Guiding principles for your Canvas course

UTS academics designing subject sites in the learning management system (LMS) are recommended to follow the eight guiding principles. Each principle provides key benefits for students and staff.

UTS aims for consistent site design across all sites within the LMS. The common layout of Canvas courses should be intuitive, well organised, and easy to navigate.

Key benefits

• Adds to the quality and the credibility of the Canvas course
• Improves learner experience and simplifies the staff experience

Within a UTS course, each Canvas course is designed in a consistent way. The Canvas course should support a clear learning experience and pathway for students as they access content and engage in learning activities that is in harmony with other subjects in the same course.

Key benefits

• Enhances students’ learning experiences by developing a sense of belonging in a coherent group of subjects
• Develops a consistent and coherent learning experience and builds in students a detailed understanding of how each subject relates to others across their degree

A subject site promotes opportunities for active learning by engaging students in the knowledge construction process and in activities that encourage critical thinking and collaborative learning. Active learning strategies can include:

• Problem-based learning
• Addressing and posing scientific questions
• Analysing evidence
• Connecting such evidence and reflection
• Inquiry-based instruction

The use of digital tools also enables students to be involved in collaborative and problem-based activities.

Key benefits

• Transforms the role of students in the learning environment from passive consumers to active producers of knowledge
• Promotes deeper engagement with content through collaboration and problem-solving
• Aligns with learning.futures principles, as active learning focuses on problem-based and inquiry-based learning, where students take an active role in the learning activity

Modularisation is a supported way of structuring and delivering content in Canvas. It involves grouping subject content into logical and coherent arrangements, for example by topic, theme or milestone, to provide a clear learning pathway for students. All relevant content and supplementary resources, including interactive activities, are provided in sequential order within a module.

Key benefits

• Students develop a cognitive pattern of how modules are structured within a subject site and experience a consistent learning journey as they navigate between modules
• Academics have the flexibility of reusing modules across different subjects (and potentially in short courses and microcredentials)

Canvas courses should make clear all requirements for the subject, the assessment tasks, and expectations for student participation. Similarly, it should be clear what students can expect from the subject learning experience, including key feedback points.

Key benefits

• Helps students to devise their learning strategies to be successful in their course
• Teachers need not discuss these in every class, saving time

Subject learning outcomes and learning objectives are clearly communicated to students within the Canvas course.

Key benefits

• Articulating learning objectives at a granular level helps to increase students’ awareness of the need for the knowledge or skill presented
• This also helps to ensure that students are practicing the skills developed within or required by the curriculum

The design and facilitation of a subject can communicate that the teacher is present and actively involved. The Canvas course provides an engaging learning environment through creating opportunities for students to interact with academics and peers. It also creates opportunities for providing constructive feedback on students’ work in a timely manner that is personalised and specific. Teacher presence in the online teaching space encourages a personal connection with the cohort and their learning process.

Key benefits

• Promotes students’ continued engagement with the learning resources and activities by encouraging them to ask questions
• Helps to build a sense of belonging in the online environment by building rapport with the students to optimise approachability
• Enhances students’ learning experience, and influences student satisfaction

Canvas courses articulate and adhere to UTS policies and legislative requirements. Links to policies or direct references are provided and accessible to students from the Canvas course.

Key benefits

• Complying with policies and legislative requirements supports student learning, ensures safe online communications and maintains privacy of student data and subject information