6.6 Applying Best Practices for Content Transfer in Canvas

Transferring course content to new shells can be a complex and time-consuming process. It requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a thorough understanding of best practices to ensure a smooth transition. By following established guidelines and considering key factors such as announcements, assignments, development shells, content review, and testing, faculty can effectively transfer their course content while maintaining the integrity and quality of their online courses.

Announcement Considerations

As mentioned in the previous lesson, announcements play a crucial role in communicating important information to students and setting the tone for the course. When transferring course content to a new shell, it is essential to review and update announcements to ensure they remain relevant and accurate for the new group of students. This process involves several key considerations that faculty should keep in mind to effectively manage announcements during the content transfer process.

Review and Edit Announcements Post-Transfer: Update course-specific references, dates, and links to ensure relevance and accuracy for the new group of students.

Manage Delay Posting Settings: Adjust settings to align with the new course timeline, preventing confusion or outdated information from being communicated.

Utilize Announcements for Course Orientation: Create initial announcements to welcome students and provide an overview of the course structure, key dates, and expectations.

The Canvas guides provided below will offer the resources necessary for you to manage your announcements effectively.

Failing to review and update announcements can lead to confusion and frustration for students. Simply copying announcements without adjusting for the new course context can result in irrelevant or inaccurate information being shared.

Assignment Considerations

Assignments are a critical component of any online course, and ensuring they are properly configured and aligned with the new course timeline is essential for student success. When transferring assignments to a new course shell, faculty should carefully review and adjust assignment settings, due dates, and availability to avoid confusion and ensure a seamless learning experience for students.

Adjust Dates During the Import Process: Shift dates to align with the new course schedule or remove dates and set them manually later.

Review Dates Post-Import: Use the Calendar view to confirm and adjust assignment dates, ensuring accuracy and relevance to the new course timeline.

Account for College or District-Specific Events and Holidays: Review the academic calendar for any changes or updates and adjust assignment deadlines accordingly to prevent conflicts.

The Canvas guides provided below will offer the resources necessary for you to manage your assignment dates effectively.

Not properly adjusting assignment dates can create confusion and stress for students. Overlooking college or district-specific events and holidays can lead to unrealistic deadlines and conflicts with students' schedules.

Utilize a Canvas Development Shell

Maintaining a dedicated Canvas Development Shell as the primary repository for the most up-to-date course content is a game-changer. It allows for experimentation and development without affecting live courses.

Ensure Content Updates and Revisions are Made in the Development Shell: Make "live" revisions during an active teaching term, avoiding unintended impacts on the instructional course.

Transfer Content from the Development Shell to Relevant Semester Shells: Use the Canvas Course Import Tool for efficient content transfer, selecting specific content to ensure relevance to the new course.

If you are unfamiliar with the concept or use of a Canvas development shell, please review section "1.4 Canvas Development Shells" from the Canvas Safety Net Workshop for definitions, purposes, and instructions on how to request one.

Review Course Content

Reviewing course content is a critical step in the content transfer process, as it ensures that all materials are accurate, relevant, and up-to-date. By thoroughly reviewing transferred content, faculty can identify and address any issues that may impact the student learning experience, such as broken links, outdated information, or misaligned course objectives.

Verify Accuracy, Relevance, and Functionality of Transferred Content: Check links, images, and multimedia elements, ensuring the course syllabus and schedule are updated with current information.

Organize Content Using Modules: Segment content into modules for a structured learning path, reviewing and updating module content for relevance and alignment with course objectives.

Validate Links and Repair Broken Ones: Use Canvas's "Validate Links in Content" feature to ensure student access to all learning materials.

For a detailed guide on validating links within a Canvas course, we recommend referring to the Canvas Community Guide titled "How Do I Validate Links in a Course?" Links to an external site. for more information.

Failing to thoroughly review transferred content can result in outdated or irrelevant information being presented to students. Broken links or outdated resources can hinder the learning experience.

Test Course Components

Testing course components is an essential step in the content transfer process, as it ensures that all elements of the course are functioning as intended and providing a seamless learning experience for students. By configuring and testing assignments, quizzes, discussions, and other course components, faculty can identify and address any issues before the course goes live.

Configure and Test Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions: Review settings and instructions for clarity and accuracy, verifying proper functionality and alignment with course objectives.

Preview the Course from a Student Perspective: Use the Student View feature in Canvas to identify and address any issues with content visibility or access. For a detailed guide on how to use the student view feature in Canvas, we recommend that you review the following guide, "How do I view a course as a test student using student view?" Links to an external site. for more information.

Solicit Early Feedback from Students: Catch and correct any issues with course components, refining the course setup through an iterative process.

Not testing course components can lead to confusion and frustration for students. Overlooking the student perspective can result in accessibility issues and hindered learning experiences.

Conclusion

Applying best practices for content transfer in Canvas is crucial for ensuring a smooth and effective transition between course shells. By following these guidelines, faculty can provide students with a clear, organized, and engaging learning experience.