the module.

Mastery paths allows instructors to build multiple paths of assessments students can complete. The path can be determine by student choice or grade from previous assessment. Mastery Paths is a course level feature option in the course settings. Once activated in the course, instructors can edit an assignment to create a mastery path with other assignments and pages. This option requires careful planning as the paths cannot be changed once there are student submissions. See the following guide for details. 

• Creating and Managing Mastery Paths in Assignments

Mastery Paths vs Module Requirements & Prerequisites

It is generally not recommended to use mastery paths and module requirements and prerequisites together in the course modules. The mastery paths will overrule the module requirements. 

Available Dates

Assignments that are part of a mastery path must be assigned to the mastery path so students only see the assignments when they meet the path requirement. 

In the assignment settings be careful about setting Available From & Until dates. If an assignment has mastery path requirement or module requirement for submission, score at least, or contribute to the page, the Available From and Until dates, this could possibly conflict with the mastery path or module requirement set due date and Until date. This may make it impossible for a student to complete a mastery path or module requirement for assignments they did not submit before Available From date passes. This also means the student will not be able to progress in the mastery paths or to the prerequisite module. It is best not use the Available From and Until dates for assignments with mastery paths or module requirements. If you still want to use the Available Until date, you can modify the assignment due date for selected students to set different due date and Until date. See the guides below. 

• How do I assign an assignment to an individual student? (use the Add option)
• How do I view differentiated assignments with different due dates in a course?

If you leave off the Available Until date in the assignment settings, when students submit assignments late, there will be a notation that the assignment was submitted late. If you are using the new gradebook, you can setup late policies to automatically set the grade for missing or late assignments. 

• How do I apply a Missing Submission policy in the New Gradebook?
• How do I apply a Late Submission policy in the New Gradebook?

Module Requirements and Quiz Settings Conflicts

If a quiz with module requirements of score at least only one attempt set and a student does not earn the required amount of points with the first attempt, the student will not be able to progress in the mastery path or module requirements and prerequisites. It is best to allow multiple attempts so the student can achieve the required score if they do not achieve it on the first try. Instructors can also moderate the quiz to give a student another attempt. 

• What options can I set in a quiz?
• Once I publish a quiz, how do I use the Moderate Quiz page?

Using the One Requirement Option

When creating requirement, If you choose to use the one requirement option with several assignments in a module, you can excuse the assignments that students do not complete. The excused assignments will not be included in the students' total grade.  In the gradebook for the assignments the students don't complete, enter EX in assignment cell for the student. This will remove the assignment from the total calculation. 

• How do I excuse an assignment for a student in the Gradebook?

Changing Requirements

If you edit a module and change requirements after students have already submitted required assignments, you will be presented with the requirements changed dialog box. You can choose re-lock modules or continue.  If you choose to re-lock the module, students will be forced to complete the changes you made to requirements. If you choose continue, the students can continue where they left off in the module requirements.

• How do I edit a module?