Our recent student survey made it clear that UCSB students appreciate clarity when it comes to due dates and course logistics. A course calendar seems to be like the superhero solution for streamlining this process. But hold up, we noted that instructors tend to attach it to the bottom of a traditional PDF syllabus – it's time for an upgrade and Canvas is your trusty sidekick in this academic adventure.
Canvas has a nifty feature: the Course Summary. You can find it in the Syllabus link in the Course Navigation Menu. This Course Summary doesn't just display a course calendar; it's a game-changer for these reasons:
- Living Document. The Course Summary is flexible. You can edit due dates on the fly, or add new activities, and it instantly reflects the changes. No more dealing with clunky PDFs.
- Automatic Linking. You don't need to do anything extra to have the info populate in the Course Summary. The linking is automatically done as soon as you enter a date and publish the item. Less work for you!
- "Jump to Today" Button. Students can easily spot activities due on that day with a single click. No more frantic searching.
- Direct Access. Want students to submit their work without a hitch? You got it! They can click on the activity directly from the Course Summary.
- Calendar Integration. The dates you enter populate students' Canvas calendars, showing up in their to-do lists and list views.
- Bulk Updates. Planning to import your course for the next quarter? Changing the dates for your next quarter is super easy!
Now, let's get down to business and learn how to wield the Canvas tools like a pro to create a Course Summary in a few clicks.
Graded Items (e.g., quizzes, assignments, graded discussions)
Set due dates for all graded items and don't forget to publish them. They must be published to appear in the students' Course Summary.
If your assignment isn't ready, or you don't want students accessing it just yet, set an "Available from" date. If you're allowing late submissions, don't set the “Available to” date.
Ungraded Items (e.g., readings, discussions, and other tasks)
To-do dates are your secret weapon for signaling when ungraded tasks should be completed. And, you guessed it, these need to be published for students to spot them on their calendars.
- Got readings or tasks to be completed? List them on a page and add a to-do date.
- Ungraded discussions can also have a to-do date to keep things crystal clear.
Events (e.g., lectures, special visits, office hours, presentations, conferences, etc.)
Events are a breeze to manage. Add them to your calendar so that students know what’s going to happen in the course every week.
- Create them in the calendar – perfect for lectures, conferences, and the like.
- For interactive stuff like office hours or group/individual presentations, create sign-up slots for students.
Now, here's the kicker: it's all about giving your students the tools to stay organized. And remember the Syllabus link, as well as those graded and ungraded items, need to be published to show up for students. Now go ahead, and check out how amazing your new course summary looks for your students using the Student View– they're in for a treat!